Following are our most recent Facebook posts. Please go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/james.place.inc) to read additional posts.
Noise made by many - action taken and now Marino has stepped down as nominee for ONDCP. Yea!
www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/17/558276546/tom-marino-trumps-pick-as-drug-czar-withdraw...
Tom Marino, Trump's Pick As Drug Czar, Withdraws After Damaging Opioid Report
npr.org
The Republican congressman from Pennsylvania is withdrawing days after reports that legislation he sponsored hindered the Drug Enforcement Administration in its fight against the U.S. opioid crisis.
If you missed 60 Minutes, Sunday, October 15th please grab a cup of tea and settle down to be informed, outraged and spurred to action.
We urge people to have lock boxes in their homes to put prescription opioids in a safe place. Now I urge you to lock up your loved ones...keep them close since profit appears to be more important than life.
As for Tom Marino being put forth as head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)? No, this simply can not be allowed to happen. The funeral industry will be the only winner.......
www.cbsnews.com/videos/how-the-deas-efforts-to-crack-down-on-the-opioid-epidemic-were-derailed/
How the DEA's efforts to crack down on the opioid epidemic were derailed
cbsnews.com
60 Minutes and The Washington Post joint investigation tells the inside story of how the DEA's efforts to crack down on the opioid epidemic were derailed. Bill Whitaker reports on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT.
Pediatricians need training on helping teens deal with substance use disorder.
www.today.com/health/how-help-teenager-kick-heroin-t117276
New program trains pediatricians how to help teen opioid addicts
today.com
A pilot program in Massachusetts trains pediatricians how to help adolescent addicts get clean.
This is NOT a pleasant article but neither is death from substance use disorder. There is no aspect of society that is not being overwhelmed by this epidemic. From New Hampshire where Jim and I lived...
"A medical examiner’s office is considered deficient if an individual pathologist must perform more than 250 autopsies per year. Last year, Dr. Andrew and Dr. Jennie V. Duval, the deputy chief medical examiner, performed 250 each.
If this year’s number exceeds last year’s, New Hampshire could be in trouble. Pathologists cannot refuse to do autopsies just because they might risk losing accreditation. Nor would Dr. Andrew rush through them, he said, even if all signs pointed to a drug overdose.
Since the overdose toll began to climb about six years ago, Dr. Andrew has pleaded for more pathologists. The legislature finally authorized one in July, but until then, his office had only two, the same number as when he started, in 1997."
www.nytimes.com/2017/10/07/us/drug-overdose-medical-examiner.html
As Overdose Deaths Pile Up, a Medical Examiner Quits the Morgue
nytimes.com
“It has completely overwhelmed us,” Dr. Thomas A. Andrew said of the opioid crisis. His new ambition: minister to the living about the dangers of drugs.
Here's an excellent example of how one county has worked diligently over recent years to support recovery, to save lives, to offer a variety of resources to residents!
Want more information, there is contact information at the end of the article but others can be easily contacted as well.
No need to constantly reinvent wheels!
carrollmagazine.com/opioid-epidemic-hits-home/
The Opioid Epidemic Hits Home - Carrollmagazine.com
carrollmagazine.com
by Sylvia Blair, photography by Phil Grout The state and the nation have been rocked by a growing opioid addiction problem that is also increasing in scope right here in Carroll County. As a result, a coordinated effort to address opioid abuse is galvanizing Carroll County medical providers, caregiv...
Everyone should easily have access to naloxone aka NARCAN.
This woman agrees and does what she can....
In Maryland, there is a standing order allowing anyone to go to the pharmacy to request this overdose reversal medication.
What about your state?
www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/health/heroin-heroine-naloxone-eprise-profile/index.html
'Heroin heroine' saves lives from her living room
cnn.com
A recovering addict is saving hundreds of lives by illegally using the US Postal Service to send heroin users a drug that revives people from overdoses.
Here's Tara Conner, former Miss USA talking about her 10 years of recovery.
What is not included but she shared this past week was what happened eight and a half years into her recovery. Sober yes. Happy, no. She was feeling worse than ever. Tara hit an emotional wall ...the reminder that "just being sober" isn't enough. There is more to recovery than the number of years not using. She had to dig deep, look beyond what she had learned so far to get to another level of life and joy.
Check out her TEDx talk; it's a beginning worth hearing.
Recover out loud | Tara Conner | TEDxUniversityofNevada
Tara Conner, Miss USA 2006, shares her life-long struggle with addiction and what she has learned from 10 years of sobriety. Addicts are not bad people that ...
History is always important to understand and substance related issues is no different when it comes to knowing how things were, how evolution has occurred ( or not).
From the Washington Post, Politics & The Nation here's an excellent article: American addicts, yesterday and today: Teddy Roosevelt's opium commissioner referenced "the greatest drug fiends in the world".
Memoirs help us remember, to travel back over time with the witnesses to change in areas that matter to us.
“Recovery Rising: A Retrospective of Addiction Treatment and Recovery Advocacy” is the professional memoir of William (Bill) White, who, over the span of five decades, has become the addiction field’s preeminent historian and one of its most visionary voices and prolific writers.
