American Mengele? – March 14, 2018 – A 73-year-old San Diego doctor and seven other people have been arrested on suspicion of distributing painkillers in what federal prosecutors call a “pill mill” scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that Dr. Egisto Salerno prescribed hydrocodone without a legitimate medical reason. The opioid is also known by the brand names Vicodin, Norco and Lortab. Prosecutors say the other defendants recruited homeless people to pose as patients to visit Salerno. The phony patients were paid to turn over the pills to the defendants. Salerno allegedly received a fee for each prescription he…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Sober Partying – March 12, 2018 – On a warm February evening at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, writers, artists, and performers gathered together to celebrate their journey to recovery, and to honor their artistic efforts in shedding the stigma of addiction. Past honorees include Robert Downey Jr., Buzz Aldrin, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Danny Trejo, Ed Begley Jr., and many more. Tonight however, we gathered to honor television journalist and author Jane Velez-Mitchel, and her New York Times Bestseller: iWant. Additional honorees in attendance included Blue Nyle, Joanna Cassidy, Pat O’Brien, Jami Lula, Ahbra Kay Schiff, Tony…
Broken Promises – March 14, 2018 – The co-owner of a Southern California sober-living facility was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in connection to a $175 million fraudulent billing scheme. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office says Kirsten Wallace, who ran Community Recovery, entered guilty pleas Wednesday to 46 felony counts including insurance fraud and grand theft. Prosecutors say she and a co-defendant stole identities of drug- and alcohol-addicted people, bought health insurance policies without their knowledge and submitted millions of dollars’ worth of phony bills. Full Story @ TheHerald.com.au
USA #1 in Pain? – March 6, 2018 – “The potency and toxicity of what’s on the street is very high right now,” said Schuchat. “So we think there probably is not an increase in people using drugs, but there is an increase in the danger associated with a single use.” Dr. Aaron Weiner is the director of addiction services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health. “We know that up to 90 percent of people will relapse in the first year going through rehab,” he said. We asked Scaletta if expects it to get worse. “I hope not,” he replied. There…
For Businesspersons Only – March 13, 2018 -This study also contains company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of various international, regional, and local vendors of Global Behavioral Rehabilitation Market, some of them are Acadia Healthcare, Universal Health Services, Magellan Health, Psychiatric Solutions, CRC Health, Aurora Behavioral Health System, Behavioral Health Group, Haven Behavioral Healthcare, Springstone & American Addiction Centers. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry. Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new…
From Ripped, to Ripped Off – March 14, 2018 – “We call it addiction tourism,” says Greg Williams, executive vice president of Facing Addiction with NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence), organizations devoted to helping the 45 million people and their loved ones affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Google’s AdWords system puts those with smaller budgets, such as nonprofits and government entities, at a disadvantage, Williams says. His groups and others have been working to stem the abuse, including discussions with Google officials. Google had already suspended all ads for addiction treatment centers in the…
Foreign Nicotine Drug Dealers – March 12, 2018 – “I do not know why I was not killed that day,” said Mr. Oluwafemi, who as deputy director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria has been one of his country’s leading antismoking activists … “He grabbed my hand and said ‘You must leave my country as soon as possible,’” said Dr. Bam, who is from Nepal. “Then he blew smoke in my face. My children started crying — and he left.” And just two years ago, he said, he received a Facebook message warning: “Do not interfere in our…
One Day at a Time – March 18, 2018 – A new pill invented by University of Sydney scientists could be the breakthrough to curing drug and alcohol addiction. Researchers have spent more than a decade developing SOC-1, in response to the the devastating effects of ice affecting many areas of Australia and several other forms of addiction. Its inventors hope trials will start in the next few years through a spin-off company and will overcome challenges of using tablet or spray forms of oxytocin treatment … He looks forward to the day the pill will save lives. It is…
Electrifying Idea – March 15, 2018 – The Trump administration is finalizing a long-awaited plan that it says will solve the opioid crisis, but it also calls for law enforcement measures — like the death penalty for some drug dealers — that public health advocates and congressional Republicans warn will detract from efforts to reverse the epidemic. The ambitious plan, which the White House has quietly been circulating among political appointees this month, could be announced as soon as Monday when President Donald Trump visits New Hampshire, a state hard hit by the epidemic. It includes a mix of prevention…
Addictive Idea – March 15, 2018 – Many adults try to quit smoking each year but fail because nicotine is such an addictive substance, said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Cutting the nicotine level would not only help them succeed, but it also could keep young people who may be experimenting with cigarettes from becoming addicted, he said. The nicotine notice will be open for public comment for 90 days. FDA officials are seeking input on what the maximum nicotine level in cigarettes should be and whether such a limit should be implemented all at…
