February 24, 2026 Issue - Addiction/Recovery eBulletin

February 24, 2026 • Vol. 13, No. 28

10 Years of Fentanyl: The Deadly Drug Still Has San Francisco In Its Grip

DYING TO GET HIGH – Feb. 5, 2026 - The coroner’s office struggled to keep up. During a 24-hour-span on Aug. 8, 2023, nine people in San Francisco died from drug overdoses, eight of them from fentanyl. Eight were c... Read More...

Big PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026fentanyl

FREE Narcan Vending Machines Now Open in Colorado

VIDEO – WHAT PRICE A LIFE – Feb. 12, 2026 - The initiative follows significant drug enforcement actions. Late last year, Police recovered an estimated 330,000 suspected fentanyl pills as law enforcement continues to ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026harm reductionintervention

Breaking The Chains of Addiction – 2 Stories, 1 Hope

AUDIO – CONVERSATIONS MATTER – Feb. 17, 2026 - Sam Hillis, left, and Cory Hobbs visited WCPI’s Studio B to share their experiences and lessons from their struggle to overcome drug addiction and build new lives in so... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Sodas Linked to Serious Liver Damage Risk

GROW UP – Feb. 11, 2026 - The Annals of Hepatology links less than one soda a day to a higher risk of metabolic dysfunction–associated liver disease. Experts say sugary sodas overload the liver with fructose, while d... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and Mediadiet sodaFeb 24 2026food addictionlife expectancy

‘Delicious’ Award-winning Non-alcoholic Spirit offers a ‘buzz without the booze

IF YOU DARE – Feb. 14, 2026 - Whilst many have attempted Dry January, others are seeking more lasting solutions to reduce or entirely eliminate alcohol from their lifestyles. However, this doesn’t mean individuals mu... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026sobriety

Woman’s Stark Warning to ‘Wine o’clock Mums’

DRINK WATER – Feb. 13, 2026 - A sobriety expert has explained how her mental health deteriorated after she firmly became embroiled in ‘wine o’clock mum’ culture. Even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026sobriety

A Voice for the Ages

SHE HAD TO HAVE IT – Feb. 16, 2026 - Long-term HIV survivor Sherri Lewis, 71, recounts the journey of a lifetime—from Top 40 pop singer to wise storyteller. I am now 71. I’m in disbelief and proud to have made it ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCelebrity SobrietyFeb 24 2026RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Investigating the VA’s Prescribing Practices for Medication Management

CAN’T BE TOO CAREFUL – Feb. 5, 2026 - “Recent reporting has raised serious concerns about the prevalence of polypharmacy—or multiple medication use—among veterans,” wrote the senators. “Polypharmacy, while not inhere... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026

Synthetic Cannabis – aka K2 – a Rising Factor in Nonfatal Overdoses

KEEP IT REAL – Feb. 12, 2026 - K2 is not actually cannabis, but rather a chemical that produces a hallucinogenic effect, and is most commonly sprayed on plant matter or paper, though it may also be vaped, according t... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026marijuanaOverdose

Joshua Project Delivers Help Amid Homeless Overdose Crisis

VIDEO – FEEDING THE POOR – Feb. 12, 2026 - Members of The Joshua Project, a faith-based outreach organization, set up tables offering clothes, warm drinks and information about recovery resources. Organizers said wha... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026homelessOverdoseRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Sober-Curiosity Led Me to the Manosphere

WHO NEEDS AA? – Feb. 25, 2026 - Like millions of Americans, I wanted to quit or dramatically cut my drinking. But I didn’t want to “surrender” to anything, nor to spend my whole life making amends and walking a path ... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousFeb 24 2026sobriety

A Monterey Doctor Arrested on Felony Charges

BUSTED – Feb. 13, 2026 - Dr. Shomir Banerjee and six others have been arrested on multiple felony charges for hospice fraud, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Feb. 5. The seven are accused of stealin... Read More...

Big PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026

Addiction Affects Your Brain As Well As Your Body

THINK ABOUT IT – Feb. 12, 2026 - Addiction is one of the most common and consequential chronic medical conditions in the United States. Nationwide, more than 46 million people met the criteria for a substance abuse d... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026life expectancyMental Health

I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie

VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 7,442,116 views since Oct 27, 2021 - The official music video for David Bowie. I’m Afraid of Americans is from Bowie’s 21st studio album ‘Earthling’ released in 1997, which featured the si... Read More...

