"'The types of people who have tried every other method of rehabilitation and have had them not work are really desperate and are sometimes willing to compromise their safety and values to get help,' said Tom Feegel, CEO of Beond, an ibogaine therapy provider in Cancun, Mexico. 'That’s what allows this Wild West methodology to exist.' … Without proper care people have died, usually from cardiac arrest."
While the potential anti-addiction and withdrawal-alleviating properties of ibogaine have been known since the 1960s, the drug is both an intense psychedelic and a stimulant, its mechanisms poorly understood and its therapeutic use largely unregulated. There are other complications. Ibogaine is extracted from the iboga shrub, and most is illegally exported from Gabon, where it is a protected plant. Demand has incentivized sellers to traffic fake or tainted versions. Ibogaine is only legal in a handful of countries.
Still, some recent studies have shown the drug to be a promising treatment for opioid use disorder, with success outcomes as high as 50%. Ibogaine's detox-supporting effects make it unique among psychedelics used to treat substance use disorders. Scientists are working on synthesizing its active anti-addiction components, and some American lawmakers have introduced bills to decriminalize ibogaine, part of a broader push to legalize psychedelics.
Photo by Marco Schmidt / CC BY-SA 2.5
"A fraction of fentanyl could mimic the highs of other opioids, like heroin or prescription painkillers. Dealers will often use simple binding agents and a small amount of fentanyl when making counterfeit opioid pills or what they say is heroin. … Eric Falkowski, an incarcerated former fentanyl dealer interviewed by ABC News, claimed he could make over ten times the amount of counterfeit opioid pills with a kilo of fentanyl rather than with a kilo of traditional components."
"The centers argue that while crypto addiction has strong parallels with gambling, it's also more addictive—for one, it's more exciting because it's so unstable, and the trades can happen round the clock. 'Crypto trading has an air of being legitimate, whilst gambling is more talked about as being potentially problematic,' said Jan Gerber, chief executive at Zurich-based rehab center Paracelsus Recovery. Seeking help is also less common, he adds, because crypto trading is largely unregulated."
"After the rapper's death, Sonovah asked her mom if she could visit a rehabilitation facility because she wanted to better understand what her father grappled with. After reaching out, an Oakland facility agreed to let her stop by. 'I heard my dad talk about it in an interview. I just wanted to see what the experience was,' she said. 'A lot of adults are uncomfortable about the conversation that I want to have with them.'"
In Case You Missed It: Week of Feb. 6, 2023
"The ads expose the human impact of recreational drug use and link it to the violence and exploitation of the illegal drug trade—showing how partying can support problems such as child labor or the destruction of rainforests. … 'With the new campaign, we want young drug users to think twice before taking party drugs in their favorite restaurant and bar or when out clubbing,' said Eva Wallmark, art director at ad agency Åkestam Holst NoA."
The new anti-drug campaign in Sweden, from the organization Pubs Against Drugs (Krogar mot Knark), is just one example of how advertisers are trying to reach young people at a time when many drugs are more dangerous than ever to both individuals and society. Some ads, like New York City's "Let's Talk Fentanyl" harm-reduction messages aimed at people who use drugs, have been controversial.
Advertisers are also courting the many young consumers who are gravitating toward sobriety or reduced alcohol use. With the Super Bowl coming up, at least one company is planning to spend big to promote its nonalcoholic offering: Heineken is betting on a spot featuring Paul Rudd as Ant-Man for its 0.0 brand.
"More than 100 agents boarded one of MSC's ships, the Gayane, as it slid into the Port of Philadelphia for what was supposed to be a quick stop on its way to Rotterdam. Deep below deck, hidden in containers packed with wine and nuts, the agents discovered nearly 20 tons of cocaine, worth $1 billion. The ensuing investigation showed that more than a third of the crew—all MSC employees—had helped transfer vast amounts of cocaine from speedboats at night while the ship powered through the open ocean off South America. It was the largest maritime drug bust in American history."
