Tag: opioid use disorder

Arizona Campaign Aims To Scare Kids Away From Opioids

“It kind of has a horror movie feel to it,” said one government official about the new opioid public service announcements.

Officials in Arizona are taking inspiration from scary movies in an attempt to keep kids and teens from experimenting with opioids, despite controversy and conflicting reports over whether scare tactics actually work to deter teens from using drugs.

Two 30-second public service announcements aim to highlight the dangers of opioids by showing a teen trapped in a pill, with the message “Opioids: Getting in is easier than getting out.” One ad features a boy, while the other features a girl. At the end of the videos, a lifeless hand is shown next to pill bottles.

Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said the images are intentionally frightening.

“It kind of has a horror movie feel to it,” she told Arizona Central. “This is part of the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act. They (the Arizona Legislature) appropriated a little over $400,000 for us to develop this educational campaign and it had to be graphic, and it had to show the law enforcement consequences of opioids.”

The campaign is meant to target kids ages 12-17 and will appear on websites that people of those ages use often, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify and Pandora.

In addition to the videos, the campaign features still images that include a teen drowning in pills, and another behind bars, which turn out to be hypodermic needles. They all link to the state’s “Something Better” website, which provides information on the dangers of drug abuse.

Christ said that focus groups showed the movie-style ads caught teens’ attention while delivering the message.

“There is a scary component of it. People don’t realize how dangerous and how addictive these medications are,” she said.

However, Graeme Fox, who does community outreach for a needle-exchange program run by volunteers in Maricopa County, said the images and videos might not be as effective as lawmakers are hoping.

“It could be a good thing but scare tactics aren’t necessarily the way to educate youths,” Fox said. “The state may think it’s a good thing but there are studies that show after a certain amount of time, scare tactics aren’t effective.”

The campaign will run through June.

Results from the most recent Monitoring the Future Survey, which interviews 8th, 10th and 12th grade students about their substance use, found that rates of opioid use are actually falling among teens, reaching their lowest levels to date.

“With illicit opioid use at generally the lowest in the history of the survey, it is possible that being in high school offers a protective effect against opioid misuse and addiction,” said Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We will be focusing much of our new prevention research on the period of time when teens transition out of school into the adult world and become exposed to the dangerous use of these drugs.”

View the original article at thefix.com

14 January 2019
Firefighters Open Treatment Center For Their Own

The center provides beds for 60 firefighters to get treatment for substance use disorder, mental illness or other behavioral health conditions.

The opioid epidemic has touched people from all walks of life, including first responders, who often find it hard to reach out for help in a work culture that involves putting others first and brushing vulnerabilities aside. That’s why a new treatment center has opened, aimed specifically at helping firefighters who need support with addiction and mental health issues.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) opened the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery last year just outside Washington, DC. It is set up similarly to a firehouse and provides beds for 60 firefighters to get treatment for substance use disorder, mental illness or other behavioral health conditions, whether they are associated with work or not.

“It’s really a state-of-the-art facility for our membership,” Ray Maione, a captain in the Phoenix Fire Department and vice president of member services for the United Phoenix Firefighters, Local 493, told Arizona Family. “To see it come to fruition is really pretty impressive; a lot of work went into this.”

Maione said that the services are much needed for firefighters who are hesitant to seek help.

“We’re problem solvers, I mean we run into burning buildings when they’re on fire, so people think, and we think, we’re invincible,” he said. “And sometimes it just builds up. . . . When a firefighter reaches out I know they’ve already exhausted every option they have and they’re in crisis.”

On-the-job injuries can expose firefighters to potent painkillers, and traumatic events can erode firefighters’ mental health, he said.

“We started to notice a big increase in suicides, a big increase in opioid addiction,” Maione said.

Tyler Ramsey, a firefighter, first started using opioids for a back injury but noticed with time that he was becoming dependent on the pills.

“You get a prescription for an opiate or a pain medication, and at the start it’s need-based,” said Ramsey. “. . . Once it gets a hold of you, you use that as a crutch.”

