Answer Addiction

Tag: opioid epidemic

  • Arizona Backs Out Of Purdue Settlement

    Arizona Backs Out Of Purdue Settlement

    Arizona’s attorney general indicated that in light of new information, the $3 billion that the Sacklers had agreed to pay is not enough.

    States have been split on whether or not to accept a $12 billion opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma. Now, Arizona has become the first state to switch positions, backing out of the deal that it had previously agreed to.

    Major Withdrawal Triggers States To Rethink Settlement

    The move comes after court documents emerged indicating that the Sackler family, which owns Purdue, withdrew as much as $13 billion from the company. The family says that the withdrawals were used to pay taxes and were later invested in companies that the family will sell as part of the settlement.

    However, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich indicated that in light of the new information, the $3 billion that the Sacklers had agreed to pay is not enough, according to Reuters. 

    “It’s in everyone’s best interest to secure a just and timely settlement. Purdue and the Sackler family need to take responsibility for their role in the opioid crisis,” Brnovich said in a statement.

    Other States May Follow In Arizona’s Footsteps

    Arizona’s change of position means that the majority of states now oppose the settlement. Two states—Kentucky and Oklahoma—have reached their own settlements with Purdue, but of the remaining 48 states, 25 are not in agreement about the settlement. 

    Last month, when the settlement was announced, Brnovich said that it was “was the quickest and surest way to get immediate relief for Arizona and for the communities that have been harmed by the opioid crisis and the actions of the Sackler family,” according to CNN. 

    However, the new revelation that the Sacklers’ profits was more than triple the amount initially reported made him second-guess the settlement. The family “sought to undermine material terms of the deal,” Brnovich said in court fillings on Monday. 

    Although Arizona is not a state typically associated with a high rate of opioid overdose, Brnovich has been aggressively pursuing both Purdue and the Sackler family. In August, he announced a lawsuit that goes directly to the Supreme Court, in which the state alleges that the Sacklers took money from Purdue in order to avoid paying out damages. 

    “These transfers all took place at times when company officials, including the Sacklers, were keenly aware that Purdue was facing massive financial liabilities and that these transfers could prevent it from satisfying eventual judgments,” the suit argues. 

    “We want the Supreme Court to make sure that we hold accountable those individuals who are responsible for this epidemic,” Brnovich told The New York Times in August. “We allege that the Sacklers have siphoned billions of dollars from Purdue in recent years. They did this while knowing the company was facing massive financial liabilities.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sesame Street Tackles Addiction With Help From New Muppet Karli

    Sesame Street Tackles Addiction With Help From New Muppet Karli

    Karli was introduced this year as a muppet in foster care who is living with her “for-now parents” while her mother is in treatment.

    It’s not easy explaining substance use disorder to a child. But in the upcoming season 50 of Sesame Street, the children’s show approaches the sensitive subject with Karli, a new muppet who is in foster care.

    Karli was introduced in May as part of the Sesame Street in Communities initiative, which is aimed at helping families navigate difficult subjects with kids like autism, divorce and homelessness.

    Karli was introduced this year as a muppet in foster care who is living with her “for-now parents” Dalia and Clem while her mommy is away. “Karli’s mommy has been having a hard time, so we are her foster parents or her for-now-parents,” Dalia explained in a video titled “You Belong.”

    “We will keep her safe until her mommy can take care of her again.”

    Karli’s Mom Returns

    In a clip from September, we learn that Karli’s mom is back. “Elmo knows that Karli’s mommy was away for a while. But now she’s back,” Elmo says, sitting next to his dad on a park bench. “Karli’s mommy looks and acts different than she did before.”

    When Elmo asks why she had to go away, his dad replies, “Karli’s mommy has a kind of sickness. And she had to get some help.” He continued, “Karli’s mommy has a disease called addiction. Addiction makes people feel like they need a grown up drink called alcohol or another kind of drug to feel okay. That can make a person act strange in ways they can’t control.”

    Elmo pauses, then asks, “But, why doesn’t she just stop?”

    His dad explains, “It’s not something you can just stop doing. Not without help from the right grown ups.”