The Right Brand – March 13, 2018 – Russell Brand may have reached the depths of addiction, with drugs, drink, sex and fame. But from social media to shopping, we’re all hooked on something, he says. If we can work out why, true fulfillment awaits… Full Story @ Positive.news
Remedy for Hopelessness? – March 16, 2018 – They found that binge-drinking was most common among adults between the age of 18 and 34, but more than half of all binge drinks consumed were by adults over the age of 35 (so when the 35+ crowd binges, they really binge). Four out of five binged-drinks were consumed by men, which could mean men drink more than women when they drink (very likely), or that men are more inclined to binge than women, or a combination of the two (another possibility is that women are more inclined to under report, either…
Drug Money Buys Respect – March 10, 2018 – The photographer Nan Goldin led a protest at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Anti-opioid activists unfurled banners and scattered pill bottles on Saturday inside the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which is named for a family connected to the powerful painkilling drug OxyContin. The protest, which was organized by a group started by the celebrated photographer Nan Goldin, started just after 4 p.m., when several dozen people converged at the Temple of Dendur inside the wing. The wing is named after Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond…
Some Things Never Change – March 11, 2018 – Eighteenth-century female authors such as Mary Robinson and Sara Coleridge were as dependent on laudanum as male writers, a new study reveals. Laudanum, an alcoholic medicine containing opium, was frequently used as a painkiller until the early 1900s … He argues that women including Anna Seward and Harriet Martineau used the drug to cope with pressures of domestic life as well as helping with menstrual pain and depression. He said: ‘For all of these women, opium formed part of ordinary domestic life, used to manage pain, illness and distress, and valued…
30 Puck? – March 5, 2018 – Families Against Narcotics played host to its inaugural Skate for Sobriety event Friday at Fraser Hockeyland … The event benefitted FAN’s initiative, Hope Not Handcuffs (HNH), which launched Feb. 1, 2017. The Hope Not Handcuffs team was comprised of participating Hope Not Handcuffs police officers, while players for the Families Against Narcotics (FAN) team includes FAN board members, people in recovery and special guests. Special guest players included Red Wing alumni and Fox Sports Detroit analyst Mickey Redmond, four-time Stanley Cup winner Darren McCarty, and Grosse Pointe native and Stanley Cup champion Craig…
Syrah Seduction – February 27, 2018 – According Angela Sheppard, Director of Emerson House, an inpatient addiction treatment center for women run by Gosnold, the normalization of moms drinking is a problem. “I think talking about needing wine, or needing to drink in order to be a mom, is really dangerous,” she said. Sheppard told us that over the past decade, the majority of resources at Emerson House have gone to help those with opioid addiction, but recently she’s seen a shift. “Definitely over the past year, we have seen an increase in alcoholics seeking treatment,” she told WBZ. Sheppard…
Queen of Alanon? – March 8, 2018 – Pamela Anderson has finally made her voice heard in the drama involving her son and ex-husband, Tommy Lee. The “Baywatch” star published a blog post on her website Thursday titled “Alcoholism is the Devil” that took a shot at Lee, 56, for his “desperate and humiliating” behavior.”I pray Tommy gets the help he needs. His actions are desperate and humiliating — He is a disaster spinning out of control,” she wrote. “He is not acting like a father. But this is nothing new.” … nderson’s words come after the former Playmate’s ex…
A Family Affair – Mar 8, 2018 – Tommy Lee has denied his family’s claims that he struggling with alcoholism. The 55-year-old Mötley Crüe rocker was involved in an altercation with his eldest son Brandon Lee – whom he has with ex-wife Pamela Anderson – earlier this week which left him with a swollen lip … In a statement to TMZ, Tommy – who also has 20-year-old son Dylan with Pamela – said: “Do I drink more than the average Joe? Yes. Have I ever hurt my sons or acted out of turn with them because of my drinking? No.…
No Words? – Mar. 9, 2018 – Acclaimed poet Sheryl St. Germain is a college professor whose son died of a heroin overdose in 2014, after a long struggle with drug abuse. He was 30 years old. St. Germain directs the master’s program in creative writing at Chatham University and is co-founder of the writing initiative Words Without Walls, a writing program for inmates at the Allegheny County Jail and residential drug-and-alcohol treatment facility Sojourner House. She confronts the experience of her son’s death in her new poetry collection, The Small Door of Your Death, released through Autumn House Press.…
American Medical Association – March 9, 2018 – Millions of Americans use opioids to relieve pain. But many also struggle with addiction. This week, a report in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, found that non-opioid painkillers — like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — were as effective as opioids at treating chronic back, hip and knee pain, and with fewer side effects. The findings raise a lot of questions about the right approach to managing pain, particularly chronic pain. So earlier this week, we asked listeners on Facebook and Twitter to share their questions about treating chronic pain. For…
