The Addiction Reporter

Simple Fentanyl Test Strips Can Save Lives

Post author:Michael
Post published:01/03/2022
Post category:News
Reading time:4 mins read

As I recently discussed on San Diego News Station KUSI, fentanyl is cheap to make and is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

Fentanyl causes a euphoric high and therefore has been mixed in with cocaine, heroin, meth, benzodiazepines, and other street drugs. The unpredictable potency of these concoctions has made the already dangerous activity of taking opioids to become unbelievably risky. When a batch of extra-strong fentanyl is unleashed in a city, there can be a rational overdoses that kills many people in a matter of days.

Fentanyl Test Strips Can Greatly Increase Safety

Some public health experts are now experimenting with fentanyl test strips, which give users a means for testing the their drugs before taking them. One of the proponents in this effort is Emily Siqveland who serves as Arlington County, Virginia’s Opioids Program Manager. The …

When Is a Treatment Program Unhealthy or Unsafe?

Post author:Melissa
Post published:08/09/2021
Post category:News
Reading time:3 mins read

There has been discussion lately in the media about support groups and alternatives to 12-step programs. While some may be legitimate or work as a supplement to 12-step programs, others are not only ineffective but possibly unsafe to their participants. So how can you know which groups to steer clear of? Are there any warning signs to look out for when choosing a treatment center or other program?

Enthusiastic Recovery: A Cautionary Tale in Unhealthy Practices

One group that has been in the media is a group called Enthusiastic Recovery, run by an ex-con named Bob Meehan. Meehan targets desperate parents in his scheme, promising to get their teenagers “off drugs” and charging them top-dollar as he uses unusual, unsafe, and unhelpful tactics. Meehan has been getting away with his scheme for years. When one program is closed, another one opens – usually under a new name in a …

Cannabis, Suicide, and Teens

Post author:Melissa
Post published:06/28/2021
Post category:Uncategorized
Reading time:3 mins read

If a teenager uses marijuana, are they more likely to have suicidal ideas? New research suggests that the two may be closely related, at least in teenagers. However, teens’ cannabis use may offer a warning sign when it comes to a teen’s mental health.

Marijuana and Suicide Among Teens

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 280,000 young adults ages 18-35 showed that using marijuana was linked to increased thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts, and follow-through. While the research isn’t thorough enough to establish a cause and effect of marijuana. However, it does emphasize the importance of mental health among teens. Teens with mental health disorders are more likely to try and use drugs. However, many drugs can exacerbate mental health disorders, increasing depression or anxiety, especially when a person is in withdrawal or ceasing use.

Even among teens who had not reported depressive feelings, the inclination …

The money Biden proposed could go to treatment and recovery.

Biden Proposes Billions in Federal Aid to Fight Addiction

Post author:Melissa
Post published:05/11/2021
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

The Biden administration is getting ready to commit billions of dollars to help fight the addiction epidemic. The President recently requested $10.7 billion from Congress to support medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and other mental health services.

Biden Hopes to Help Neglected Communities

Biden also wants his new drug policy to be one of recovery rather than incarceration. During his campaign, he expressed regret for how he and others dealt with the crack epidemic. Now, as a man whose son struggles with addiction, he understands that substance use disorder is a disease.

Sadly, in the 1990s, during the height of the crack epidemic in urban areas, addiction was treated as a moral failing. Thousands of Black Americans lost friends, families, and freedom to the crack epidemic. But after addicted people were incarcerated, Black families were fractured and criminalized, often leading to a cycle of trauma and poverty for the next generation.

Biden …

One in Five Pharmacies in Blocks Access to Suboxone

Post author:Melissa
Post published:04/28/2021
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

A new study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, found that only one in five pharmacies will fill a prescription for the life-changing Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) drug Suboxone. Suboxone is considered a gold standard treatment for opioid use disorder by the FDA. Just this morning, the Biden administration announced that they are decreasing barriers to prescribing the drug.

Sadly, research shows that although a doctor may prescribe Suboxone, also known as buprenorphine, to a person in need, a pharmacy may block access during a critical time in their lives. Without access to MAT, many people will succumb to their opioid use disorder.