    Karli’s Mom Goes To Support Meetings

    We learn more about Karli’s mom in a recent clip, where she and Chris (the nephew of Gordon and Susan, two original residents of Sesame Street) explain to Elmo that her mom goes to meetings to talk about her problems.

    Chris says, “Karli’s mom has been having a hard time, so in order to help her get better, she goes to a meeting with her group. They all sit in a circle.”

    Karli adds, “They talk about grown-up problems. She goes every day so that she stays healthy. You see, well, my mom needs help learning to take better care of herself so she talks to people with the same problem.”

    Resources For Parents, Guardians

    Karli reveals that she also goes to “a special kids only meeting. Our parents all have the same problem.”

    The Sesame Street in Communities website offers a range of resources covering other topics like traumatic experiences, self-care and community violence.

    Check out their resources about Parental Addiction here.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Johnson & Johnson Settles Opioid Lawsuits With Two Ohio Counties

    Johnson & Johnson Settles Opioid Lawsuits With Two Ohio Counties

    The settlement is tiny compared to a recent $572 million ruling against Johnson & Johnson for its role in the opioid epidemic in Oklahoma.

    Johnson & Johnson has reached a settlement deal with two Ohio counties in the “bellwether” case for the national opioid lawsuits. 

    Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay a $20.4 million settlement to Summit and Cuyahoga counties. That includes $10 million in cash and $5 million in legal fee reimbursement. Another $5.4 million will be donated to addiction treatment and opioid-related programs in the counties. 

    “This settlement represents yet another milestone in this litigation as it gets much-needed funding into the community while at the same time providing support for programs addressing opioid-exposed babies and their families,” the counties’ attorney, Frank L. Gallucci, told The Washington Post. 

    Johnson & Johnson argued previously that its opioid products made up fewer than 1% of opioid sales in the two counties, and therefore could not be held responsible for addiction in the counties. However, it decided not to take that argument to trial. 

    “The settlement allows the company to avoid the resource demands and uncertainty of a trial as it continues to seek meaningful progress in addressing the nation’s opioid crisis,” the company said in a statement. “The company recognizes the opioid crisis is a complex public health challenge and is working collaboratively to help communities and people in need.”

    A Small Price To Pay

    The settlement is tiny compared to a recent $572 million ruling against Johnson & Johnson for its role in the opioid epidemic in Oklahoma. The company was one of the only defendants in that case that did not reach a settlement before trial. The company is appealing that ruling.

    Johnson & Johnson’s stock rose after the Ohio settlement was announced, indicating that investors see this as a win for the company. 

    Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals have also reached settlements in the bellwether case, which is meant to set the stage for more than 2,000 opioid-related lawsuits from around the country. So far, the two counties reached settlements worth a total of $60 million, The New York Times reported. However, six defendants are still slated to go to trial, which will begin at the end of the month. The jury selection will begin within two weeks. 

    More Counties To Come

    Attorneys for the counties said that they are preparing for the trial. “We continue our preparation ahead of the October 21st trial where we plan to hold the remaining opioid makers and distributors accountable for fueling the crisis that has led to thousands of deaths in Ohio and across the country.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • FDA, DEA Warn Sites To Stop Selling Opioids

    FDA, DEA Warn Sites To Stop Selling Opioids

    The government agencies partnered to issue a joint warning to rogue online pharmacies. 

    The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration have issued formal warning letters to websites that illegally sold opioid pain pills, including pills given to people without prescriptions. 

    “As the FDA works to forcefully tackle the opioid crisis on all fronts, we cannot allow rogue online pharmacies to continue to fuel the crisis by illegally offering opioids for sale and circumventing the important safeguards that have been put in place for opioids to help protect the public health,” said acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless in a press release. 

    Joint Warnings

    Sharpless pointed out that the letters were the first of their kind because they brought the two federal agencies together. 

    “Today’s effort is also noteworthy because while the FDA partners regularly with the DEA, this is the first time we have issued joint warning letters with them,” he said. “This action further strengthens the warning to the operators of these websites. We remain committed to using all available regulatory and enforcement tools to stop the illicit flow of opioids online.”

    According to the press release, the 10 websites that received warnings were selling opioids online without following federal regulations. 

