MASAM - Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine
860 Winter Street
Waltham, MA 02451
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MASAM
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MASAM has been active in supporting inclusion of language in various state bills that would mandate evidence-based treatment of OUD for adults incarcerated in the Commonwealth. We include a letter from the Association for Behavioral Healthcare that nicely summarizes the issues. In which bill we ultimately succeed in promoting humane and effective care is not predictable currently.
Letter to HCF Chairs re MAT in CARE Act 5.15.18 (click here)
ASAM Weekly news
Below you'll find ASAM's Weekly news lead stories (2021)
2021
May 10, 2021
Biden Extends Ban on Fentanyl-Like Substances
President Joe Biden signed legislation Tuesday extending a ban on addictive fentanyl-like substances into October, which comes two days before the previous ban was set to expire. Under the extension of the order, these fentanyl analogs are classified by the federal government as Schedule I drug and are subject to the strictest controls like heroin.
NBC News
May 4, 2021
Are Marijuana Use and Suicide Linked?
Data is increasingly showing that cannabis is linked to more significant outcomes than previously realized, such as suicide and psychosis. It is important for the field to further our understanding as more states legalize and more youth initiate the use of cannabis. Included is a study showing that states which legalized recreational marijuana use saw an increase in suicide attempts and other self-harm in young men.
Study >>>
April 20, 2021
Rising U.S. Deaths After Users Mix Coke, Meth with an Opioid
Overdose deaths resulting from the combination of stimulants and opioids are far outpacing fatalities linked to stimulants alone, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 88,000 people died from a drug overdose between August 2019 and August 2020.
Study >>>
April 13, 2021
Biden Drug Addiction Plan Focuses on Treatment Access, Inequity
The Biden Administration revealed its first-year plan to address the nation’s addiction crisis, with a focus on the inequality of treatment access. The seven priorities included: expanding access to evidence-based treatment, advancing racial equity in our approach to drug policy, enhancing evidence-based harm reduction efforts, supporting evidence-based prevention efforts to reduce youth substance use, reducing the supply of illicit substances, advancing recovery-ready workplaces, and expanding the addiction workforce, and expanding access to recovery support services.
March 31, 2021
Smoking Makes a Comeback in the Pandemic
About 480,000 people in the United States die from tobacco-related illnesses each year, making it the number one preventable cause of death in the country. But experts are concerned that cigarette sales during the first 10 months of 2020 were up roughly 1% and calls to quitlines in the United States were down 27% from the prior year. The public health initiatives that helped reduce smoking rates have not been as effective when people are isolated at home.
March 23, 2021
Black Americans Make Up Majority of Pandemic Drug Overdose Deaths
Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say fatal drug overdoses nationwide have surged roughly 20% during the pandemic, killing more than 83,000 people in 2020. While the CDC does not track overdose deaths by race, a growing body of research suggests Black Americans have suffered the heaviest toll. Addiction experts describe "treatment deserts" in many Black communities, where high-quality, affordable rehab programs are scarce or nonexistent. Researchers acknowledge saving lives in these settings would require sweeping changes, including much wider access to drug-treatment medications as well as long-term care designed to keep people in recovery.
NPR >>>
March 16, 2021
Vaping Cannabis May Be Worse for Lungs Than Smoking, Study Shows
Vaping cannabis may put teens at a greater risk for developing symptoms of lung injury than those who smoke cigarettes, or marijuana, or who vape nicotine, according to a new study from the University of Michigan which included thousands of adolescents ages 12 to 17 who self-reported symptoms. Findings showed adolescents were about twice as likely to report wheezing or whistling in the chest than those who used e-cigarettes or smoked.
March 9, 2021
Mental Health Experts Say Funding Needed to Address Needs
Growing behavioral health needs and existing workforce inadequacies are amplifying calls for Congress to provide additional resources to address a national mental health crisis exacerbated by COVID-19, the economic recession, and social isolation. The pandemic has stressed the nation’s behavioral health infrastructure at a time when the country has seen increases in overdose deaths, suicides, and reports of anxiety and depression.
March 2, 2021
"Nobody Has Openings": Mental Health Providers Struggle to Meet Demand
Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States more than a year ago, the number of people in need of mental health services has surged. Multiple reports have cited increases in US adults struggling with mental illness and substance use issues as well as increasing emergency department visits for suicide, drug overdose, and child abuse. But the system was already stretched for providers before the pandemic even started.