He told himself that because a doctor prescribed the pills they weren’t dangerous.

“I guess it gives you a false sense of security, almost, that it’s prescribed by a medical professional,” Ramsey said. “But being a fireman, I thought, ‘Oh I can control this. I don’t need to ask for help. I can manage this.’”

However, when thoughts of opioids began taking over his day-to-day life, he realized he had a substance use problem.

“It’s the last thing you think about before you close your eyes at night and the first thing when you open your eyes in the morning, which is a pretty terrible place to be,” he said. When Ramsey reached out to colleagues, they got him into rehab that day, and they help him stay sober.

“I’m happy, upright, breathing and living a normal life again,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been afforded a second chance.”

View the original article at thefix.com

7 January 2019
Family Creates Christmas Light Show To Highlight Addiction Struggle

A Maryland couple have dedicated their massive Christmas light show to their daughter who is battling opioid addiction.

In 2015, Jim Kurtz created a spectacular Christmas light show dedicated to the addiction recovery of his daughter, Caroline, and to those everywhere struggling with addiction. The light show was not only visually captivating but also synchronized the blinking lights to hit songs.

In a newly released video reported by The Maryland Patch, the Kurtzes say that their daughter has relapsed and is again in recovery. Caroline has been in 22 recovery facilities in four states over the past seven years.

This year, Caroline’s mother and father have dedicated a special song in the light show to their daughter: “This Is Me” from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman.

The Kurtz light and musical show can be seen from half a mile away. Their home in Harford County is decked out with blinking lights, including a 50-foot-tall pine tree, which is the tallest decorated tree in town, as far as they know. The tree is visible from a Starbucks off MD 543 and is hung with oversized, old-fashioned and brightly colored bulbs. Jim Kurtz appreciates the show himself, telling The Patch, “It is amazingly beautiful.”

Kurtz originally began the light and music show in 2012 and received internet fame for the set piece orchestrated to the hit song, “Call Me Maybe.” Families struggling along with their loved ones battling addiction are becoming more transparent in an attempt to defeat the stigma of drug and alcohol addiction. Memoirs such as Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, and Tweak by Nic Sheff, are gaining national attention. Beautiful Boy is now a movie starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet.

Jim Kurtz gave The Patch the 2018 show scheduled songs and home information for anyone visiting or local who would like to take in this show dedicated to recovering from addiction.

The light show features “The Greatest Show,” the theme from Star Wars, a dubstep version of “The Nutcracker,” Griswold track, “12 Days of Christmas,” “Christmas Vacation,” “A Mad Russian’s Christmas,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “This Is Me” and “God Bless the USA.”

Where: 1205 Corinthian Court, Bel Air, MD

When: Friday, Dec. 7, to Monday, Dec. 31

Hours: 5-9 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday; 5-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday

How to tune in: Listen to 87.9 FM for the music.

Guests are asked to drive slowly and to refrain from blocking driveways in the neighborhood.

View the original article at thefix.com

20 December 2018
New Website Helps People Find Addiction Treatment Services

The live, online resource helps connect individuals and family members seeking addiction treatment options and related services throughout Pennsylvania.

A series of simple questions may be a crucial link for Pennsylvania residents struggling with drug dependency.

The Drug and Alcohol Referral Tool (DART) is a live, online resource that can connect individuals and family members seeking addiction treatment options and related services in their area. Visitors answer 9 yes-or-no questions on age, county, history of dependency on drugs or alcohol, military service and other criteria. Their answers then generate contacts for county-specific treatment or support, which has been an ongoing goal of Governor Tom Wolf’s administration.

As The Daily Item noted, DART is an extension of Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now Hotline (800-662-HELP), which connects individuals in need with trained professionals. Though the hotline received 35,000 calls over the last two years, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Jen Smith said, “What we’ve heard was the hotline wasn’t really enough.”

