How Much Are Humans Worth? – February 14, 2020 – A mountain of evidence has been released in the last decade supporting allegations that Big Pharma flooded the market with opioid painkillers while downplaying about how addictive they were. Much of the evidence has come through corporate documents obtained through the discovery process in lawsuits such as the one filed by the city of Winchester on Wednesday in Winchester Circuit Court against 49 pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and retailers. The suit seeks $50 million in compensatory damages and $17.1 million in punitive damages … The suit essentially says the companies…
Author: Leonard Buschel
It’s All Here – Feb. 16, 2020 – Watching The Pharmacist, I kept getting caught between the series’ fealty to the conventions of a Netflix true-crime binge—the raspy, ominous score; the suspenseful cliff-hangers; the neat resolution—and the messiness of the story it was telling, one in which grief drove a man to dangerous, provocative, and sometimes harassing behavior, and for all his efforts, the “justice” he found meant a poor black teenager went to jail while Purdue Pharma made $35 billion in sales. This isn’t a narrative you can do justice to within a genre better suited to serial-killer profiles…
WE had to walk 2 miles uphill to get porn – February 16, 2020 – …today kids of 12 can just click on to these porn sites and they are there in the middle of this extreme stuff.“ In the last five years I have noticed pornography is a huge problem. “I see it in so many ways. I see it in couples’ therapy down the line in men when they are in their 20s and 30s and there is no intimacy in the relationship and pornography is cited as the cause. “It dehumanises women and it makes intimacy something…
Sharing the Good News – February 2020 – Love used her unplanned acceptance speech to celebrate her sobriety, love for London, and to remind audiences that her accolade is well deserved. “I had the honour today of picking up this wonderful ‘Fuck You’ thing [waves award]… in the capital of this fantastic country, where I picked up a new musical express in 1981. I also am 18 months sober today and that’s pretty wild.” 2018 seemed to have opened up a new chapter for the Hole singer. Love’s struggles with substance abuse have been well documented in the media, most…
“Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.” —Henry Miller
Rehab Wars – February 12, 2020 – Taite and Cliffside filed a countersuit exposing that Prentiss’s network of unbranded referral websites had been used for nearly a decade to “get traffic, and get CALLS,” as Prentiss wrote in an email in 2009. Prentiss subsequently ordered a campaign in 2016 to “get Fix off our back.” Among the sham sites directing consumers to Passages were a fake newspaper; a nonexistent college; and “baltimorehealth.org,” which misleadingly featured the city of Baltimore’s official seal. Cliffside is “hiding behind journalism and fake reviews,” Passages employee Mark…
From stoned to success – February 12, 2020 – Once you wade through all those descriptions, you learn that Centineo recently shaved his head, exposing a scar he got at the age of 6 in a trampoline accident; he’s dating supermodel Alexis Ren; and he’s sober. He tells HB that he has been “for the last couple of years, following a wild period that started when he was 17 and ended the day before his 21st birthday. Back then, he and his crew were roving the party scene. ‘There’s a syndicate of, like, 500 to 1,000 kids in the entertainment…
The Hollywood Bowl of Recovery – Feb. 3, 2020 – Veteran music-business attorney Dina LaPolt has appealed to West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico and other officials to preserve the “Log Cabin,” a building that for years has been used as a meeting place for 12-step meetings and other efforts supporting substance abusers in recovery. LaPolt, who has worked extensively with Aerosmith, Britney Spears and Deadmau5 and is a vocal spokesperson for people in recovery, wrote, “I am writing to you with respect to the possible destruction of the Log Cabin located at 621 N. Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood, a…
It Gets Better and Better – Jan. 31, 2020 – My own sobriety date, four years ago last week, coincides with an attempted dry January – embarked on, ironically, to prove I didn’t have a problem – gone disastrously wrong (a story for another time…). But it had taken me years to get to that point. I’d visited destination rock bottom countless times before I finally called it quits. ‘You always want another drink,’ an infuriated friend once shouted at me. ‘No,’ I corrected him, ‘I just don’t want the party to end.’ But it had, a long time before…
Good To Know – Feb. 2020 – You may have heard about methadone and buprenorphine, but what exactly are they and what do they do? Is medication assisted treatment really helpful for those with opioid dependency? Why can it be hard to access treatment? Watch and learn in just a minute. @YouTube
Lush for Life? – FEBRUARY 6, 2020 – As women in recovery, we were pleased to see “Clearing a path to sobriety” (Feb. 1) on local efforts to expand gender-specific treatment options for women. Many struggle with histories of trauma, mental health disorders and self-esteem challenges, while juggling the demands of employment, household management and caregiving for children, parents and family. We were disappointed, however, to see treatment professionals using the loaded label “alcoholic,” instead of the more clinically accurate “alcohol (or substance) use disorder.” Our culture has long viewed “alcoholism” as a moral failing and the “alcoholic” as morally…