February 23, 2021
Medicare Addiction Coverage Gaps Prompt Calls for Change
Access to affordable care is a key to treating people with addiction, but adults 65 and older may have a hard time getting Medicare to cover the treatment they need. Advocates for people with addiction say the federal program is falling short on covering some of the standard intermediary treatments recommended for substance use disorders and they’re hoping the new Congress will be open to making some legislative changes to fix a problem that’s been heightened by the opioid epidemic and exacerbated by Covid-19.
February 16, 2021
America’s Addiction Crisis, Compounded by COVID-19, Requires Immediate Action to Save Lives
Despite hard-fought progress in recent years, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are now at their highest level ever, soaring to more than 81,000 in the 12-month period between June 2019 and June 2020. At the same time, unprecedented challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic have illuminated existing weaknesses in our health care infrastructure when it comes to preventing and treating addiction.
STAT >>>
February 9, 2021
“Use that Money Wisely”: Coalition Urges Government to Spend Opioid Settlement Funds on Evidence-Based Efforts
As state and local governments consider how to spend proceeds from settlements with opioid makers, a coalition of medical societies and advocacy groups is urging public officials to create dedicated funds to help people with substance use disorders, rather than fix holes in their budgets. The admonition comes as lawsuits proceed in different courts around the U.S. with eventual value from the proceeds of all this litigation amounting to tens of billions of dollars in cash and donated products.
February 3, 20221
81,230 Overdoses Set Record for Such Deaths in a 12-Month Period, CDC Says
According to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 81,230 persons have died from drug overdose in the 12 months ending last May. Overall, drug overdose deaths jumped by 18 percent from the previous year, with deaths attributed to synthetic opioids increasing 38 percent nationwide and 98 percent in 10 western states. Overdose deaths tied to cocaine use, often involving co-use with opioids, also increased about 26 percent, and deaths linked to psychostimulants increased 35 percent.
Jan 26, 2021
Dropping the X-Waiver for Buprenorphine
In an attempt to remove a potential barrier to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a plan to drop the X-waiver requirement for buprenorphine prescriptions. The effectual date of the new guidelines will be added after publication in the Federal Register. *
*While the Department of Health & Human Services has indicated an intent to modify the rules pertaining to buprenorphine prescribing for opioid use disorder, as of this writing there is no entry confirming a rule change in The Federal Register. Clinicians would be wise to await formal, authoritative notification of such change before modifying current practices.
January 19, 2021
Time for a Smart Approach to Counternarcotics
In the half-century since President Nixon declared a “war on drugs,” the U.S. has weathered multiple epidemics: heroin in the 1960s and early 70s, cocaine in the 1980s, and opioids since the 1990s. Despite spending tens of billions to cut foreign drugs off at the source or stop them in transit, addictive substances are as plentiful today as ever — and more lethal.
January 12, 2021
The Pandemic Within the Pandemic
With the rise of substance abuse and mental health issues amid COVID, we are experiencing a pandemic within a pandemic and organizations can be a part of the solution. By combining principles from the fields of addiction and organizational behavior, the article’s author advocates for merging the two in a way that can lead to a unique intersection of wisdom and encouragement that ensures greater success in organizations.
January 5, 2021
CDC Issues Advisory as Drug Overdose Deaths Spike
The CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory to medical and public health professionals saying drug overdose deaths have soared to the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month period. Approximately 81,230 drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in the 12 months ending May 2020, with the largest spike after the COVID-19 public health emergency started, from March 2020 to May 2020. Drug overdose deaths were rising before March, but the findings suggest they accelerated during COVID-19.
2020
December 15, 2020
As a Physician and a Patient, I've Seen the Damage Caused by the Stigma of Addiction. It Must End.
Dr. Sean Fogler provides a thoughtful piece about the severe toll stigma has on those with addiction. Many are aware of the harm created by the War on Drugs, the criminal justice system and the pervasive effects of stigma but Dr. Fogler goes further to call out the health care system and our colleagues for being a significant barrier to those who most need our help.
December 9, 2020
The American Board of Preventive Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine Announce a Four-Year Extension of the Practice Pathway for Addiction Medicine
The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) jointly announced today the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approval of a four-year extension of the practice pathway in Addiction Medicine. This extension will allow physicians with substantial experience in the practice of Addiction Medicine, but who have not completed an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited fellowship in Addiction Medicine, to apply for the Addiction Medicine certification exam through the 2025 Exam Cycle.