To accommodate the need for resources, the department, working in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, launched DART on December 6, 2018. The online questionnaire, which is anonymous and can be translated into more than 100 languages, asks visitors if they are inquiring for themselves or a loved one.

From there, they are asked to click yes or no to answer nine questions, two of which – age and county – are mandatory. The rest, which cover the individual’s military service, history of drug, alcohol or gambling abuse, and need for legal and/or transportation services, are optional.

Upon completing the questions, respondents are then provided with a list of resources in their area, based on their answers. These include substance dependency and mental health office phone numbers, links to health and human services programs through the state’s COMPASS network based on income and a map of Drug Take Back boxes, among other options. Eligibility for programs is not assessed by DART, but users can be directed to additional information on qualifications.

Income, transportation and living situation are included on the questionnaire because the problems are often hand-in-hand. “Substance use disorders often occur when a person experiences other medical and behavioral health concerns, and they may need additional resources to live stable, healthy life in recovery,” said Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller. “Connecting people seeking treatment to comprehensive services that can help meet all of their needs from the start is critical as they work towards recovery.”

Inclusive tools like DART are a crucial part of Wolf’s plan to aid his state, which as of 2017 had the highest rate of drug overdose mortalities in the United States. DART is just one of several initiatives being rolled out to promote Stop Overdoses in PA: Get Help Now Week, which takes place December 10 through 14, 2018.

“A common concern that we have heard throughout the commonwealth is that individuals aren’t aware of the services and supports available to them,” said Smith. “[DART] will allow individuals to have critical information on where to go and how to access the services they need.”

View the original article at thefix.com

14 December 2018
Young Mayor’s Overdose Death Captures National Epidemic

“I never would’ve thought he had an issue. Brandon made a mistake and paid the ultimate price,” the former mayor’s mother said after his fatal overdose.

The story of a small-town Pennsylvania mayor and his friend who both fatally overdosed on opioids is highlighting the dangers of the national drug epidemic and the heartbreak of families left behind.

Brandon Wentz was 24 when he overdosed last year. He had recently resigned as mayor of Mount Carbon, population 87, because his family had moved to a nearby town. The resignation hit Wentz hard, said his mother, Janel Firestone.

“You could just see the stress and sadness in him,” she told the Associated Press.

After struggling to write his resignation letter, which ended up being just 180 words, Wentz’s friend Ryan Fessler came over. The pair had been spending more time together, according to Fessler’s childhood friend.

“They were the same person,” she said. “They both wrote, they both drew, they would make up funny raps together. They really did want the best for each other.”

However, this worried some of Wentz’s friends, who knew that Fessler struggled with substance abuse.

“He wasn’t a bad person, he was nice, but he had his own demons, too, and demons will invite more demons,” said Brandon Radziewicz, Wentz’s longtime friend. “I think they were good at fueling each other’s habits.”

The day of the resignation letter, the two men went to Wentz’s room until Fessler left. That afternoon, Firestone tried to wake her son for his overnight shift, but he wouldn’t rouse. She suspected he had a migraine, and since he had always been a heavy sleeper she wasn’t concerned. However, the next morning Wentz was dead of an overdose of heroin and fentanyl, something that shocked Firestone.

“I never would’ve thought he had an issue,” she said. “Brandon made a mistake and paid the ultimate price.”

While Wentz’s family was blindsided, Fessler’s family knew of his addiction and did everything possible to protect him from overdose until he died just six months after Wentz, even sending him to treatment in Florida. However, Fessler’s grief over losing his best friend just made his addiction worse. A few weeks after Wentz died, Fessler’s girlfriend found him in bed crying, saying, “I killed my best friend. I gave it to him.”

Firestone, who was always skeptical of her son’s relationship with Fessler, blamed him for Wentz’s overdose. Fessler’s mother, Kim Kramer, said she understands completely.

“I get it, I truly do,” she said. “You wake up, you think about it all day, it’s forever there. You want to find out who gave it to them. … You want to hate the one who handed your son the bag.”

