This is the third post in a series taking a look at the evidence provided by advocates of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The first section below provides the background. If you've already read the first two posts (part 1 and part 2), skip ahead to "A closer look at the evidence (part 3)" below. This post looks at … Continue reading A closer look at the evidence (Part 3)
Author: Jason Schwartz
I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work.
Views expressed here are my own.
Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.
A closer look at the evidence (Part 2)
This is the second post in a series taking a look at the evidence provided by advocates of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The first section below provides the background. If you've already read the first post, skip ahead part 2. This post looks at 5 more (of the 19) studies from the meta-analysis provided by Newt Gingrich, … Continue reading A closer look at the evidence (Part 2)
PASSED – Full 911 Good Samaritan Legislation in Michigan
Great news!! Governor Snyder has signed both 911 Good Samaritan Bills. These laws exempt individuals under age 21 from prosecution from drug-related charges when seeking medical aid for themselves or someone else. Take a minute to thank Governor Snyder, Rep. Sam Singh and Rep. Al Pscholka for their efforts on this issue. The Bad News - There's much … Continue reading PASSED – Full 911 Good Samaritan Legislation in Michigan
A closer look at the evidence (Part 1)
You may have heard that the unlikely crew of Newt Gingrich, Patrick Kennedy & Van Jones have taken interest in addressing the opioid crisis. More allies is a great thing. They strongly advocate for medication-assisted treatment as the standard of care: Medication assisted treatment, or MAT, is the use of FDA-approved medicine in concert with behavioral … Continue reading A closer look at the evidence (Part 1)
Update 9/28/2016. FULL 911 Good Samaritan Legislation in Michigan
Great news!! Both 911 Good Samaritan Bills have made it to the governor's desk and are expected to be signed. Take a minute to let the Governor Snyder know this is important to you. While you're at it, thank Rep. Sam Singh and Rep. Al Pscholka for their efforts on this issue. ============================== (The rest of this … Continue reading Update 9/28/2016. FULL 911 Good Samaritan Legislation in Michigan
Free, special addiction education opportunity
I wanted to make sure all of you know what a special opportunity this week's Dawn Farm Education Series presentation offers. The presenter will be George Vaillant. Who is he? Well, he's the source of one of our favorite quotes: "If you want to treat an illness that has no easy cure, first of all … Continue reading Free, special addiction education opportunity
Where’s the hope?
Hot off the presses, Obama Administration Announces Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week. 1945 words and the word "recovery" appears 2 times. (No, there are no uses of any other variation of the word.) Zero times in the brief section on treatment. American drug policy may finally be backing away from the war on drugs, but it's … Continue reading Where’s the hope?
Changes ahead for the vaping industry
New FDA oversight of vaporizers could have a big impact on the vaping industry: . . .the entire landscape is about to change…and it will most likely favor Big Tobacco, in one way or another. But why the shift? In May 2016, the FDA finalized a rule (a very dense 134 page rule, to be … Continue reading Changes ahead for the vaping industry
Food for thought on marijuana
First, a post on American use of and beliefs about marijuana: There has been a significant increase in the number of Americans using cannabis, rising from 21.9m in 2002 to 31.9m in 2014. The number of regular users doubled over the same period to 8.4m. This coincides with an increasingly liberal approach to cannabis regulation … Continue reading Food for thought on marijuana
Who’s “we”?
This article (free with free account) is making the rounds and getting some attention. The post below addresses the issues raised. (originally posted on 10/31/2014) ==================================== This article has been forwarded to me by several people. Its author has been writing a series of articles that seek to redefine addiction and recovery. As Eve Tushnet recently … Continue reading Who’s “we”?
Recovery Review 