"'These findings can contribute to the scientific knowledge on addictions which affects millions of people worldwide,' said Dr. Zsolt Demetrovics, professor of psychology at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. 'A novelty of the study is that it explores the relationships between substance use and non-substance-related addictive behaviors in detail. It could bring us closer to understanding the overlap between the vulnerability of different types of potentially addictive behaviors. For example, being vulnerable to problematic alcohol use might also pose an increased risk for gambling, video game use or working addiction.'"
"'A lot of people, most people with addiction, still get no help of any kind, which is crazy because there are actually great medications, like methadone and buprenorphine and naloxone. These drugs help people stop using opioids. Or they help reverse overdoses before they're fatal,' said NPR correspondent Brian Mann. 'And so what's happened [in 2022] is the Biden administration and Congress have pushed through a series of really major reforms … And all these reforms are making it easier for doctors and medical clinics to prescribe these lifesaving medications.'"
Earlier Highlights
- Overdose Prevention Reaches a Critical Crossroad in San Francisco. What Will Mayor Breed Do? | Los Angeles Times
- Justice Department Sues Pharmaceutical Company for Allegedly Failing To Report Suspicious Opioid Sales | CNN
- Addiction Treatment for Inmates Draws Biden Drug Focus for 2023 | Bloomberg
- As Fentanyl Use Spikes, Feds Urge States To Ease Methadone Rules | Pew
- 2022 Was a Deadly (but Hopeful) Year in America's Opioid Crisis | NPR
- 3 Debates About Addiction Medicine To Watch in 2023 | STAT News
- Drew Barrymore Opens Up About a 'Cripplingly Difficult' Year and How She Triumphed: 'I've Slayed More Dragons' | People
- Virtual Reality and the Vision of a Brighter Future | Treatment Magazine
- Anthony Hopkins Marks 47 Years Sober With Inspiring Speech to Those Struggling With Addiction | Good Morning America
- This Breakthrough Fentanyl Vaccine Could Help Curb the Opioid Crisis | Fast Company
- Scientists Are Making a Fentanyl Vaccine. It Won’t Solve the Overdose Crisis | Vice News
- Jamie Lee Curtis Says There Is 'Always Hope' When It Comes To Overcoming Addiction | People
- Drug Overdose Deaths Among Seniors Have More Than Tripled in Two Decades | CNBC
- One Alcoholic Drink a Day Linked With Reduced Brain Size | Penn Today
- Neanderthal DNA May Provide Clues About the Genetic Risks for Brain Disorders and Addiction | Neuroscience News
- Gen Z Is Stressed and in Crisis (But Not Giving In) | Looking Forward With Gen Z Research Report
- Deaths Caused by Alcohol Use in the U.S. Spiked During the COVID-19 Pandemic, CDC Data Shows | CNN Health
- Macklemore Explains How His Sobriety Journey Inspired New Song 'Faithful' | Billboard
- The ADA Covers Addiction. Now the U.S. Is Enforcing the Law | STAT News
- Leslie Jordan Was More Than Two Decades Sober: 'The Hardest Thing That I Ever Did' | People
- How Leslie Jordan Made It Big: 'If You Want To Get Sober, Try 27 Days in County Jail' | The Guardian
- Leslie Jordan Talks to Anderson Cooper About Being 22 Years Sober | CNN
- Leslie Jordan's Final TV Interview: 'I Want To Live a Life of Service to Other People' | CBS Mornings
- The Profound Significance of Biden’s Marijuana Pardons | Treatment Magazine
- 'Harry Potter' Star Tom Felton Details Past Struggle With Alcoholism in New Memoir | CNN Entertainment
- Rising Costs, Therapist Shortages: Gen Z Struggles To Afford Mental Health Care | The Guardian
- Everyone Is Anxious and Eight Other Things We Learned From Our Mental Health Survey | Vice
- Lawmakers Want Social Media Companies To Stop Getting Kids Hooked | Wired