Books, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026grammy winner

Person of the Week: Wendy Liebman

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Feb. 24, 2026 - In 1985, Wendy Liebman took a class called “How to Be a Stand-Up Comedian” at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. She had been planning on becoming a therapist, b... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCelebrity SobrietyFeb 24 2026InterviewRecovery Advocate

TIME’S 100 Health Advocates 2026 – Ryan Hampton

MAN WITH A PLAN – Feb. 11, 2026 -A hiking accident in 2003 almost cost Ryan Hampton his life—not because of the injury he sustained, but because of the addiction he developed to the opioid OxyContin, which was prescr... Read More...

Books, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCompassionFeb 24 2026life expectancyMental Health

Red Flags You’re Hooked On Your Phone! How ‘dopamine fasting’ Can Help

YOU HAVE A MESSAGE – Feb. 5, 2026 - Dr. Anna Lembke is a Stanford professor of psychiatry who specializes in addiction. Just a few more minutes on Instagram, X, or TikTok turns into hours of doomscrolling, no matter... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and Mediacell phoneFeb 24 2026internetinterventionSmartphone Addiction

Weakened Satisfaction Drives Excessive Drinking

THE JAPANESE FIGURED IT OUT – Feb. 13, 2026 - A weakening of a mechanism that produces a sense of satisfaction after drinking could lead to excessive alcohol consumption, a team of Japanese and other researchers has ... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026sobriety

From Revolving-Door Rehabs to Real Recovery: New Book ‘Addicted to Failure’

EXPLOSIVE – Jan. 28, 2026 - In his searing new book, “Addicted to Failure: Why the Rehab System Doesn’t Work and What Must Change”, author and addiction reform advocate Jimmie Applegate takes aim at a $16 billion ind... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

How naltrexone helps people kick opioids and alcohol — And Why Big Pharma Isn’t Interested

AUDIO – MONEY MONEY MONEY? – Feb. 13, 2026 - “Antagonist” features the story of St. Louisan Brett Rudloff, who was treated with naltrexone. In his new documentary “Antagonist,” Westhoff explores the evidence of naltr... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026harm reductionintervention

RFK Jr Unveils $100M Effort to Tackle Addiction, Homelessness and Mental Illness

GOOD LUCK – Feb. 3, 2026 - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a $100 million federal investment Monday aimed at reducing homelessness, combating opioid addiction and improving public ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026homeless

Artificial Intelligence Can Diagnose Substance Use Disorder

NO MORE DOUBT? – Feb. 5, 2026 - The University of Cincinnati uses a novel artificial intelligence to predict substance use defining behaviors with up to 83% accuracy and 84% accuracy to predict the severity of the ad... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Harry Styles & 7 other Sober Curious (teetotal) Celebrities

IN GOOD COMPANY – Feb. 13, 2026 - Harry Styles has been on quite the journey over the past two years. He’s been spotted all over the world, running a marathon in Tokyo, partying at Berlin’s legendary Berghain nightcl... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCelebrity SobrietyFeb 24 2026sobriety

Jason Bateman Credits Wife for Sobriety

JASON UNPREDICTABLE – February 18, 2026 - Jason Bateman credits his wife, Amanda Anka, with helping him get sober — largely because his on-and-off partying had gotten “annoyingly unpredictable” — the SmartLess podcas... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCelebrity SobrietyFeb 24 2026sobriety

New York Lawmakers Proposes Alcohol Tax for Addiction Treatment

IT’S ABOUT TIME – Feb. 6, 2026 - Bills to tax alcohol and redirect opioid tax revenue to fund substance use disorder treatment are wending through the state Legislature, As the state opens new avenues for people to d... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Fentanyl Overdoses Hitting The Elderly

VIDEO – HANDLE WITH CARE – Feb. 13, 2026 - Fentanyl continues to be the primary cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Even a very small amount of it can cause a lethal overdose. Last year, synthet... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDrug Abuse and AddictionFeb 24 2026fentanylOverdose

Quote of the Week – Franz Kafka

“Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” — Franz Kafka, B. Prague, July 4, 1883 – D. Vienna, June 3, 1924 ... Read More...

Books, Memoirs, Films, and MediaFeb 24 2026quote of the week

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