Firestone says she wishes Wentz’s friends had brought his drug abuse to her attention, something Radziewicz says he should have done, in hindsight.

“I was thinking, foolishly, that I would lose my best friend, and he wouldn’t talk to me again,” he said. “Guess what? I lost my best friend.”

View the original article at thefix.com

12 December 2018
In-School Services Offered To Students Impacted By Opioid Addiction

More than 50 schools in Massachusetts offer in-school counseling services to students with parents who are battling opioid addiction.

Maddy Nadeau’s childhood was less than ideal. Her mother often could not care for her, leaving her older sister to do the job when she came home from elementary school.

Maddy is one of many children affected by a parent’s substance use disorder, according to NPR.

Luckily, her school is taking steps to help her overcome the trauma of such a childhood. In October, Congress allowed for $50 million annually for five years to be allotted to mental health services in schools for children affected by the opioid epidemic.

The girls eventually entered a foster home, which led to an adoption. Sarah Nadeau, their adoptive mother, told NPR both girls struggled with depression and anxiety, as well as performance in school. Maddy had a hard time especially, as she was exposed to opioids while in utero.

“That makes it very difficult for her brain to settle down enough to do more than one task at a time,” Nadeau told NPR.

Counselors at schools such as Maddy’s are employed by Gosnold, which is a substance use disorder treatment provider in Massachusetts. According to NPR, more and more schools are starting to screen and treat students who are considered at risk for opioid use disorder, as well as offer mental health services for those who have been affected by it.

“Schools have more kids who cannot access the learning environment,” Sharon Hoover, co-director of The National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told NPR. 

According to Hoover, having such services in schools is proving effective. ”This is considered a preferable model of care,” she said. “The kids show up for treatment services because they’re not relying on a family member to take them somewhere in the community.”

Though the services are new, data demonstrates counseling for at-risk students leads to fewer absences and better academic performance. Massachusetts schools using Gosnold counselors say their students are performing better academically and emotionally. Sarah Nadeau says this is the case for her girls.

“Their day runs smoother. They can get out their anxiety while they’re in school instead of bottling it up, and then go back to class and continue learning,” she told NPR.

Each participating school pays Gosnold for the counselors, and students’ insurance covers the individual sessions. If a student does not have insurance or it will not cover the cost, Gosnold absorbs that cost. Currently, more than 50 schools in Massachusetts offer such services.

“I wish that more schools offered it because the epidemic is everywhere,” says Sarah Nadeau. “For a lot of these kids, school is the only place that is stable. They get their lunch here, they get their education here, so why not give them their support while they’re here at the school?”

View the original article at thefix.com

7 December 2018
Meth, Opioid Use Rises Among Pregnant Women

Researchers report that geography and finances played a role in the rate of amphetamine, opioid use among pregnant women.

New research points to the troubling rise of amphetamine and opioid use among pregnant mothers is on the rise, particularly in rural areas.

The research, according to Forbes, was conducted by examining 47 million US deliveries over 12 years. The results state that from 2008 to 2015, US births associated with amphetamine use doubled from 1.2 per 1,000 to 2.4 per 1,000. Of those, the majority were from methamphetamine use. Likewise, the rate of opioid use among expectant mothers also grew rapidly in a similar timeframe, quadrupling from 1.5 per 1,000 births to 6.5 per 1,000 births.

According to researchers, geography played a role. By 2014-2015, amphetamine use during pregnancy resulted in “adverse outcomes” in about 1% of deliveries (11.2 per 1,000) in the rural West. Additionally, research shed light on the fact that the greatest amount of opioid misuse during pregnancy was concentrated in the rural Northeast and led to delivery complications in 3% of women (28.7 per 1,000 deliveries).

Research also indicated that higher numbers of expectant mothers using amphetamines and opioids were from poor areas, had public insurance and were non-Hispanic white.

Lead study author Lindsay Admon of the University of Michigan’s Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital stated that in such cases, there are often barriers to the right type of care.

