September 27th Newsletter
Hello! Welcome to Overdosed a weekly newsletter on drug policy and people who use drugs by me, Diane Roznowski.
The last two weeks have been super hectic at work so this week I’ll be sharing some of what I’ve been reading and listening to instead of having a topic.
In the next few weeks, I want to talk about harm reduction and treatment. If you have any questions on these topics I’d love to know them. You can send them to me by responding to this email or using this form.
Last Day - Lemonada Media
Last Day is a new podcast that tells the story of one person’s last day of life in order to help listeners understand a broader epidemic. Season one is about opioids because Lemonada co-founders Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs both lost their brothers to the crisis. It’s hard to put into words what the first two episodes meant to me. I hope you’ll give it a listen. I’d also recommend listening to Stephanie and Ithaca's Mayor Svante Myrick on Pod Save The People.
Flailing on Fentanyl - Washington Post Investigations
This is a thorough investigation of Congress’s history of inaction on fentanyl but it also shows how little the body as a whole has been willing to actually invest in ending the opioid crisis. There are some parts of the article that hint at a really important facet of this issue, but I want to state it plainly here: government solutions cannot focus solely on one drug or one type of drug. While everyone has been talking about opioid and fentanyl deaths, stimulant deaths have started rising. Our solutions must be applicable to drug use broadly to save the most number of lives.
Instagram's Opioid Recovery Hashtags Are Full Of Drug Dealers
There is a decent amount of stigmatizing language in this article but I thought it was interesting. I think the role of tech and social media in addressing substance use is something many people don’t consider, but when these companies are saying they are here to help, they should be doing the bare minimum.
Regulating e-cigarettes requires a scalpel, not a hammer | Editorial
It seems like every night on the news for the last couple of weeks they have been talking about vaping and it’s dangers. The panic we’re seeing about vaping could cause more harm in the long run. The report I heard last night said 12 confirmed deaths have happened because of vaping but nearly 500,000 people in America die each year because of cigarette-related illnesses.
Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin and other drugs, files for bankruptcy
Purdue Pharma recently filed for bankruptcy which is one of the first steps towards paying out the tentatively agreed-upon settlement with some of the states, cities, and counties that are currently suing them for their role in creating the opioid epidemic. Not all of the states have agreed to the deal. It is unclear what will happen to those who have not agreed to the deal.
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Until next time,