The Research on Suboxone and Pharmacies

The researchers did the study after learning, anecdotally, about patients having trouble filling prescriptions for Suboxone. “Buprenorphine is a vital, life-saving medication for people with opioid use disorder, but improving access has been a problem for a variety of …

Among Teens, Cannabis AND Opioid Use Disorder Prevalent

Post author:Melissa
Post published:04/01/2021
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

Teens often experiment with drugs and alcohol, but many teens go farther and find themselves in the throes of addiction. It may be a surprise to some people, but teens are getting addicted to drugs at a high rate. Cannabis use disorder is just as common as opioid use disorder, according to a new research paper.

Research on Cannabis Addiction

Teens are just as likely to try cannabis as they are opioids. One reason for this statistic is the fact that it is likely easier to find on the street. Over 36 states in the US have legalized medical marijuana, and 21 states have legalized or decriminalized recreational use.

Sadly, a year after trying cannabis, nearly 11% of adolescents in the study met the criteria for opioid use disorder. In the group that used opioids, the number was 11.2%. Almost one in ten kids in the study would qualify …

New AUD Treatment, AD04, Drug Targets Genotypes

Post author:Melissa
Post published:02/26/2021
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has filed a Fast Track application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead drug candidate, AD04. The drug is meant to target people with specific genes for whom other alcohol addiction therapies have failed. To take the drugs, a person must be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.

Why Fast-Track AD04?

Several medication-assisted treatment options exist for alcoholics, but they are not considered to fail-proof or even useful for most people. They also carry a level of stigma that prevents doctors from prescribing them.

In America, treatment for alcohol use disorder often focuses on total abstinence, which many people with alcohol use disorder reject or, for whatever reason, are unable to achieve. While several drugs, including Topomax, have shown to be effective at preventing compulsive drinking, few treatment centers feel comfortable recommending a drug that allows people to continue drinking. (Other drugs make people …

Medication-Assisted Treatment for Meth Addiction Being Tested

Post author:Melissa
Post published:01/29/2021
Post category:News
Reading time:3 mins read

For the past few years, an addiction epidemic has raced across the U.S. While opioids have been taking lives through overdoses, another dangerous addiction has silently raged; methamphetamine. Until recently, there were no medications to help people cope with the withdrawal and intense desire to use that causes meth addiction to be so nefarious. New Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) research shows that a powerful combination of medications — injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion — can help people stay sober. This study would be the first time MAT has been successfully helped people with meth addiction.

What Was The Study About?

The clinical trial tested two drugs that have already been approved for opioid addiction but are already used off-label to treat alcoholism in some places. The study combined injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion and measured their safety and efficacy when treating meth addiction. The test used subjects who were considered to …

Controversial California Dr. Accused of Opioid Negligence

Post author:Melissa
Post published:12/17/2020
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

A doctor in California is at the center of two significant allegations. For the anti-vaccination community, Dr. Tara Zandvliet is said to have provided about 250 exemption letters a year, usually without any medical examinations or even a preexisting condition. The exemption letter would then allow students to go unvaccinated. For people with opioid addiction, all it took was cash to get the medication they needed, alleges the State Medical Board.

Dr. Zandvliet’s Previous Scandal

Dr. Zandvliet is no stranger to scandal or charges of improper conduct in California.

In September of 2020, she was put on probation by the medical board. The probation was supposed to last for three years. She was also no longer allowed to write exemptions for vaccinations of children. The Medical Board said she had written vaccine exemptions in a grossly negligent way.

An investigation into her vaccination exemptions began when health authorities realized …

Florida Serenity Ranch Recovery CEO Convicted

Post author:Melissa
Post published:11/24/2020
Post category:News
Reading time:2 mins read

Following a six-week trial, the Serenity Ranch Recovery network CEO, Sebastian Ahmed, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. After a trial that lasted over a month, a federal court in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, convicted him of several crimes, including health care fraud and money laundering.

Fraud in the Serenity Ranch Network

While the people who came to him needed help for drug or alcohol addiction, the services provided by Serenity Ranch Recovery weren’t meant to keep them sober. The sober home network, like many others in recent years, was a moneymaking venture. Patients tended to be young, addicted adults who were still on their parent’s health plans. They were typically addicted to “hard” drugs such as Oxycontin or heroin.

Rather than receiving treatment, most young people were left to languish with a few 12-step meetings and little else. While this took place, Mr. Ahmed billed the …