    “The products, while being marketed as authentic, may be counterfeit, contaminated, expired or otherwise unsafe,” the agencies said in the news release. 

    Other Types Of Fraud

    Although authorities are most concerned about the physical harm that these websites can cause, doing business with them can expose consumers to a host of other issues as well. 

    “In addition to health risks, illegal online pharmacies can pose other risks to consumers, including credit card fraud, identity theft and computer viruses,” the agencies warned. 

    The letters demanded that the pharmacies stop selling products to American consumers immediately. They also required the companies to respond within 15 days detailing the steps that they will take to curb the violations that were outlined in the letters. If the companies fail to respond, they could face legal action. 

    Issuing warning letters is a way for the FDA to intervene when a company is doing something illegal or harmful. Earlier this year the agency issued a warning letter to the drug manufacturer McKesson after it shipped “illegitimate” opioids.

    Acting DEA Administrator Uttam Dhillon said that by working together, the DEA and FDA are able to increase their enforcement capabilities. 

    “Issuing these warning letters is not only an effort to deter the availability of dangerous illegal opioids, but it is also a testament to the close cooperation between DEA and FDA,” he said. “We will continue to attack organizations that facilitate the sale of dangerous drugs, putting profit over public safety.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Nikki Sixx Pens New Song About Addiction Stigma, Opioid Abuse

    Nikki Sixx Pens New Song About Addiction Stigma, Opioid Abuse

    The song is part of the National Opioid Action Coalition’s campaign to end the stigma surrounding addiction.

    Motley Crue founder Nikki Sixx has a well-storied history of addiction and recovery, and with his current band, Sixx:A.M., he’s composed a new song, “Talk To Me,” which deals with opioids and the stigma surrounding addiction.

    Earlier this year, Sixx tweeted, “We are very proud of something we just wrote/recorded. It will be part of a campaign helping in the fight against the opioid epidemic worldwide.”

    Ending Stigma

    As Blabbermouth reports, the song is named after a hashtag, #TalktoMe, launched by the National Opioid Action Coalition, which is hoping to eventually eliminate the stigma surrounding addiction.

    As Sixx tweeted, “#TalktoMe is a movement by National Opioid Coalition to use the power of conversation to overcome stigma plaguing opioid use disorder. Join us in conversation.”

    Sixx, the chief lyricist of Motley Crue and SixxA.M., wrote in one verse, “Look at your hands as you’re dripping those pills. You dance with the stigma, then wake up in chills. You’re not alone. Not alone. Don’t be afraid to survive. You know you can. Talk to me. I’ll be right by your side.”

    Sixx Moderated A Conversation About The Opioid Crisis

    In addition to releasing the song, Sixx also moderated a panel organized by Advertising Week, where influencers, government and global business executives have talked openly about what can be done about the opioid crisis, and the stigma surrounding it.

    Having struggled with addiction throughout his life, Sixx has been outspoken about the opioid crisis. Last month, he told MSNBC, “People are talking about it, and they’re not hiding in the shadows anymore. Addiction is horrible, but suffering in silence is even worse. [Awareness] is the number one thing.”

    Sixx has been especially worried about how easily people can access opioids through prescriptions and unethical doctors.

    “It’s the prescription thing that’s really severely scary to me,” he said. “It’s the scariest. I had to go to the street to get it. We were just partying, and then it turned into addiction. But now the kids are just talking, just carrying in their pocket. It is a pill. You can wrap it up in a tissue, stick in their backpack and no one knows. It’s not like a syringe…So there’s a lot of opportunity for really horrible things to happen in secret. A lot of the young kids are getting into it and they’re trading it in the schoolyard.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sacklers Benefit From Ski Resort Sales In Areas Hit Hard By Opioids

    Sacklers Benefit From Ski Resort Sales In Areas Hit Hard By Opioids

    Some believe the Sacklers should donate the profits to fund addiction treatment.

    The Sackler family, including those who own Purdue Pharma, have recently earned as much as $116 million from the sale of ski resorts that they owned in areas of New Hampshire, Vermont and Ohio that have been heavily impacted by the opioid epidemic. 

