Overdose survivors need more than a second (or third) chance: they need a parachute. When you’re in free fall, a little more time isn’t much help.
Tag: opioids
Overdose Deaths: Not an Epidemic or a Crisis, and Not by Accident
Overdoses are not mysterious, they result from predictable causes like criminalizing drug use, ineffective policies, poverty, lack of stable housing, and persistent racism.
Drug Deaths in Black Communities and Our Collective Denial
“While white addicts receive treatment, drug counseling, and a lenient criminal justice system, there are Black people still behind bars because of mandatory minimums, three-strikes laws, and disparate drug sentencing.”
We Need Harm Reduction for All Drugs, Not Just Opioids
While we’ve made great strides with harm reduction for people who use opioids, we’re slow to provide non-abstinence-based treatment for people who use other drugs.
Purdue Reaches $10 Billion Settlement In Opioid Lawsuits
The deal does not include any admission of wrongdoing by Purdue Pharma or the Sackler family.
In Australia, Frustrations Rise As Opioid Crisis Takes Hold
“We’re living in a country that is oblivious to what’s going on.”
Doctors Prescribe More Opioids Late In The Day, When Running Late
Time constraints and “chaotic practice environments” may be to blame for the troubling reliance on prescriptions.
In Recovery, on Suboxone, and in the Weed Business
In print and online, I preached cannabis. In life, I practiced therapy and Suboxone.
How "Wired" Betrayed John Belushi's Legacy and Misportrayed Addiction
While Belushi’s family and friends would prefer that “Wired” be forgotten, the book provides a fascinating glimpse into how we didn’t understand addiction and harshly judged people who struggled with it.
Nothing Left to Prove: The Joy of Growing Older in Recovery
I entered recovery in handcuffs. I had chipped teeth, abscesses, a fresh diagnosis of Hepatitis C. But there I was, sitting in my County orange-colored jumpsuit, breathing in the fragrance of fresh opportunities.