“Early and adequate access to prenatal care for women with substance use has been shown to improve birth outcomes,” Admon said, according to Forbes. “However, geographic disparities have a major impact on the health and well-being of pregnant women and infants. There are significant barriers to obstetric care access in many rural communities, particularly for women with substance use.”

Researchers also discovered that in mothers using amphetamines, the risk of death and birth complications was 1.6 times that of mothers using opioids.

Admon noted in a press release that these results were surprising.

“We know from our previous research on maternal health disparities that there are disproportionately higher rates of substance affected births in rural communities. . . . When we looked at the specific types of substances driving this disparity, we were surprised to find that amphetamine use accounted for such a significant portion,” she added. “Our findings suggest both amphetamine and opioid use are growing public health crises that affect delivery and birth outcomes.”

Admon added that it is vital that medical professionals evaluate pregnant women for substance use disorder.

“It is critical that health providers employ universal screening for substance use early in pregnancy,” Admon stated. “Optimizing access to prenatal care is a crucial mechanism to connect women with the services they need for their health and their baby’s health.”

View the original article at thefix.com

6 December 2018
Rapper Lil Xan Checks into Rehab

Lil Xan had announced in November that he intended to enter rehab but he had issues finding a bed in a treatment facility.

Lil Xan has gone to rehab for the first time, according to an Instagram post penned by his girlfriend. Lil Xan, or Diego Leanos, is a 22-year-old rapper from the west coast with a big following. Since the recent overdose deaths of Mac Miller and Lil Peep – both idols of Lil Xan – those around Xan had heightened concerns about his safety.

Lil Xan recently got tattoos memorializing Mac Miller, and CNN reported that Xan said in an interview that Miller’s death made him want to quit music.

Lil Xan entered rehab hoping this would be a new start to his life; he declared his rap moniker would be changed from Xan, which is short for Xanax, to his actual name, Diego.

Diego had announced in November that he intended to enter rehab, but had issues finding a bed in a treatment facility. On December 2, Diego’s girlfriend Annie wrote on his Instagram:

“This sweet angel of mine officially entered rehab this morning. I’m sorry for all the confusion circulating about Diego leaving for rehab,” Smith wrote alongside a photo of Diego. “It’s a tricky thing since people are coming in and out of the facility so often that rooms end up getting switched around and dates can be pushed back. I’m so beyond proud of this precious boy for being the strongest person I know and for wanting to live a better life. Please keep him in your prayers, he is doing his best right now to find peace with himself. We love you all so much, and we appreciate all of the support. I love him beyond words and cannot wait to see what the future holds for our family. xanarchy family – love, Annie”

A later Instagram post, also by Annie, read, “Diego was just admitted into his first treatment. He loves each and every one of you sending good wishes and prayers to him,” she captioned a selfie of the musician. “We thank you all so very much for all of the love and support you are sending his way. He will be back soon, with another top 10 album we love you all xanarchy family ! – love, Annie”

Diego has been public about his ongoing struggle with opioid addiction. In November he told TMZ, “As far as my sobriety goes right now, there was a long period of time where I was clean. But I relapsed. . . . Any other addict would understand that that s—t just happens. You just relapse — you don’t want to — and then you get clean again. It’s like a process. You need treatment and help and sometimes that doesn’t even help. It has to come from within. That’s what I’ve learned.”

View the original article at thefix.com

6 December 2018
Opioid Court Aims To Prevent Overdose By Offering Treatment

The Rochester-based opioid court offers treatment instead of jail time for minor drug-related offenses.

A new court program in Rochester, New York aims to save lives by connecting people with opioid use disorder with treatment immediately, lessening their risk of overdose after spending a brief amount of time detoxing in jail.

“Their tolerance goes down from their short stay in the jail, and that’s when they use again and fatalities occur,” Monroe County Court Judge John DeMarco, who will oversee the new program, told WHAM.

