Figure: Age-adjusted rates of alcohol-induced deaths, by sex: United States, 2000–2020 (CDC 2022) In 2020, William White wrote Alcohol use as a hidden epidemic on discrepancies between public concern and problematic use of illegal drugs in the 70s. In the era, alcohol related problems increased, while “panic over (then) recent drug surges (e.g., methamphetamines and … Continue reading Alcohol – Our Normalized Drug of Destruction
From Fordrunken to SUD – A Reflection on Shifting Labels and Stigma
“Language is a virus from outer space” ― William S. Burroughs I was taken to task a few weeks ago by a reader, who took exception to my use of the word addiction in one of my writings. It got me to thinking about our shifting language over time. The historic use of terms around … Continue reading From Fordrunken to SUD – A Reflection on Shifting Labels and Stigma
Drug apartheid, pro-drug cultures, wellness boosters, and sober drug use
This week produced an interesting collection of articles about drugs, their place in society, and drug policy. I thought they were worth sharing because they paint a picture of the contradictions of the moment we're living in. Drug Apartheid On Tuesday, TalkingDrugs, an international drug policy advocacy news platform, published an article proposing apartheid as … Continue reading Drug apartheid, pro-drug cultures, wellness boosters, and sober drug use
Opioid use disorder, the acute care paradigm, and cause for alarm
[Historia Medica by W. van den Bossche, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons] I thought long and hard about whether to respond to the tone and this article [‘This is Cause for Alarm’: Abstinence-Only Opioid Treatment Is Deadlier Than None, Study Says] about a recently published study on mortality rates for people receiving treatment with Medication … Continue reading Opioid use disorder, the acute care paradigm, and cause for alarm
Parallels on Burnout & Buffering Across the Healthcare & SUD Care Systems
The entire US Labor force was devastated by the COVID Pandemic, which created new workforce challenges and exacerbated long standing concerns. Because of the nature of the pandemic, the healthcare sector faced some of the most profound challenges. It is important to understand the impact that these strains have had on the healthcare workforce. Negative … Continue reading Parallels on Burnout & Buffering Across the Healthcare & SUD Care Systems
BC safer supply associated with an increase in hospitalizations (but not deaths)
JAMA Internal Medicine just published a study on the impact of a safer supply program. First the background: In March 2020, British Columbia became the first jurisdiction globally to launch a provincewide Safer Opioid Supply policy that allows individuals at high risk of overdose to receive pharmaceutical-grade opioids free of charge prescribed by a physician … Continue reading BC safer supply associated with an increase in hospitalizations (but not deaths)
Successfully treated for OUD, but the patient died of addiction?
Can the surgery be considered a success if the patient dies? An article in Forbes responds to the coverage of Matthew Perry's death. Specifically, the references to buprenorphine (Suboxone) in his system. Several articles about Matthew Perry’s death have focused on ketamine, and justifiably so, as it was the ultimate cause of the actor’s death (drowning also … Continue reading Successfully treated for OUD, but the patient died of addiction?
Coopted and Colonized – Lessons from the Washingtonian Movement
History is not linear. Our movement, the New Recovery Advocacy Movement, like many social movements in the course of history develop and are then subject to decay. This history is important. The past is the pathway that has led to every door available to us in our current era. We can learn from history to … Continue reading Coopted and Colonized – Lessons from the Washingtonian Movement
2023’s #1 Post: Portraying Abstinence Recovery as Puritanical Is in the Interest of Those Who Sell Addictive Drugs
“I never trust a man who doesn't drink.” – John Wayne People do not trust people who moderate or abstain from substances, particularly alcohol. There is a sense that those of us who do so are looking at everyone else and judging them. I suppose some do, but I don’t think most of us do. … Continue reading 2023’s #1 Post: Portraying Abstinence Recovery as Puritanical Is in the Interest of Those Who Sell Addictive Drugs
2023’s #2 Post: Hot topics in addiction and recovery
What were the hot topics, burning themes and searing subjects in addiction recovery in 2022? I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the talking points on Recovery Review in 2022. Although the writers are very different people and we span the Atlantic, all of the contributors to Recovery Review have a … Continue reading 2023’s #2 Post: Hot topics in addiction and recovery
Recovery Review 