Title
& Description
News Outlet
& Journalist
Date
& Location
MEDIA TYPE
& LENGTH
18 December 2020
United States
Text
1500-3000 Words
Rules changes designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at drug-treatment clinics had the benefit of improving access to treatment, which experts say has saved thousands of lives. Although overdose deaths have increa...
27 October 2020
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Text
1500-3000 Words
A substance abuse program known as contingency management offers incentives to those who to stay in treatment and remain abstinent from the use of drugs. Although not all agree with the merits of the program and quest...
22 October 2020
Los Angeles, California, United States
Text
1500-3000 Words
Two women who lost their brothers to heroin overdoses launched the podcast "Last Day" to address death – by drugs and, in season two, by suicide – with a mix of humor, unsettling candor, and conventional-wisdom-bustin...
19 October 2020
Portugal
Radio
5-15 Minutes
When Portugal became the first country to decriminalize personal possession and use of small amounts of drugs, choosing to shift to treating drug abuse as a health rather than a criminal matter, the feared downside of...
29 September 2020
Ibadan, Nigeria
Text
800-1500 Words
In Nigeria, a methodology known as task-sharing is helping to lessen the burden on the country's mental health care system. The premise of this model is to train "other health personnel, such as community health worke...
14 September 2020
Glasgow, Scotland
Text
800-1500 Words
In Glasglow, a former outreach workers has launched a mobile harm reduction facility to help those who are living with addiction have a safe space to use drugs. Although the idea is controversial and "political," user...
14 August 2020
Cherokee, North Carolina, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reacted to COVID-19 with aggressive measures that yielded fewer illnesses than in neighboring counties, and no deaths, all without outside help. But one of their preventive measure...
10 August 2020
Seattle, Washington, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
Although COVID-19 has taken a toll on the healthcare industry, some providers and clinics have figured out a way to eliminate barriers during this time for those seeking treatment. According to the director of the Beh...
4 August 2020
Pennsylvania, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
The coronavirus pandemic has largely led to the expansion and adoption of telemedicine, which has helped those seeking treatment for addictions more easily access care. Although advocates of medication-assisted treatm...
29 July 2020
Midland, Michigan, United States
Text
1500-3000 Words
The coronavirus pandemic has correlated with an increase in overdose deaths in the United States, likely due to people going against one of the "central tenets of safety when using drugs: Never use alone" as well as g...
7 July 2020
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
Step Up to the Plate is a collaborative effort of local organizations that began as a way to help those experiencing food insecurity due to Covid-19. Three outdoor sites have expanded to provide free meals, mental hea...
16 June 2020
Bangor, Maine, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
Bangor drug court in Maine has turned to the use of Zoom to keep in contact with program participants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although meeting via video call can disguise some physical symptoms of drug use, this...
14 May 2020
Kentucky, United States
Text
1500-3000 Words
Stay-at-home orders and social distancing can worsen opioid addiction problems, and so some health providers, social media, and agencies in opioid-heavy Appalachia have devised ways to turn a threat into an opportunit...
1 May 2020
Batesville, Indiana, United States
Text
Over 3000 Words
To close a gap in drug treatment that often denies help to people who end up jailed, a hospital employee schooled in the strong evidence of effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment cobbled together a program usi...
23 April 2020
Walnut Creek, California, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
Addiction experts have been offering online counseling for addiction patients for years but have also been working to change a federal law that required patients seeking medications to help with withdrawals to first m...
22 April 2020
Lisbon, Portugal
Text
Over 3000 Words
When faced with an opioid crisis, the government in Portugual made a drastic decision to decriminalize drug use. This shift in policy allowed for a shift in perspective – addiction problems could now be treated as a p...
March 2020
Miami, Florida, United States
Text
Over 3000 Words
A mother's grief and a doctor's determination led to the first syringe-exchange center in Florida – a significant first step in increasing conversation around the merits of harm reduction policies. Since opening, the ...
23 February 2020
Elizabethton, Tennessee, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
In Carter County, Tennessee, where an opioid crisis is underway, elementary-aged children and teenagers are being taught how to administer the overdose reversal nasal spray, Narcan. Although this strategy has faced op...
28 January 2020
District of Columbia, Washington, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
Ad campaigns that provide personal testimonials, relatable narratives, and captivating images succeed in stemming epidemics of addiction among teenagers. The Truth Initiative’s anti-smoking campaign has helped to dram...
Yes! Magazine
Mary Hall
Jessica Martinaitis
27 January 2020
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Text
800-1500 Words
Building trust with a recovery coach can reduce the shame and stigma surrounding addiction during pregnancy. In Madison, Wisconsin, the Pregnancy2Recovery program pairs expecting mothers who are struggling with addict...
17 January 2020
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Text
800-1500 Words
In the face of an overdosing crisis, a physician in Vancouver created an ATM-like machine that allows people to pick up pharmaceutical-grade opioids to reduce the chances of people using contaminated drugs. Although t...
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Kara Leigh Lofton
13 January 2020
Clay, West Virginia, United States
Text
Under 800 Words
A town in West Virginia was lacking resources for mental health care, so high school juniors were tapped to fill the need. Learning skills such as how to use naloxone to in an overdose situation to asking open-ended q...
9 January 2020
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Text
1500-3000 Words
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a coalition of organizers and community members called Reclaim the Block advocates for divestment from the city's police force and into more community-based initiatives and services. Advocat...
3 January 2020
Hindman, Kentucky, United States
Multi-Media
1500-3000 Words
To help those struggling with opioid addictions, an apprentice program in Kentucky uses art and music taught by local artisans to provide participants with a path forward. After learning various skills as part of the ...
31 December 2019
Washington, United States
Text
Over 3000 Words
Drug companies that market long-lasting psychiatric drugs have found new clientele in courtrooms and prisons, as a means to treat mental health issues for those that have been incarcerated. Although the practice of ta...
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