Rochester helped lead the national push for drug courts, which offer treatment instead of jail time for minor drug-related offenses. However, the drug court program in Monroe County has a months-long waiting list. Officials noticed that people with opioid use disorder weren’t getting the chance to participate in the program because they often relapsed after being released from jail following their arraignment.

To help prevent overdoses, the new program, called Opioid Stabilization Part (OSP), will evaluate people at the time of their arrest and help connect them with immediate treatment. opioid court — as it’s already being called — is meant to serve the people who are most at-risk for overdoses.

“We have their attention. Having their attention creates maybe the only opportunity that those folks have to commit to get this thing turned around,” DeMarco said.

As part of the program, people showing signs of opioid use will be screened at Monroe County Jail the day of their arrest. Those who screen into the program will have their criminal cases put on hold. Instead of waiting for arraignment and being released on bail — oftentimes to return to the community to get high — participants will quickly be seen by a special judge and enrolled into treatment. From there, participants need to check in with the judge daily in person, if they are in an intensive out-patient program.

People who do not have insurance will be able to access treatment thanks to a $1.8 million federal grant for the program.

Law enforcement said that the people who will use opioid court are often more of a danger to themselves than to others.

“We recognize they’re at high risk,” said Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to we[a]n out of the jail and put them where they belong, into a bed and treatment program.”

District Attorney Sandra Doorley said the people in opioid court do not represent a danger to the community. In fact, she said that these people would normally be released from jail, just with less supervision than the opioid court program will provide.

“They’re usually given bail, so they’re released (into the community) anyway,” Doorley said. “At this point we’re not allowing violent felons to get into the program.”

A similar program that launched in Buffalo, New York last year has not lost a single participant to overdose.

View the original article at thefix.com

4 December 2018
Dentist Wrote 200 Opioid Prescriptions For Five Patients In One Year

The dentist who wrote the opioid prescriptions claims state investigator were “telling lies” but he did not provide or clarify any additional details.

A dentist in Tennessee has had his professional license revoked for reportedly writing approximately 200 prescriptions for opioid medications to just five patients, some of whom were never physically present in his office.

A discipline report from the Tennessee Department of Health revealed that Michael R. Tittle, 64, who maintained a dental practice in the small town of Erwin, Tennessee, allegedly lacked the proper records to justify writing the prescriptions, which in one case totaled 71 prescriptions for 10 hydrocodone pills over the course of just six months.

In a statement to the Tennessean, Tittle claimed that state investigators were “telling lies,” but he did not provide or clarify any additional details.

In addition to the revocation of his license, Tittle was also assessed a civil penalty of $13,000, plus court costs not to exceed $3,000. These details, as well as the allegations against Dr. Tittle, were made public on November 15 as part of a monthly discipline report by the state Department of Health, which maintains public records on doctors and other health care professionals throughout the state.

According to the report, Tittle’s office came under investigation after the Department of Health received a complaint about his prescribing practices while on a five-year probation for multiple infection control violations. After reviewing his Controlled Substance Monitoring Database report, the Department requested 13 dental records; these were found to lack “a concise description and justification for the amount and frequency of controlled substances,” according to the report.

Prescription records for five patients were also highlighted in the report; in addition to the aforementioned patient, one patient is reported to have received 49 prescriptions for hydrocodone and 14 prescriptions for oxycodone, totaling 630 tablets, between October 2016 and September 2017.

Another patient reportedly received 24 prescriptions, totaling 210 tablets, for more than a year after undergoing a root canal, while a third received two prescriptions for oxycodone and two for hydrocodone, all totaling 110 tablets, between August and November 2015, despite the fact that no documentation could confirm that the patient had ever set foot in Tittle’s office.

The report also noted that Tittle admitted to having a pre-signed, blank prescription slip in his office that had been “copied onto security paper to generate additional pre-signed prescription slips.”

To settle the case, Tittle agreed to the revocation of his Tennessee dental license as well as $1,000 in civil penalties for each of the 13 records reviewed by the Department of Health and the “actual and reasonable costs” of prosecuting the case. The findings were also reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 December 2018