addiction
How Media Fuels the Opioid Crisis
Data reporting by the media about the opioid crisis can be confusing, but when it is repeatedly reported inaccurately, it creates a perception of truth. Misinformation by the media can lead the public to demand quick fixes that won’t solve the problem and can make things even worse. Inaccurate Media Reporting Here’s an example of…
Read MoreHow Canada’s Addiction Treatment Approach Compares to the U.S.
Canada and the United States are good neighbors, and share many values. Although Canada and the United States are part of the North American family, and we feel a kinship to them in so many ways, we have different mindsets about some key issues. Specifically, we do not feel the same way about some healthcare…
Read MoreTough Times Feed America’s Opioid Epidemic: What You Need To Know
The Heroin Epidemic in Huntington, W. VA CNN.com recently published a story called, “In America’s drug death capital: How heroin is scarring the next generation,” Wayne Drash and Max Blau, who reported the story, write intelligently about the heroin epidemic in Huntington, West Virginia. They tell the story the way it should be told. Drash…
Read More3 Reasons the New CDC Guidelines May Contribute to the Cost of Addiction
In the September 13 issue of Vice, Maia Szalavitz challenges the myth that the U.S. can solve the opioid crisis by reducing the supply. According to her biography published in Wikipedia, “[Szalavitz] has been awarded the American Psychological Association’s Division 50 Award for Contributions to the Addictions, the Media Award from the American College of…
Read MoreThis is The Reason Heroin Gave One Woman a Second Chance at Life
Detective Justin Albauer, who works for the Martin County Sheriff’s Department in Florida, pulled over Brianna Byrnes’s car in August 2015. That is a day that Byrnes will always remember. A Second Chance At Life In a poignant CNN story, we can read about what happened. Detective Albauer arrested Byrnes. She served time in jail,…
Read MoreThe Reasons for The Criminalization and Stigmatization of Addiction
Inconsistent and Specious Laws Criminalizing Addiction In my blog, “Is Suboxone the New Kleenex®?,” I attempted to clarify which opioids are used to treat addiction as well as pain, depending on their brand name or where they are being prescribed. A recent article in MEDPAGE TODAY titled “Suboxone Underused, Opioids Overused in Medicine” added some…
Read MoreIs Suboxone the New Kleenex®?
Confusion About Suboxone There is an interesting recent article in MEDPAGE TODAY titled “Suboxone Underused, Opioids Overused in Medicine.” To me, that is an oxymoron. As I’ll explain, the title does make sense if you’re trying to communicate to the lay public, but it is an ambiguous and seemingly contradictory statement. Since there’s already way…
Read MoreMost Opioid Addictions Start In Teen Years: What you Need to Know
Ninety Percent of All Drug Addictions Start in the Teens “Ninety percent of all drug addictions start in the teens — and 75 percent of prescription opioid misuse begins when (mainly young) people get pills from friends, family or dealers — not doctors. Opioids are rarely the first drug people misuse.” This is an incredibly…
Read MoreThis is the Reason Heroin Addiction Requires Critical Analysis
President Obama stands ready to sign the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). This bill will make available more treatments for opioid addiction and is intended to deter inappropriate prescribing of prescription opioids. As a recent Washington Post article points out, critics of CARA fear that this legislation could “cause prescription opioid users to switch…
Read MoreThis Is the Hazelton Betty Ford Institute’s Statement on Opioids
In a new press release posted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy, “The Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy commends new steps taken by the American Medical Association (AMA) to help combat the national opioid crisis, and encourages continued action in the year ahead.” According to the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute, those…
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