Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Overdosing At A Red Robin: Opioid Abuse No Longer Just On Fringes Of Society
The man entered the Red Robin restaurant inside the Staten Island Mall two minutes after 6 p.m. on a Friday. He walked straight past the booths and tables and entered the men’s room. A manager would find him there seven minutes later, lying on the floor with a needle and foaming at the mouth. His name was Jonathan Ayers, 27, and he was declared dead within the hour that evening, Sept. 9, apparently of a heroin overdose. (Wilson, 10/2)
Some prominent politicians — think Donald Trump — say that to fight the nation's drug problems, we need to put up more walls. Michael Botticelli believes in tearing them down. "In the past, we’ve criminalized people with addiction," the White House drug czar told POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast, arguing that aggressive prosecution of some drug users was "really bad public policy." Instead, he says the nation needs a kinder, gentler approach to fighting drug misuse — and as a recovering alcoholic, Botticelli argues he's just the man for the job. (Diamond, 9/30)
In news out of the states about the crisis —
For all the attention on young people caught in the grip of the nation's opioid addiction epidemic, the spotlight has missed the growing population of older Americans quietly living, and increasingly dying, as addicts. (Cohn, 10/1)
Drugmakers that produce painkillers and allied advocacy groups have sent more than $1 million in political contributions to candidates for state office in New Jersey over the last 10 years – part of what a joint investigation by The Associated Press and the Center for Public Integrity found to be a 50-state strategy to kill or weaken measures aimed at stemming the tide of prescription opioids. Limiting the amount of opioids a physician can prescribe to seven-day supplies is seen as a way to cut into the heroin and painkiller epidemic. (Serrano, 9/30)
Meanwhile, researchers speak out against a ban on a herbal supplement that helps addicts wean themselves of opioids. And KHN reports on overlooked medications that could help with alcohol abuse —
As of September 30, a relatively unknown herbal supplement called kratom will likely join the ranks of Schedule 1 drugs in the U.S. — alongside drugs like heroin, LSD and marijuana. This supplement has been traditionally used in Southeast Asia, but has recently gained popularity in the United States as a way to manage opioid withdrawal or chronic pain without the use of prescription medications. Researchers and people using the herb decry the DEA’s move to criminalize it, which they say will stall research and deprive many Americans of a presumably harmless substitute to stronger prescription painkillers. (Smith, 9/30)
As millions of Americans battle alcohol abuse problems each year, public health officials suggest that two often overlooked medications might offer relief to some. More than 18 million people abuse or are dependent on alcohol, yet a key study funded by the federal government reported last year that only 20 percent will ever receive treatment of any kind. In fact, just slightly more than 1 million seek any type of formal help, ranging from a meeting with a counselor or a doctor to entering a specialized treatment program. (Yasinski, 10/3)