Only Young Addicts – February 5, 2020 – Under questioning from Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), the oversight subcommittee chairwoman, the executives admitted that nicotine is addictive and that using their products can lead to nicotine addiction. After the hearing, DeGette said she was glad the executives were able to acknowledge that nicotine is addictive. However, she said they needed to be more open. “I was really disturbed when they refused to answer the questions about the very real health risks of nicotine,” DeGette told reporters. “And this is what has been happening … is the main manufacturers have been trying…
It Has Come To This! – February 3, 2020 – It was the highest number recorded in more than a dozen years, and experts said it reflected a growing problem that could negatively affect children’s academic performance and health. “The ripple effect here is real,” said Dr. Megan Sandel, a director of the Grow Clinic at the Boston Medical Center, who said housing instability was associated with developmental delays in children and children in fair or poor health. The center, which is based at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is funded by the United States Department of…
No Hangovers – February 3, 2020 – Most people assume that sex after sobriety is probably boring at best, awkward and clunky at worst, but that it gets better with time. That’s what I assumed, too. But, in reality, it hasn’t been that straightforward. For me, sober sex has been a journey from celibacy to erotic epiphany to neurotic dry spell. And I am really, really, really hoping this isn’t how the story ends. “Death by dry spell” is not what I want on my tombstone. Before I went into recovery for opioid addiction, I could have counted the…
Boozeless – February 3, 2020 – Member Cori Clark says it’s a social gathering that allows for more authenticity “because you’re not distracted by what you’re drinking.” Clark, a recovering alcoholic, says that for her, sobriety is a matter of life and death. But for many women in the group, avoiding alcohol is more of a healthy lifestyle choice. Yet as Clark wrote in a Chicago Tribune commentary, “If someone abstains from alcohol as a recovering addict or to improve their overall lifestyle, it’s breaking a mold shaped by a multibillion-dollar industry. We are standing up against a thing designed…
One more for the road… – February 4, 2020 – “I agree that it’s hard to imagine, consuming 10 drinks a day,” Cook told the Washington Post. But, “there are a remarkable number of people who drink a couple of six packs a day, or a pint of whiskey.” According to NIAAA, there are an estimated 16 million people in the United States who have Alcohol Use Disorder: a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake and a negative emotional state when not using. Experts will diagnose someone with AUD once a…
NPR Fresh Air! – February 4, 2020 – “I tried to listen for a heartbeat and I couldn’t hear one … I ran out of the house because I was afraid,” Zimmerman says. When the police and EMTs arrived, they identified drugs and drug paraphernalia among Peter’s possessions. In the days and weeks that followed, Zimmerman learned that Peter had been addicted to cocaine and opioids, and that his death had been caused by infective endocarditis, an infection that is sometimes linked to intravenous drug use. “The worst part was telling my kids [why he died] and having to see…
Straight Up! – FEBRUARY 5, 2020 – She also appeared on the reality shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. Jennifer just celebrated 14 years of sobriety, but for many years she abused drugs and alcohol, and even overdosed once. Jenn now travels the country speaking as a recovery advocate. @KTLA
She’s Gotta Not Have it – February 5, 2020 – She then captioned the painting of a red heart, “I send love to anyone on day 1. I love you. I’m with you.” Friends and fans congratulated the singer on her milestone, including Azalea Banks, who commented, “Wow sis I’m freaking proud of you! This is such a dope post, extremely thoughtful and inspiring. Thank you.” In June 2019, Welch, 33, opened up about her new life as a sober woman. “Partying was, I felt, a defining feature of my personality – good at singing, good at drinking and good…
The Bieb’s Battle Within – February 03, 2020 – Bieber’s marijuana abuse was only one addiction he was fighting. At one point, he admits to sipping the codeine cough syrup and soda combination known as lean, popping pills like the psychoactive drug known as MDMA or Molly, and dabbling in hallucinogenic mushrooms, as both a way to escape and as regular teenage experimentation. Hailey chalks up her husband’s experience with drugs as how he self-medicated his troublesome issues with anxiety. Things became tougher to deal with under such a bright spotlight, while Bieber was attempting to figure out how to…