    The Sackler family owned 54% of Peak Resorts Inc., according to Bloomberg. The company was purchased by Vail Resorts Inc. last week, leaving members of the Sackler family with a massive check and some members of local communities frustrated.

    New Hampshire Associate Attorney General James Boffetti explained why to The Washington Post: “It is clear that the Sacklers withdrew a huge amount of money from Purdue Pharma. To the extent that was used for these investments, including in the ski resorts, that is money that they would have only because of this deceptive marketing scheme that they have been running at Purdue.”

    Critics Say Sacklers Should Donate The Profits

    Amanda Bevard, chairwoman of the board of commissioners in Carroll County, New Hampshire, where one of the ski resorts is located, wants to see the Sacklers give up the money from the sales. 

    “The 10 counties in the state of New Hampshire spent over $60 million between 2015 and 2019 on the opioid problem,” she said. “It would be really nice if they would donate their profits back to the state of New Hampshire’s counties.”

    New Hampshire, which is home to three of the resorts sold, has the forth-highest overdose rate in the nation. In the area around one of the resorts, there were enough opioid prescriptions filled between 2006 and 2012 to give 201 pills per year to everyone living in a five-mile radius, the Post noted. Even when you account for out-of-town travelers to the ski area, that’s vastly higher than the national average of 36 pills yearly per person. 

    One Local Denies The Outcry Against The Ski Resort Sales

    Still, some New Hampshire locals said that the sales were needed, especially in rural areas of the state that could use an economic boost. Gene Chandler, former New Hampshire House Speaker, represents an area that is home to one of the resorts. 

    “There hasn’t been any outcry that we’ve been aware of,” he said. “Most people seem to be just interested in what’s best for the ski areas. If anything is going to offset opioid abuse and get control of it, it’s a good economy.”

    One of the ski resorts included in the sale is in Ohio, near where the opioid lawsuits are being litigated. Greg McNeil used to take his son Sam skiing at that resort, until Sam died of an overdose in 2015. Now, he says that seeing the Sacklers benefit from the sale of the resort is painful. 

    “Sam grew up skiing on that mountain, so we had many, many fun days,” McNeil said. “There’s a lot that the Sackler family can do so other families don’t have the same experience—the same thing we had with a loved one.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • FBI Raid Uncovers Fentanyl Operation At DC Government Office

    FBI Raid Uncovers Fentanyl Operation At DC Government Office

    A DC government employee was caught selling drugs, sometimes right outside of his office building.

    The FBI raided a Washington, D.C. government office last week and discovered a cache of the deadly opioid fentanyl. The drugs allegedly belonged to Darrell Marcellus Pope, who worked at—and sold drugs from—the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

    Pope was arrested and charged with selling fentanyl. He and his wife, who also worked in the office, are currently on leave.

    Inside The Operation

    The scheme was discovered by undercover agents who reportedly caught Pope selling fentanyl, claiming they observed him selling the stuff just outside his office, often just a few feet away from an elementary school.

    The scope of Pope’s operation spanned Woodbridge, Virginia, Clinton, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Drivers in the scheme would drive clients from Virginia to D.C. for the express purpose of making an illicit purchase.

    According to DCist, Undercover agents then set up a sting operation during which Pope allegedly sold agents fentanyl and/or heroin nine times over the course of a month.

    According to court documents, Pope sold his wares at $100 a gram and carried a handgun to at least one sale.

    The FBI allegedly confiscated “at least one ounce” of the suspected fentanyl from Pope’s home, an “additional quantity of suspected fentanyl” in his workspace, and 30 more grams on his person. Pope’s co-workers knew about the FBI raid, according to a spokesperson, but the fentanyl was definitely a surprise.

    A government employee working at the heart of our nation isn’t the only surprising fentanyl dealer in recent news.

    Ex-Eagle Scout Turned Fentanyl Kingpin

    Aaron Shamo, a 29-year-old former Eagle Scout in Salt Lake City, Utah, faces a mandatory life sentence for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar opioid scheme. His operation created hundreds of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.

    Shamo started on this dark path when he met his co-conspirator, Drew Crandall, who worked with him at an eBay call center. The pair formulated a scheme to sell their Adderall prescriptions on the dark web before eventually using those profits to purchase and sell harder drugs, including cocaine and MDMA.