American Board of Preventive Medicine >>>
December 1, 2020
Artificial Intelligence-Based Tool May Help Diagnose Opioid Addiction Earlier
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to develop a prediction model which led to a diagnosis of opioid use disorder about 14.4 months earlier than when diagnosed clinically. The model was generated from information of 10 million medical insurance claims, 550,000 patient records, spanning from 2006 through 2018. It relied on data such as demographics, chronic conditions, diagnoses and procedures, and medication prescriptions.
Pharmacology Research & Perspectives >>>
November 24, 2020
Doctors Are Calling It Quits Under Stress of the Pandemic
Thousands of medical practices are closing during the pandemic, as doctors and nurses decide to retire early or shift to less intense jobs. Several tell their stories of financial and emotional strain as well as the personal challenges causing them to make decisions they never would have imagined.
November 17, 2020
Substance Use Disorders and Addiction: Mechanisms, Trends, and Treatment Implications
The current issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry focuses on the understanding of factors contributing to substance use disorders and their comorbidity with psychiatric disorders, the effects of prenatal alcohol use on preadolescents, and brain mechanisms that are associated with addiction and relapse. An important theme that emerges from this issue is the necessity for understanding maladaptive substance use and its treatment in relation to health care inequities. This highlights the imperative to focus resources and treatment efforts on underprivileged and marginalized populations.
The American Journal of Psychiatry >>>
November 10, 2020
How Addiction Treatment Prepared One Woman To Face The Pandemic Head On
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Barbara Allen’s life became more complicated overnight. Allen is an essential worker where she cares for people who have disabilities and live in group homes. Then schools closed and she was forced to navigate virtual learning with seven children at home. To face these challenges, she used the skills and supportive community she built while in recovery.
NPR>>>
October 27, 2020
America is Still in the Middle of an Opioid Epidemic. Why Did We Stop Talking About It?
Over the past few years, opioids have become a political battleground. Unfortunately, when addiction mixes with politics, we forget there are real people struggling, and that has fatal consequences. Jeff Wahlberg reflects on his personal experiences with addiction and the impact for those currently struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 20, 2020
Increase in Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Cocaine: United States, 2009–2018
Deaths from drug overdose continue to contribute to mortality in the United States. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving cocaine has nearly tripled in recent years. This Data Brief provides additional information on drug overdose deaths involving cocaine by examining trends in rates by sex, age group, race and Hispanic origin, and by concurrent involvement of opioids from 2009 through 2018.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention >>>
October 13, 2020
Pointers From Portugal on Addiction and the Drug War
Many people point to Portugal as an example for the United States to emulate in dealing with illicit drugs. but Portugal’s experience is often misunderstood. A lot of the benefits over the years from Portugal’s policy shift have come not from decriminalization but in the expansion of substance-use disorder treatment.
October 6, 2020
Governor Newsom Signs a Law to Grow Mental Health Coverage
Given the challenges of safely delivering addiction medicine treatment within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASAM Weekly would like to highlight this important resource developed and recently updated by the ASAM Caring for Patients During the COVID-19 (CPDC) Task Force. Our readers will find much valuable information for themselves and the community.
September 29, 2020
ASAM COVID-19 Guidance and Resource: Update
Given the challenges of safely delivering addiction medicine treatment within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASAM Weekly would like to highlight this important resource developed and recently updated by the ASAM Caring for Patients During the COVID-19 (CPDC) Task Force. Our readers will find much valuable information for themselves and the community.
September 22, 2020
COVID-19 is Destroying the Rehab Industry
At the beginning of 2020, addiction treatment was a solid, growing industry, with 15,000 providers, $42 billion yearly revenue, and a projected 5.2% annual growth. Then Covid-19 hit.
By the summer, the industry had lost $4 billion in revenue, and about 1,000 providers—and that’s just the beginning.
September 15, 2020
Risk of Suicide, Unintentional Death Soar after Nonfatal Overdose
Emergency department patients who survive an opioid overdose are 100 times more likely to die of an unintentional overdose and 18 times more likely to die of suicide within a year than patients who visit the emergency department for other reasons, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found. The study also revealed that patients who survive an overdose of sedative or hypnotic drugs such as barbiturates or benzodiazepines are nearly 25 times more likely to die of unintentional overdose and nine times more likely to die of suicide within a year compared with their peers in the general population.
September 8, 2020
Narcan Must Become as Commonplace as CPR
While the world continues to navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, our other epidemic hasn’t gone away: The rate of opioid overdoses, already a national nightmare, has accelerated since the onset of COVID-19. It’s time to end this continuing tragedy and Dr. Calarco advocates for making narcan as common as CPR.
