News Addict
Your news source for mental health, substance use, and addiction related news. Brought to you by More Than 28. Posts are not endorsements.
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New Law Increases Oversight of Arizona Sober Living Homes
The legislation follows a ProPublica and Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting investigation on a $2 billion Medicaid fraud scheme that targeted Native Americans seeking drug and alcohol treatment.
Colorado’s quiet killer: Alcohol ends more lives than overdoses, but there’s been no intervention
Four-part series examines why state isn’t sounding the alarm after drinking deaths spiked during pandemic
Calls to Reassess Cannabis Risks: New Research Reported
Surprising consensus from data on marijuana consequences in young people.
Legal Weed Didn’t Deliver on Its Promises
Advocates touted a host of benefits and no real costs. That’s proved to be a fantasy.
Why Nonalcoholic Cocktails Should Cost As Much As Cocktails
Because “Let’s grab a drink” is about more than the alcohol.
Employer Group Sues to Block Biden Rules on Mental-Health Benefits
Lawsuit argues new regulations overstep 2008 law requiring mental-health treatment be covered on par with other medical care
Bloomfield kratom death highlights concerns about drug’s safe use
The Medical Examiner released the 37-year-old’s cause of death on Friday
Dry January Just The Beginning For A Growing Number Of Chicagoans
As the sober and sober-curious movements increase in popularity, the local NA market is seeing more products, retailers and spirit-free cocktails.
Americans are ditching traditional health care for something cheaper — and riskier
An obscure health insurance alternative is seeing tremendous growth. But there’s a catch.
The right lesson to draw from the surgeon general’s alcohol warning
Be aware of cancer risks but don’t stress about the occasional drink.
DEA, HHS finalize rule allowing telehealth drug treatment
Rule would ease access to gold-standard opioid use disorder treatments by allowing those treatments to be prescribed via telehealth
Insurance is what makes U.S. health-care prices so high
America needs a working marketplace where patients are the primary customers.
More Teens Are Using Dangerously Potent Pot for Intense Highs
Dabbing involves inhaling fumes from highly concentrated cannabis that is heated at high temperatures
Cannabis Is Harming Our Youth
The truth about cannabis’ dangerous effect on the brain.
The DEA’s 2025 quotas for opioids will leave seriously ill patients in pain
Opioid shortages mean my palliative care patients cannot find desperately needed relief
The Origin of the Opioid Crisis Is Even More Troubling Than We Thought
Human misery is a for-profit industry.
‘A cultural shift’: drinkers hit Hull’s Low Ale Trail for alcohol-free options
On ‘Mad Friday’, many festive revellers are choosing low- or no-alcohol drinks on pub crawl touring Hull’s city centre
AI’s dangerous mental-health blind spot
People are increasingly turning to chatbots that struggle to detect violent or suicidal intentions
Medicare Dis-Advantage: Overpayments and Inequity
The very “choice” that Medicare Advantage is said to offer is undermining Medicare’s promise of equal and universal care for seniors.
Health Insurance Claim Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes
Learn how to request your health insurance claim file, which can include details about what your insurer is saying about you and your case.
The author of the seminal book about loneliness explains what we’re getting wrong
Nearly 25 years after Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, Americans are more socially isolated than ever.
Arabia dials up its ‘war on drugs’
Kingdom tries to respond to impact of growing narcotics use attributed to social change and rise of drugs such as captagon
Asking Eric: I can’t enjoy my deck because of my neighbors’ pot smoking
How will their pot-smoking neighbors react if they complain about the smell?
Forced into treatment
As involuntary treatment gains political traction in Canada, CBC News goes to Washington state to find out how it can help — and what can go wrong
‘Judgment-free zone’: Delaware rolls out harm reduction vending machines
The five vending machines have free items like opioid overdose medication and pregnancy kits. They’re available 24 hours a day.
Alcohol Deaths Have More Than Doubled in Two Decades, Study Finds
Americans are dying of illnesses related to alcohol at roughly twice the rate seen in 1999.
I quit drinking at 60 – here’s what I learnt
Gillian Silverthorn shares her journey to sobriety
Philly accused of misusing opioid settlement funds for revitalization projects
The City of Philadelphia has been accused of inappropriately spending settlement money that has been allocated to combat the opioid crisis
Medicare finalized coverage for some mental health apps. Now what?
Beginning January 1, 2025, the codes will enable payment for FDA-cleared mental health apps
Historical FEHB Premium Increases for Federal Employees Under Blue Cross Blue Shield
Health insurance costs continue to go up each year. How much have FEHB premiums under Blue Cross Blue Shield risen since 2019?
Humana, UnitedHealthcare post inaccurate network lists for Medicare Advantage plans
Insurers list North Memorial, HealthPartners as in-network next year, but health system owners say that’s wrong — there’s no network contract yet.
Nitrous, one of the oldest mind-altering drugs, is back
Whippets on TikTok are just a re-run of inhaling nitrous on stage in the 1800s.
HealthWatch
Weight loss drugs could help with alcohol and opioid addiction, new study shows
I Want to Quit Weed. My Doctor Can’t Seem to Help Me.
I thought cannabis wasn’t addictive, but now I’m stuck.
Millions Could Lose Insurance Subsidies, Depending on the Election
The issue is getting less attention than a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, but it’s much more likely to happen.