12th Step work – February 5, 2020 – Thank you to everyone who’s helped me along the way. Delaney previously attributed his sobriety to helping him cope with the death of his 2-year-old son, Henry, two years ago. He passed away following a battle with brain cancer. “Our first year without our son and brother Henry. Had I not been sober it would have been far worse. As it was, I squeaked by,” he said at the time. “Sobriety allowed me to be a reasonably good dad, husband and worker through it all. (If you average it out. I think.)…
Stick with the Winners! – February 2, 2020 – This fueled his passion to teach those suffering from substance use disorders how to enjoy life without alcohol or drugs. Previously, Mitch was a resort hotel general manager in Arizona for 12 years. He founded and managed Hospitality Career Services, which was highly regarded for performing executive search recruiting services exclusively for the hospitality industry. His hotel management experience contributed to developing Soberman’s Estate as a clinically-excellent residential treatment center, within a service-oriented, upscale boutique resort environment. Mitch was one of the youngest members selected as a member of the Society…
Dying for a drink? – February 6, 2020 – Meanwhile, the industry body the Alcohol Information Partnership predictably downplays the problem, describing this huge number as a “minority of problem drinkers.” This begs the question as to whether alcohol is ever good, for anyone, other than people who don’t really have a reason to live. Numerous studies have shown that there is absolutely no “safe limit” for alcohol intake, and that it has an amazingly addictive component. The last thing most people need to hear is that most drinkers have it good and that only a few “problem drinkers” are…
Solution Based – February 7, 2020 – “I was ready to give up. I just wanted to die. My family, my employer – CNN and Tom Johnson, refused to give up on me,” Moyers said. “This community saved me.” Several people in the room provided their own testimonials, heart-wrenching stories of family members they had lost to addiction and other inspirational stories from people who had overcome their addiction and went on to live successful lives. With the institutions signing a letter of intent, now they will work to finalize their partnership and seek financial support. “We are on…
It has come to this! – February 6, 2020 – HealthRight 360, one of the largest San Francisco drug treatment providers, will run it. A driver with a van will be posted outside the center to pick up people showing signs of methamphetamine-induced psychosis. Officials said the center may eventually accept patients from hospital emergency rooms, but will begin by accepting people only from the streets. San Francisco is also among several cities in the country considering opening supervised injection sites to address drug addiction. Advocates say injection sites have been successful in Canada, Europe and elsewhere and that when…
Healing is Available – February 4, 2020 – Reforms are pending. Private equity firms are investing. This new study examines the nature of the business, types of rehab, reasons for the renewed growth of addiction rehab services since the Great Recession and the opioid crisis, national receipts/growth from 1983-2018, 2020 and 2025 forecasts, average facility revenues and operating ratios, industry structure and participation by non-profit, for-profit, inpatient and outpatient programs, extensive drug/alcohol abuser demographics. Discussion of the Florida Model, destination markets in FL and CA, effects of increased volume due to the Affordable Care Act, industry history and evolution, and…
Family First – February 5, 2020 – “When I look back on Randy, I just think, wow — I wish I could’ve been a better sister,” Keaton told ABC News’ Juju Chang in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” In her book, Keaton reveals that as her acting career was taking off, her brother faced a downward spiral. In writing the book, she used journal entries and letters between her family members to better…
MEDIA: Book Review – Jan 30, 2020 – Zimmerman begins “Smacked” with her dramatic discovery of Peter’s corpse in his “architectural trophy” of a house, “all sharp angles and sunlight.” Though divorced, they are bonded by their personal history and their two children, and she still worries about him. Unable to reach him, she resolves to check on him “to make sure he’s okay and take care of him if he isn’t.” By the time she finds him, it is too late. The narrative then flashes back to their first meeting, in April 1987. He’s a personnel recruiter; she’s in…
War On Drug Users – Feb. 3, 2020 – For more than a century, the U.S. has worked through the U.N., and its predecessor the League of Nations, to build a harsh global drug prohibition regime – grounded in draconian laws, enforced by pervasive policing, and punished with mass incarceration. For the past half-century, the U.S. has also waged its own “war on drugs” that has complicated its foreign policy, compromised its electoral democracy, and contributed to social inequality. Perhaps the time has finally come to assess the damage that drug war has caused and consider alternatives. Even though I…
COLD BLOODED MURDERERS – JANUARY 23, 2020 – Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.comT&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found here. https://www.ft.com/insys He described his thinking: “Not only is the company going to get fined an astronomical amount of money, which I’ve seen a million times, but worse case scenario, which I’ve never seen before, they might actually take…