September 1, 2020
'A Pandemic Upon an Epidemic.' Syringe Services Struggle to Provide Care to Those Battling Drug Addiction Amid COVID-19
Americans who struggle with drug addiction have turned to syringe services programs (SSPs) for decades—not only to exchange used needles for clean ones but also as a first step towards treatment. But the coronavirus pandemic has made it more difficult for participants to get clean needles as sites shut down or reduce their operating hours. SSPs also provide human connectedness that is important for supporting recovery.
August 25, 2020
Multiple States Seeking $26.4 Billion From Drug Companies Over Opioid Crisis: Report
Multiple states are seeking a combined $26.4 billion from three major drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson to help pay for damages brought on by addiction to opioid drugs manufactured and sold by the companies
August 18, 2020
Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020
According to a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. adults reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention >>>
August 11, 2020
States Scramble To Deal With The Compounding Covid and Opioid Epidemic
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, experts have feared that the opioid crisis would get worse and early data shows their fears are justified. Recent research is showing that accessing addiction treatment is also becoming more difficult for Americans to access. As a result, experts are now calling for governors and state legislators to take action to counteract the effects of the “collision of epidemics”.
August 4, 2020
Understanding the Final Rule for 42 CFR Part 2 and Next Steps
Starting on August 14, 2020, a new final rule will go into effect, updating the regulations administering the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records known as 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2). conforming to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act can be promulgated. Join the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), American Psychiatric Association (APA), and American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) for a webinar to learn about the transitional final regulation released and provisions included in CARES Act to further modernize and align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
July 28, 2020
FDA Calls for Removal of Puff Bars, a Type of Fruity, Disposable Vape
U.S. health officials are cracking down on a brand of fruity disposable e-cigarettes that is popular with teenagers, saying the company never received permission to sell them in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter Monday telling the company to remove Puff Bar e-cigarettes from the market within 15 business days, including flavors like mango, pink lemonade, and strawberry. The agency sent warning letters to nine other companies either selling similarly unauthorized e-cigarettes or nicotine solutions that illegally appeal to children.
July 21, 2020
Should We Be Drinking Less?
For many years, the federal government’s influential dietary guidelines implied there was evidence that moderate drinking could lower the risk of heart disease and reduce mortality. But now a committee of scientists that is helping to update the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is taking a harder stance on alcohol. Britain, Australia, France, and other countries have already issued new guidelines lowering their recommended limits on daily and weekly alcohol intake.
July 14, 2020
Bill Could Make Remote Addiction Treatment Permanent
U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act to support the expansion of telehealth services for substance use disorder treatment. The bill would build upon the Trump Administration’s action to waive regulatory restrictions for accessing care in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the temporary waivers let patients continue their treatments and counseling virtually, they are time limited and will expire at the conclusion of the public health emergency.
July 7, 2020
Coronavirus Cases Trickle into Addiction Treatment Centers; Some Workers Worry
While many addiction treatment centers have developed protocols requiring face masks, temperature checks, testing and isolation of new clients, as well as the use of virtual meetings whenever possible and practical, some facilities apparently aren’t making the same effort. State-licensed and certified addiction treatment facilities in California have reported 89 COVID-19 cases at 55 different sites, according to data from the Department of Health Care Services. The names of all facilities reporting cases are now online and regularly updated.
The Orange County Register>>>
June 30, 2020
The Difficulty Of Counting the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Full Death Toll
In the U.S., COVID-19 is a “notifiable disease”, yet experts are certain that a lack of widespread testing, variations in how cause of death is recorded, and the virus’ economic and social disruption are hiding the full extent of the pandemic’s death toll. Therefore, researchers track what are known as “excess” deaths. In April, the number of deaths in the U.S. was running about 12% higher than the average from 2014 through 2019.
Time >>>
June 23, 2020
Industry Voices – Incarcerated People Need Health Coverage to Help Stop Drug Overdose – and Stem COVID-19 Spread
When addiction and incarceration intersect, the health risks skyrocket. Recent events have exposed long-standing institutional and structural inequities in the United States, underscoring the urgent need for systemic policy changes that address these disparities.
June 16, 2020
Researcher Face Hurdles in Examining COVID-19 Racial Disparities
As the country reels from days of unrest in major U.S. cities as Americans protest police brutality and racial inequality, researchers are working toward quantifying the disproportionate impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on minority communities. What they are finding is that preexisting racial disparities in the United States contribute to more coronavirus-related deaths among minority groups while also making it difficult to quantify the differences.
