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Saying It Nicer: Why Language Matters for People with Addiction

Because addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder, patients commonly need repeated courses of treatment for sustained remission. This recent article from Forbes magazine illustrates how the language we use can help guard against the false perception that addiction is a moral failing or sign of weakness. Read the full article here.
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Another opioid case settles

From the Washington Post: “The state of Oklahoma settled Sunday with a second drug company over its role in the deadly opioid epidemic, reaching an $85 million agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals just two days before a …
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Powerful radio

Have you heard about the play, “American Junkie?” Now in performance at Seattle’s Repertory Theatre, it is a remarkable creation of playwright Tom Hansen. This is a frank, intelligent radio discussion on KEXP by Hansen, …
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Harm reduction, and a tale of two cities

This well-written and carefully reported article in The Nation looks at the dramatically different responses to opioid epidemic in Philadelphia and Vancouver, BC.  The quotes from the determined activists who work behind these efforts are …
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Pro athletes and the opioid epidemic

Professional athletes, particularly football players, are often caught up in the opioid epidemic, typically because of the heavy amounts of painkillers they are given in order to play at the pro level. This New York …
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“American Overdose” takes tough look at crisis

New books on the opioid epidemic are popping up on shelves with great regularity now. The latest, and one of the most promising, is “American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts” by Chris McGreal. …
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The inside info on lawsuits against opioid makers

This is a grim summary of realities in some of the lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, and definitely worth reading. Barry Meier, the author of this opinion piece in The New York Times, is an outspoken …
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Reading wide and deep on opioids

The role of pharmaceutical companies in the opioid epidemic has been reported widely and analyzed in minute detail. We know the basic story: Research for lifesaving medicines morphs into deep, institutionalized greed. There’s more to …
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A riveting account of the path of addiction

A very powerful–and possibly for some people, upsetting–depiction and discussion of opioid addiction has been posted by The New York Times. The multi-media feature is crafted from comments by countless people who have lived with …
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Guardian drills down on causes of crisis

The Guardian, a respected UK newspaper and site, has a well-researched (and therefore, alarming) account of just how the opioid crisis in the US got started. Much of the story is familiar to folks who …