    They got their network of friends to receive drug shipments at their addresses.

    Not long after, the pair got into the business of pressing their own pills, first starting with fake Xanax made of the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, then moving on to their deadly fentanyl products. According to ABC News, the two would sell thousands of pills a week at $10 a pop.

    Their business faltered as people became sick or died from taking their pills. Their operation came to an end when a customs agent intercepted a shipment of fentanyl destined for Shamo’s operation.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How Do The Feds Find Pill Mills?

    How Do The Feds Find Pill Mills?

    Although regulations have clamped down some on over-prescribing, authorities are still finding pill mills in operation.

    Since late last year, federal authorities have charged 87 doctors with operating pill mills where they overprescribed opioids. Data collection has allowed the feds to make those arrests and has helped contribute to guilty pleas from nine of the doctors so far.

    Brian Benczkowski, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, told CNN that while traditional tips are helpful, collecting and analyzing data on prescribing practices allow authorities to work efficiently at targeting the most egregious over-prescribers. 

    He said, “I think before we employed a data driven model it was a lot harder to find them in the first instance. You had to rely on local law enforcement providing tips. You had to rely on individuals in the community providing tips. The data tells us exactly where to go very quickly.”

    How They Locate Pill Mills

    The feds look at a few different pieces of information when analyzing prescription data: they see how far patients are traveling to a doctor, how many deaths are linked to that doctor, and the dosage strength that the doctor provides.

    Federal guidelines recommend that doctors not prescribe opioids that measure more than 90 morphine milligram equivalents, or MMEs, per day. However, doctors operating pill mills prescribe up to 500 MMEs per day to patients. When that is outlined in hard data, it’s easy to know who to investigate, because “usually nothing can justify” writing prescriptions for so many pills, authorities say. 

    Once law enforcement knows where to look, spotting a pill mill is easy. 

    “When you go and observe this doctor’s office and you see lines down the block, you see people shuffling around waiting to go into the doctor’s office, you see behavior that looks very much like behavior you see in traditional street corner hand-to-hand drug distribution, it’s stark. It’s readily apparent what’s going on,” Benczkowski said. 

    How Do Pill Mills Work?

    He explained how the pill mill operations work. 

    “They [the doctors] are taking cash and putting it in their pockets. [Patients] go into the doctor’s office, they leave $300 with the receptionist. They have a two-minute consultation with the doctor who writes them an opioid prescription and they walk out the door. And that line is processed like a conveyor belt all day every day. It doesn’t look like a normal doctor’s office.”

    A Drug Enforcement Administration official said that investigating pill mills is a unique operation. 

    “We’ll do surveillance or send a confidential source in, and we’re really looking at the type of prescriptions doctors are writing and then asking medical experts, are these within the norms? It’s more of a chess game in a way than a traditional narcotics investigation. We’re a cross between investigating white collar crime and narcotics.”

    Although regulations have clamped down on over-prescribing, authorities are still finding pill mills in operation, something that frustrates Father Brian O’Donnell of Catholic Charities West Virginia. 

    “I thought the fear of God had been put into doctors in the past few years,” he said. “I’m very disappointed to hear this is still going on.” 

    Patients Not Targeted in Opioid Prescription Crackdown

    Benczkowski emphasized that the feds are focused on charging the doctors, not people addicted to opioids.

    “We recognize that we can’t just prosecute our way out of this problem,” he said. “The individual patients are not criminal defendants, they’re victims. And we wanted to make sure that they had access to appropriate medical care and appropriate treatment resources.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Addiction Contributes To 40% Of Foster Care Cases

    Addiction Contributes To 40% Of Foster Care Cases

    Nationally, about 36% of foster care cases stem from parents using drugs.

    In North Carolina, as in the rest of the country, the opioid epidemic is tearing families apart, with substance use disorder to blame for about 40% of cases where a child enters foster care in the state. 

    A 15% Rise Over A 10-Year Period

    A decade ago, just 25% of foster care cases were related to substance use disorder, according to North Carolina Health News. In just five years the number of kids in foster care in the state has increased by 20%, highlighting just how devastating addiction can be for the whole family. 