June 9, 2020
“We Were Already in an Epidemic”: How Coronavirus has Impacted Addiction Recovery in SC
Those leading addiction recovery efforts in Horry County and South Carolina report increases in relapses since COVID-19 restrictions were put into place, and they worry about the long-term impact as associated stress and anxiety pushes more people toward substance abuse issues.
June 2, 2020
When Coronavirus Pandemic Passes, We'll Still Face the Opioid Epidemic
The novel coronavirus has eclipsed another American crisis, deadlier and much longer in the making: the scourge of opioid addiction. And for those in recovery, the pandemic and the lockdowns are especially dangerous.
May 26, 2020
Changes In Opioid Supply Create New Risks As Stay-At-Home Rules Ease
There is no national data yet on the pandemic's impact on drug supply and overdose rates in the United States, but experts in addiction and law enforcement say availability and prices of illegal drugs have changed in different areas of the country. And as drug users adjust to new patterns of use, that's creating a patchwork of new overdose risk as well.
May 19, 2020
75,000 Americans at Risk of Dying from Overdose or Suicide Due to Coronavirus Despair, Group Warns
As many as 75,000 Americans could die because of drug or alcohol misuse and suicide as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an analysis conducted by the national public health group Well Being Trust.
CNN>>>
May 12, 2020
The Coronavirus Pandemic is Pushing America into a Mental Health Crisis
Just as the initial outbreak of the novel coronavirus caught hospitals unprepared, the United States’ mental-health system — vastly underfunded, fragmented, and difficult to access before the pandemic — is even less prepared to handle this coming surge.
May 5, 2020
Economic Recovery From Pandemic Requires Investment in Recovery of a Different Kind
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, congress has passed legislation, and the administration and state governments have changed regulations at record speed to infuse our economy with money and to support many parts of our health care system. We need a similar sense of urgency when it comes to responding to the mental health and addiction ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensuring that we have a healthy workforce after this pandemic passes.
April 28, 2020
Treating Substance Use Disorders in the Era of COVID-19
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been wreaking havoc on a global scale. Every aspect of society has been impacted by what is projected to be the largest mass casualty event in American history and there are several things we should be doing to help those with addiction. A recent opinion piece published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, outlined the urgent need for streamlined access to treatment.
Annals of Internal Medicine>>>
April 21, 2020
Virus Forebodes a Mental Health Crisis
Mounting economic pressures and health concerns coupled with social isolation during the COVID-19 public health emergency have led to a rise in individuals seeking mental health care and increased use of drugs and alcohol. Experts and advocacy groups are calling for more funding in preparation of the increased needs of mental health and addiction treatments.
April 14, 2020
Virus Pandemic, Opioid Epidemic Collide Around Social Distancing
The physical distancing needed to mitigate the worst pandemic in more than a century could exacerbate the opioid epidemic and other public health emergencies that continue to loom in the face of Covid-19. Before this pandemic, the nation was already grappling with an opioid crisis, rising rates of methamphetamine use, and a surge in teenage vaping. Those haven’t gone away.
April 7, 2020
Coronavirus Could Worsen Ohio’s Opioid Crisis
Before COVID-19 started spreading across the U.S, Ohio was handling a separate health emergency: opioid addiction. Opioid-treatment programs are considered essential public facilities and will be allowed to stay open during the statewide stay-at-home order, but experts are worried the coronavirus outbreak could exacerbate the opioid epidemic, possibly leading to more overdoses.
March 31, 2020
We Can’t Leave Those with Mental Illness, Addiction Disorders Behind
By now, most people are aware of a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, that is wreaking public health havoc on a global scale. Many individuals with SUD have chronic illnesses which are risk factors for developing a COVID-19 infection as well as other challenges such as decreased access to health care, unstable housing and increased risk of arrest and incarceration. There are things we can do to help individuals in recovery during this crisis.
March 17, 2020
Alcoholics Anonymous and Other 12‐Step Programs For Alcohol Use Disorder
This review summarized research comparing the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and similar Twelve‐Step Facilitation (TSF) programs (AA/TSF) to other treatments to see if they help people with drinking problems to stay sober or reduce alcohol consumption and drinking‐related consequences. Manualized AA/TSF interventions usually produced higher rates of continuous abstinence than the other established treatments investigated and non‐manualized AA/TSF performed as well as other established treatments. AA/TSF will probably produce substantial healthcare cost savings while simultaneously improving alcohol abstinence.
