Wellspring Center for Prevention
Promoting Healthy Living Through Education, Training & Advocacy
Addiction News & Policy Update for Week Ending August 27, 2021
College Freshmen Drank Less as Pandemic Began
Here's an unexpected silver lining to the pandemic: New research shows there was a decline in overall drinking and binge drinking among U.S. college freshmen during the early months of the new coronavirus' spread across America.Medically, legally, and morally, emergency departments cannot ignore addiction care
My son Michael asked for help with his addiction to heroin," a mother wrote in response to a Legal Action Center survey about addiction care. "He was having withdrawal symptoms so I took him to the emergency room, but after a 12 hour wait he was turned away. We were told his withdrawal was not bad enough. Today he is dead."
Policymakers refuse to reassess their assumption that the overdose crisis was caused by doctors overprescribing opioids.
Racism triggers me to drink, but Zoom-bombers won't let me be Black in AA meetings
African Americans who drink too much need support. But we don't feel safe in online meetings.
Addiction should be treated, not penalized
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the large racial health disparities in the United States. Black Americans have experienced worse outcomes during the pandemic, continue to die at a greater rate than White Americans, and also suffer disproportionately from a wide range of other acute and chronic illnesses.