Serving on the Front Line – March 8, 2018 – New York state is expanding a mobile addiction treatment services that uses upgraded vehicles to provide house calls to communities hard hit by the opioid epidemic. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced more than $1.6 million in new state funding for the program. It features vans and other large vehicles that have been outfitted with treatment space, either for telemedicine or in-person exams. Smaller vehicles are also used to transport patients to clinics. The money has helped local addiction service providers around the state purchase 20 vehicles for the program, which…
Rehab Mogul in Jail for Life – March 11, 2018 – Cliff Brodsky, a Los Angeles investor in Bathum’s enterprises who successfully sued him for fraud, said brokers told him Bathum paid them up to $2,000 per patient. “They go to the AA meetings and act like they love you. They suck up to you,” said Brodsky, who saw Community Recovery brokers in action. “They give you a cigarette and take you out to lunch. But they are just hustling you.” … Multiple levels of care in the rehab industry create opportunities for profit. At the more intensive end, detoxification and…
Doctor Shoots Patient (with pistol) – March 9, 2018 – What led an addiction doctor to keep a gun in his desk? On that April evening last year, according to interviews in the report, Lang yelled and cussed at the addiction- and pain-treatment doctor, Edwin Zong, in his office, and leaped across a desk to punch him repeatedly. Hearing the doctor scream for help, the last patient waiting to see Zong that day ran to open the door. He told police he found Lang standing over Zong, curled in a fetal position on the floor, his face covered in blood…
Now That’s a Miracle – March 11, 2018 – Steve-O has lots to be thankful for these days. The “Jackass” star, 43, announced on Saturday that he’s been sober for the last 10 years. “Hard to believe it’s been an entire decade since I’ve had a drink of booze or any drug stronger than Advil (except when I’ve been in hospitals having surgery),” he wrote on Instagram. “I just can’t put into words how grateful I am for @JohnnyKnoxville and the rest of the guys who locked me up in a psychiatric ward on March 9, 2008, where this journey…
ADVOCATE for this to be Free – March 5, 2018 – A recently approved medical device is tiny, but mighty in the fight against opioid abuse. The NSS-2 Bridge, a battery-powered device similar to a hearing aid, was created by Indiana-based Innovative Health Solutions. It helps reduce symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal, such as nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain and anxiety. It is worn behind the ear for five days at a time, sending electrical pulses to the brain. It’s the first FDA-approved device for use in helping to reduce the symptoms of opioid withdrawal, which is key because most addicts…
Hitting the Right Note – March 9, 2018 – The MusiCares Foundation, an affiliated charity of the Recording Academy with an outstanding four-star rating from Charity Navigator, has announced that the 2018 MusiCares Concert For Recovery will honor Grammy winner Mike McCready of PEARL JAM on Thursday, May 10 at The Showbox in Seattle (1426 1st Ave.). McCready will receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award in recognition of his significant dedication to and support of MusiCares and his commitment to helping others in the addiction recovery process. The Concert For Recovery will feature performances by Latin Grammy winner Barrett Martin,…
Back in the Ghetto… – March 8, 2018 – The current drug addiction crisis began in rural America, but it’s quickly spreading to urban areas and into the African-American population in cities across the country. “It’s a frightening time,” says Dr. Edwin Chapman, who specializes in drug addiction in Washington, D.C., “because the urban African-American community is dying now at a faster rate than the epidemic in the suburbs and rural areas.” Chapman is on the front line of the opioid epidemic crippling his community in the Northeast section of Washington. He heads the Medical Home Development Group, a clinic…
Wall Street Protects Its Own – March 2, 2018 – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in late January that New York City would be suingseveral large pharmaceutical companies, saying it was “time for Big Pharma to pay for what they’ve done.” The New York lawsuit named Purdue Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson, among others. Philadelphia Philadelphia in January announced that the city would be suing major manufacturers and distributors for their marketing practices when it came to opioids. “This public health crisis harms public safety, order and economic productivity,” City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante said…
Superfly Crashes – March 5, 2018 – The opioid epidemic just keeps getting worse, presenting challenges discussed at length at a White House summit last week. But opioids are not America’s only significant drug problem. Among illicit drugs, cocaine is the No. 2 killer and claims the lives of more African-Americans than heroin does. In a recent study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that drug-related deaths have grown across all racial groups and among both men and women. The analysis found that between 1999…
Can Anyone Solve It? – MARCH 5, 2018 – And the chorus: “This is not how we do things!” Judge Dan Aaron Polster of the Northern District of Ohio has perhaps the most daunting legal challenge in the country: resolving more than 400 federal lawsuits brought by cities, counties and Native American tribes against central figures in the national opioid tragedy, including makers of the prescription painkillers, companies that distribute them, and pharmacy chains that sell them. And he has made it clear that he will not be doing business as usual. During the first hearing in the case, in…