March 10, 2020
The Death Toll of the Opioid Epidemic is Higher than Originally Thought, Researchers Say
A substantial share of fatal drug overdoses is missing information on specific drug involvement, leading to under‐reporting of opioid‐related death rates and a misrepresentation of the extent of the opioid epidemic. A new study in the journal Addiction compared different methodological approaches to predicting rates of opioid involvement in unclassified drug overdoses, which account for approximately one-fifth of all drug overdose deaths. Based on the predictive models used in this study, 71.8% of unclassified drug overdoses in 1999–2016 involved opioids, translating into 99,160 additional opioid‐related deaths, or approximately 28% more than reported.
March 3, 2020
Trends in Alcohol-Induced Deaths in the United States, 2000-2016
In this serial cross-sectional study using US mortality data from 2000 to 2016, large increases in alcohol-induced mortality among both men and women were observed. Despite initial decreases among some groups, significant increases in mortality were observed among all racial/ethnic groups in the years 2013 to 2016. The prevalence of alcohol use and recent acceleration in deaths presents a broad public health challenge worthy of urgent attention.
February 25, 2020
Meth Is Flooding the Streets – and It's Uglier Than Ever
The 23 drug task forces funded through the Ohio High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area agency saw a 1,600% jump in meth seized from 2015 to 2019. This is becoming a problem for systems that have only recently adjusted to the opioid epidemic as any methamphetamine users transitioned from opioids but there are currently fewer treatment options available.
February 18, 2020
Police Offering Drug Recovery Help: “We Can't Arrest Our Way Out of This Problem”
For many individuals with addiction, a call to the police — for a nonfatal overdose or a drug-related crime such as theft — may be the first time they get on the radar of any authority, which could be an opportunity to help. Some towns in Massachusetts have developed a partnership between police and public health — known as the Drug Addiction Recovery Team (DART) which uses encounters with law enforcement as the first step to offering services
NPR>>>
February 11, 2020
Mental Health and Addiction Providers for Medicaid Patients Go Unpaid in Maryland
Doctors and others who provide mental health and addiction services in Maryland under the Medicaid program have had millions of dollars in bills go unpaid this year because a new state payment system is malfunctioning, which some providers say could jeopardize care during the ongoing drug overdose crisis.
February 4, 2020
Surgeon General Releases First Report Focused on Smoking Cessation in 30 Years
Three decades after the first Surgeon General's report on smoking cessation, the Surgeon General is releasing a new report that reviews and updates evidence on the importance of quitting smoking. The report outlines the latest research on treatments including counseling and medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and discusses emerging strategies to further promote smoking cessation.
US Department of Health & Human Services >>>
January 28, 2020
Treating Addiction as a Terminal Disease
Ms. A already had a long history of opioid use and failed attempts at treatment when she ended up in the hospital with sepsis and her first episode of endocarditis. Initially, she was not a candidate for surgery but things slowly improved - until she refused treatment. In this perspective, the author discusses the bioethical concerns of capacity, addiction, terminal illness, and the inevitable result of treating addiction as a disease in a system that is not equipped to do so successfully
New England Journal of Medicine >>>
January 21, 2020
Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults: A Growing Threat
In 2020, substance use disorders among adults over age 50 will increase to 5.7 million, up from 2.8 million in 2006. A major hurdle across the care spectrum is that substance use disorder in older adults remains a hidden problem because of lack of screening in primary care and few guidelines for assessing older adults at risk
January 14, 2020
Talk About the Severe Shortage of Addiction-treatment Doctors | Opinion
(Op-ed by ASAM’s Dr. Scott Teitelbaum)
Florida is a national leader when it comes to beautiful beaches, citrus production and ... drug overdose deaths. The Sunshine State, like the United States as a whole, during of a crisis. In 2018 alone, provisional data indicate there were 4,936 overdose deaths in Florida from drugs including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
TCPalm>>>
January 8, 2020
Cannabis-related psychosis, Let's addiction, ER visits: For young users, marijuana can be a dangerous game
Marijuana, legal for medical uses in well over half the states in the country and as a recreational substance in even more states, is generating increasing concern as a drug capable of serious impairment and harm, particularly among its youngest users. The potency of today’s cannabis products can range up to 90% and the impact on developing brains is of great concern for medical experts.
The Philadelphia Inquirer >>>
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MASAM - Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine
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Waltham, MA 02451
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