Understanding Desire in the Age of Ozempic
Many people who take GLP-1 drugs find that their cravings disappear. I went to a Buddhist monastery to try to understand why that doesn’t feel like enlightenment.
What’s growing in popularity? Alcohol-free beer
Even at Oktoberfest — arguably the world’s most famous ode to alcohol — alcohol-free beer is on the menu.
In 2025, FEHB enrollees will see largest health premium increase in over a decade
Beginning in January, federal employees and annuitants in FEHB will pay an average of 13.5% more toward their health care premiums, according to OPM data.
State sues Express Scripts, alleging it had role in deadly opioid addiction crisis
Kentucky’s attorney general has sued pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts
We’re Addiction Experts. Here’s The 1 Thing We’d Never, Ever Do.
If you want to help someone with their recovery, experts warn that you should avoid this mistake.
Surviving Spouses May Not Be Responsible for Partners’ Medical Bills
A call from a debt collector may add to the challenges that bereaved people are already dealing with. But spouses “should not assume that they have to pay.”
Deep Links Between Alcohol and Cancer Are Described in New Report
Scientists continue to rethink the idea that moderate drinking offers health benefits.
New cannabis legalization bill introduced as Pennsylvania legislature returns to Harrisburg
Advocates believe recreational legalization is only a matter of time. The question is what it will look like.
Lessons From the Front Lines of Canada’s Fentanyl Crisis
In a visit supported by the U.S. government, a group of Mexican experts came to British Columbia to discuss ways of responding to rampant opioid deaths.
A Taylor Swift-themed addiction recovery group started in Philly and became ‘a community with the vibe of a Taylor concert’
Founded by Northeast Philly’s Julianne Griffin, Swift Steps uses a mix of Taylor Swift’s songs, lore, and guest speakers to prompt frank conversations about addiction, recovery, and mental health.
Republican-led budget panel objects to plans for opioid settlement funds
Wisconsin will receive $36M in fiscal year 2025 from a national lawsuit against the pharmaceutical industry
The Battle Over Zaza Waza: A Lifelong Liberal Joins New York’s Weed War
When an illegal smoke shop opened across the street, Gale Brewer, a local councilwoman, vowed to close it. What happened next was “like a Fellini movie.”
Insurers Reap Hidden Fees by Slashing Payments. You May Get the Bill.
A little-known data firm helps health insurers make more when less of an out-of-network claim gets paid. Patients can be on the hook for the difference.
What’s driving the youth mental health crisis? We asked 1,400 clinicians.
Mental health workers shared their perspectives on the causes of — and solutions to — the crisis.
Why Oregon’s Drug Decriminalization Failed
The sponsors of the law fundamentally misunderstood the nature of addiction.
Harm reduction must be part of efforts to end Kensington drug market | Editorial
These services have their fair share of critics within the neighborhood, but they help keep people alive who are struggling with addiction.
More teens than ever are overdosing. Psychologists are leading new approaches to combat youth substance misuse
“Just Say No” didn’t work, but experts are employing new holistic programs to help steer kids away—or at least keep them from dying—from illicit substances.
THE COST OF ADDICTION
In the wake of a drug epidemic, Butler County rebuilds
Overcoming poverty and addiction, he passed the bar exam. Then his prescription got in the way.
Experts say discrimination against people who use medication to treat their opioid use disorder is rampant. The Justice Department is trying to change that.
U.S. prescription drug market in disarray as ransomware gang attacks
Millions of Americans have been affected by delays in obtaining medicine or having to foot the bill without insurance
Smoking cannabis associated with increased risk of heart attack, stroke
NIH-funded observational study shows risk grows sharply with more frequent use.
New Zealand scraps world-first smoking ‘generation ban’ to fund tax cuts
Health experts say axing plan to block sales of tobacco products to next generation will cost thousands of lives
Once a Homeless Addict, a Mayor Takes On Housing and Drug Crises
Dan Carter was on the streets for 17 years. His experience informs his policy agenda as mayor of Oshawa, Ontario, a city of 175,000 struggling with overdoses and affordability.
Image Credit: Office of Mayor Dan Carter
The Brain on Opioids: Metabolic Disruptions in Addiction
New study finds metabolic changes in the brains of people with heroin addiction.
Rosalynn Carter, first lady who championed mental health, dies at 96
Image Credit: DIANA WALKER/GETTY IMAGES
Trauma Therapy and Addiction
Unraveling the complex connetion between trauma and addiction.
Peace Corps Sued Over Mental Health Policy
Image Public Domain
‘It’s not a red state, blue state thing’: Senators form bipartisan Mental Health Caucus
The newly formed caucus includes lawmakers who have been outspoken about their own experiences with mental health issues.
Image Credit Office of Sen. Thom Tillis
8 Books to Help You Drink Less, or Quit Altogether
We asked addiction experts and people in recovery to share the titles they found most useful.
F.D.A. Issues Warning Over Misuse of Ketamine
Unsupervised treatment — fueled by telemedicine prescriptions — for various psychiatric problems poses a number of health risks, the agency said.
Image under Creative Commons
Faulty assessments by an Oregon Health Authority contractor delay, reduce and sometimes eliminate care for vulnerable residents
The Oregon Health Authority system that determines whether vulnerable Oregonians receive mental health care has widespread “failures” that hurt the people who need care, an internal audit found.
The Troubled Teen Industry Offers Trauma, Not Therapy
Image Credit San Jose Public Library
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