US Attorney General Reveals New Opioid Task Force
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced a brand-new task force that will aggressively target drug manufacturers and distributors. According to The Washington Post, the Prescription Interdiction and Litigation Task Force (PILS) will hold drug companies accountable for their roles in the nation’s opioid epidemic. “We will use criminal penalties. We will use civil penalties. We will use whatever laws and tools we have to hold people accountable if they break our laws,” Sessions said, describing the task force’s no-holds-barred approach to getting results. What’s more is that Sessions says the federal government is seeking to be repaid, having “borne substantial costs” in the fight against opioid addiction. Many drug manufacturers and distributors failed to report large orders of painkillers as well as their “diversion … from pharmacies to the black market.” The Post story said that John M. Gray, president and CEO of Healthcare Distribution Alliance, was quick to respond to the task force’s announcement. “Distributors share the common goal with Attorney General Sessions of ending this opioid epidemic,” Gray said, claiming they have already submitted “practical solutions and policy proposals” to help the government stem prescription opioid abuse and reverse the crisis. However, Gray’s statement still managed to throw a bit of shade at the government, adding: “We know that we cannot do this alone.”
Can Pot or Experimental Drugs End the Opioid Crisis?
It’s a familiar refrain for anyone who’s been paying even the most cursory attention to the opioid crisis, but marijuana is again finding itself in the fight against opioid dependency. In a brand-new study, cannabis proved highly effective among cancer patients. As reported by Rolling Stone, Tikun Olam (Israel’s largest medical pot provider) found that “cannabis is a very good alternative to reduce opioid consumption, to increase quality of life, and to reduce pain, nausea and vomiting.” The study also revealed that marijuana was the “most effective in reducing patients’ use of opioid painkillers within six months of initial intake.” Similarly, Indiana University researchers announced this week that a failed arthritis drug has also proven effective against opioid dependence. “The potential to quickly begin using this compound in combination with opioid-based medication to treat pain and reduce addiction makes this discovery very significant,” said the study’s lead researcher. “We already know this drug is safe for use in people, so moving into human trials will not require as many regulatory hurdles.”
Keith Richards Calls Drugs “Bland” and Sobriety “Novel”
Guitarist Keith Richards discussed drugs and sobriety this week in an interview with The Telegraph. As the Stones prepare to embark on an upcoming UK tour, the 74-year-old rocker said that he hasn’t had a drink since Christmas. In fact, he insists that his only (current) vices are coffee and cigarettes. “Drugs are not interesting these days,” Richards claimed. “They are very institutionalized and bland. And, anyway, I’ve done them all.” While he doesn’t go so far as to say he’s sober, Richards does call the concept of sobriety “novel” at the same time that he’s self-aware. In fact, Richards’s past is soaked with drug and alcohol-related incidents, though Time hailed him in 2015 as an unlikely recovery role model. “I’m not saying I’m definitely off all of [alcohol],” he admitted. “In six months’ time, I might be on it again. But at the moment, for a couple of months, I haven’t touched it.”
Addicted to Your Phone? You’re Not Alone
Based on data gathered from nearly five million people in the UK, people are spending nearly four hours per day on their smartphones, according to The Independent. “Call it an addiction; call it something else,” author Catherine Price said. “The point is, that’s a quarter of your waking life.” Price suggested that there are several key steps to avoid getting lost in your smartphone screen. Among her suggestions were shutting off unnecessary notifications (“Only allow notifications that are actually useful to you—not the app designer”), leaving the phone out of the bedroom, and eliminating all of the “biggest time-wasters” from your home screen. “It can be useful to delete news, games (just reinstall them if/when you want to play), email if you can bear it, and whatever else your particular time sucks are,” she said of the latter. “Or, hide them in a far-away folder with a funny title, such as ‘Time-wasters’ or ‘Evil.’”
Dennis Rodman Calls Sobriety “A Struggle”
56-year-old Dennis Rodman, who entered rehab in January following a DUI, admitted this week that sobriety is “a struggle.” The former NBA baller told TMZ that he feels “great” after attending some AA meetings, but says that he’s not getting ahead of himself. Rodman says that he’s trying to beat back his addictions to find long-term sobriety, which hasn’t been as easy as he thought it might be. Currently working with a treatment program at L.A.’s Turning Point center, Rodman told TMZ that “sometimes it’s good to break away and try to search out what’s really important for you.” He also said that one of the main drivers behind his sobriety is his children: “I want to see my kids grow up,” he said. “I just needed to stop partying, take a step back and get my life back in order.”
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