    Ken Maxwell owns a privately run nonprofit foster care placement and adoption agency in the state. He said that typically during times when the economy is strong foster placements go down, because parents are better able to provide for their kids.

    However, right now North Carolina has a strong economy and low unemployment rates, but drug abuse continues to drive up the number of kids in care. 

    “We’re not seeing the numbers decline, we’re seeing the numbers increase. The numbers are staying high because of substance abuse or opioid abuse,” Maxwell said.

    Maxwell said that families who have never had interactions with the foster care system before are losing their children, showing how quickly opioids cause parents to lose the ability to care for their kids. 

    He said, “This sneaks up on families and they don’t realize it until they’re at risk of losing their kids.” 

    A study published in July found that nationally, about 36% of foster care cases stem from parents using drugs. Nationally, the number of kids in foster care increased 12% between 2012 and 2017. 

    The Numbers Are Higher In North Carolina

    Mary Beth Rubright is the assistant director of social work for the Department of Social Services in New Hanover County, North Carolina, where half of foster care cases are related to substance abuse, with 23% caused by opioids. She said that social workers try to help parents get sober so that they can provide a safe living environment for their kids and be reunified. 

    She said, “If they’re in recovery and in a program, it makes our job a whole lot easier.”

    The county has launched a program to help get babies home sooner if they are born with drugs in their system. The program allows parents to work closely with a social worker with the goal of regaining custody of their infants within 60-90 days. The program is expensive to run, but the long-term benefits for families are worth is, Rubright said. 

    “It’s critical that you give [mothers] opportunities to bond with her children. The truth is that in the end, it’s a lot less expensive to pour those resources in on the front end.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Drug Companies Want Federal Judge Removed From Opioid Cases 

    Drug Companies Want Federal Judge Removed From Opioid Cases 

    Big Pharma lawyers argue that their clients will not get a fair trial with Judge Dan Polster because of his desire for a settlement.

    Drug companies and retailers that are being sued by local governments across the nation are requesting that the judge overseeing the opioid suits in federal court step down, saying that he is too focused on reaching a settlement. 

    Lawyers for the defendants—which include Cardinal Health, Walmart and many others—filed a motion on Saturday saying that Judge Dan Polster is not impartial in the case because he has said he wants a settlement, The Guardian reported. 

    Turning A Blind Eye

    Polster’s “unusual level of commitment” to reaching a settlement agreement has caused him to turn “a blind eye to the law,” the lawyers said in the motion. 

    They explained, “Defendants do not bring this motion lightly. Taken as a whole and viewed objectively, the record clearly demonstrates that recusal is necessary.”

    Polster has indeed been outspoken about his desire to see a settlement in the federal cases, which combined more than 2,000 lawsuits.  

    Hopeful For Change

    Last year, Polster discussed his hopes that the trials would result in meaningful change. The defendants latched onto that comment in their motion.

    They quoted Polster as saying, “My objective is to do something meaningful to abate this crisis,” including “dramatically reducing the number of opioids that are being disseminated, manufactured and distributed… and [assuring] that we get some amount of money to the government agencies for treatment.”

    Polster has acknowledged that the trials that he is presiding over are a unique situation, and something that hasn’t been seen before in the judiciary. 

    “The judicial branch typically doesn’t fix social problems, which is why I’m somewhat uncomfortable doing this, but it seems the most human thing to do,” he said in 2018. 

    The lawyers argue that their clients will not get a fair trial with Polster at the bench.

    “The court’s deep involvement in settlement discussions requires its disqualification from any bench trial of equitable remedies. Together, these factors more than raise a reasonable question about the court’s impartiality,” they wrote. 

    The first bellwether trial in the federal opioid litigation is scheduled to start next month. However, this motion is likely to delay that beginning, said law professor Carl Tobias.

    “Polster is likely to deny the motion, which will then be appealed, delaying the start of the trial,” he said. 

    Tobias pointed out that the whole point of presiding over all of the lawsuits in one court is to facilitate settlements. 

    “The defendants are saying Polster pre-judged the outcome through his public statements and in all he’s done,” Tobias said. “But trying to move it toward settlement is what Congress intended in this kind of situation.”

    View the original article at thefix.com