If you aren't familiar with his name, check out his blog. White has helped us re-frame language and how we use it for reducing stigma with substance use disorder.
Check out his Q&A in this link to see if you might find a bit of history refreshing!
www.facingaddiction.org/news/2017/10/04/william-white-recovery-rising
William White--Recovery Rising
facingaddiction.org
Recovery Rising contains more than 350 stories, reflections, and lessons learned as witnessed through one man's personal and professional journey. Recounted are many of the ideas, methods, people, and organizations that shaped the modern history of addiction treatment and recovery.
Yes, there is a lot going on these days. And, we can't forget the 144 people dying every day in this country from the opioid epidemic.
Waiting for our President to follow through on declaring this a national emergency? Consider signing this letter encouraging action now!
www.facingaddiction.org/a-national-emergency-declaration
Sign Letter Asking For a National Emergency Declaration - Facing Addiction
facingaddiction.org
Please scroll down or click here to sign our letter requesting the President declare a national emergency surrounding the ongoing opioid crisis. Dear Mr. President & Members of the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, I am writing as an American deeply concerned by the a...
Live in Maryland? Curious what is being done about the opioid epidemic? This includes funding amounts for each jurisdiction plus statewide program funding.
This is not a new article...July, 2017...but worth repeating!
governor.maryland.gov/2017/07/07/hogan-rutherford-administration-announces-over-22-million-to-fig...
Governor Larry Hogan - Official Website for the Governor of Maryland
governor.maryland.gov
Hogan-Rutherford Administration Announces Over $22 Million to Fight Heroin and Opioid Epidemic July 7, 201780% of Funding for Local Jurisdictions and Service Providers, Includes $2 Million for 24 Hour Crisis Center in Baltimore City ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center, Depar...
Think this disease is simple?
Consider another aspect of hope....
www.acesconnection.com/blog/empathy-and-compassion-we-need-to-think-about-what-happened-not-what-...
Empathy and Compassion....We need to think about what happened not what is wrong!
acesconnection.com
Empathy and Compassion....We need to think about what happened not what is wrong! Steve Sparks 24 minutes ago [caption id="attachment_4014" align="alignnone" width="150"] A Humvee doesn't offer much protection for combat soldiers who are at risk of an IED explosion.[/caption][caption id="attachment_...
From the New England Journal of Medicine -" news from the front lines:
"We are wading into the turbulent waters of our patients’ lives to see them through to a time when they are clear of their infection and on the continuum of recovery. Though our efforts are still relatively new, we have been changed by the experience. Some of our patients have had relapses or haven’t returned for care. But we’ve also seen remarkable successes — patients who presented in the depths of addiction and illness who have subsequently reconnected with their families, have started to work again, and now use opioids less or not at all. By providing the bridge to long-term addiction treatment, we have observed patients remain in care at higher rates and start to mend their badly damaged sense of trust in a medical system that has long treated them with judgment and neglect."
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1706492?query=TOC&utm_content=buffere6c51&utm_medium=social&ut...
This says a lot and then there is carfentanil...takes so little to kill.
Etched in my mind.
Had an interesting conversation with a few people this evening. While on patrol, I was approached by a small group who were basically wondering if the news and media were 'sensationalising' the dangers of Fentanyl in Canada. First off, great question gang! Secondly, thanks for asking it!! Never feel you can't approach a police officer if you have a question you think we could answer for you. Even if we don't have the answer, we can help you find out! Now, to the answer. Do I think the media is sensationalising the Fentanyl epidemic in Canada? NOT AT ALL!! I wish they talked about it more everyday! Fentanyl is a powerful prescription painkiller about 100 X more potent than morphine. 2 milligrams of pure fentanyl (the size of about 4 grains of salt) is enough to kill the average adult. Put into perspective, here is a visual of the dose of Heroin, Fentanyl and Carfentanyl needed to kill an average adult. *** PARENTAL ADVISORY *** PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING *** For those that follow our page, you are accustomed to a very G rated experience. We strive to keep language and subject matter on the 'clean' side. We have decided to not overly censor language on the following posts. This subject is not 'clean' and it is certainly not tidy and G rated. It's dirty and tragic and lethal all wrapped up in torment, suffering and loss. People have been sharing stories of profound loss and personal struggles with addictions in the posts that follow. If you are sensitive to these aspects, or do not wish to subject your children or yourself to this, please, do not delve into the comments and discussions below. But if you want to know what is really going on in our neighborhoods, cities, province and country; please, continue reading. Thanks Gang.
Awesome...
Can it really be so hard to do what this smart, compassionate doctor is doing? Catch those who suffer substance use disorders in the ED and keep them in the cycle of hope and life instead of kicking to the curb.
We need this everywhere and sooner than later but only if we truly want to save lives.
www.syracuse.com/health/index.ssf/2017/09/syracuse_doctor_puts_er_on_front_line_of_opioid_epidemi...
Syracuse doctor puts ER on front line of opioid epidemic
syracuse.com
Treating opioid addiction in the ER like any other chronic disease.