- No Addiction Required: How Fake Drugs Are Quickly Killing Gen Z | Los Angeles Magazine
- 'Wake-Up Call': Allergy Medications May Play a Deadly Role in the Opioid Epidemic, CDC Study Suggests | USA Today
- Fentanyl Test Strips Highlight Rift in Nation’s Struggle To Combat Drug Deaths | The New York Times
- Anthony Kiedis Explains Grip Heroin Had On Him, How He Finally Got Sober | iHeart
- There Is Life After Addiction. Most People Recover | NPR
- After Rocky Start, Hopes Up in Oregon Drug Decriminalization | AP
- Officials, Proponents Celebrate Measure 110 Funding Milestone, Admit Mistakes | The Lund Report
- Addiction Experts Tell Oregon Lawmakers the State Has Been Too Lax on Drug Use | Oregon Public Broadcasting
- Oregonians Strongly Support Their State’s Drug Decriminalization | Filter
- White House Announces $1.5 Billion To Curb Opioid Crisis | Axios
- In Dozens of Lawsuits Parents Blame Meta, TikTok for Hooking Kids | Bloomberg Businessweek
- A Potential Breakthrough in Meth Treatment | Treatment Magazine
- Psilocybin, Psychedelic Compound in Magic Mushrooms, Shown Effective for Alcohol Addiction | The Wall Street Journal
- The Next Big Addiction Treatment | The New York Times
- People Who Used 'Magic Mushrooms' Less Likely To Develop Opioid Use Disorder, Study Finds | USA Today
- Psychedelics: How They Act On the Brain To Relieve Depression | The Conversation
- Restrictions on Psilocybin 'Magic Mushrooms' Are Easing as Research Ramps Up | Scientific American
- U.S. Government Funds First Therapeutic Psilocybin Research in 50 Years | Rolling Stone
- Eminem Reflects on His Overdose: 'That Whole Process Took a Long Time for My Brain to Start Working Again' | Rolling Stone
- Candy, Cash, Gifts: How Rewards Help Recovery From Addiction | AP
- 'Our American Family' Documentary Shows 'the Hope and the Fight' Against Addiction | Find Your Film (interview with director)
- 'Our American Family' Review: How Addiction Affects the Household | The New York Times
- When a Loved One Has an Addiction | Psychology Today
- The Rise of Mobile Gambling Is Leaving People Ruined and Unable To Quit | Motherboard: Tech by Vice
- Rahul Gupta, First Physician To Serve as Drug Czar, Says Stigma Among Doctors Is Key Culprit in Addiction Crisis | STAT News
- 'Listening to the People': Beth Macy on the Opioids Crisis and Her 'Dopesick' Sequel, 'Raising Lazarus'
- The FDA Steps Up With Its Overdose Prevention Framework | Treatment Magazine
- 'The Bear' Takes an Unflinching and Honest Look at Addiction | Collider
- Carmy's 7-Minute Al-Anon Monologue in 'The Bear' Finale | FX on YouTube (spoilers)
- New Book Chronicles How America's Opioid Industry Operated Like a Drug Cartel | Fresh Air on NPR
- Opinion: Harm Reduction Is What Successful Addiction Care Looks Like | The New York Times (essay adapted from Raising Lazarus)
- Meet the 'Harm Reduction Influencers' Making Safer Drug Habits Go Viral on Social Media | Today
- This Dissolvable Implant Could Revolutionize Pain Management | Smithsonian Magazine
- White House Announces Funding for Youth Substance Abuse Programs To Tackle 'Overdose Epidemic' | Fox News Digital
- Once I Stopped Drinking, I Started To Love Dating | Refinery 29
- John Mulaney Addresses Sobriety and Getting Out of Rehab in ‘SNL’ Monologue | Complex
- If Only I Had 'Euphoria' During the Height of My Drug Addiction | Cosmopolitan
- Kathy Ireland and Eric Hargan Want People To Know They're Not Alone Fighting Opioid Addiction | USA Today
- Center Provides a Trusted Living Environment for Women Facing Addiction Challenges | San Diego Union-Tribune
- Patrick Kennedy Marks 11 Years of Sobriety: 'I Am So Proud of You,' Says Wife | People
- 'Crack Pipe' Rhetoric Is Not Only Wrong, It's Deadly. Harm Reduction Efforts Save Lives | USA Today