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Portugal's answer to the heroin crisis

Aubrey Whelan

April 22, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Portugal, Lisbon

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 public health issue, rather than a criminal issue. This approach resulted in a significant decrease in overdoses, and is now a model that U.S. cities, such as Philadelphia, are looking at to learn from.

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12-Step Recovery Programs Adapt in the Age of Social Distancing

Jessica Santina

April 12, 2020 |

The Sierra Nevada Ally |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Reno, Nevada

When the size of group gatherings began to be limited to prevent the spread of COVID-19, recovery programs had to rethink how to hold meetings – such as moving groups to online formats. Although there are limitations to not meeting in-person, this format has increased accessibility for many participants and allowed them to join meetings from outside of their typical region.

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Revive: A fatal overdose, a stunning coincidence, and a mother's long quest to heal.

Max Blau

March 26, 2020 |

The Atavist Magazine |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

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 center has "collected 360,000 dirty syringes, provided medical treatment to 1,200 people, and helped 200 patients detox," while also reversing 1,450 overdoses, which has prompted five other counties to lift their syringe-exchange bans.

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Nowhere to Go: Out of jail, recovery housing hard to find

Hadley Barndollar

March 15, 2020 |

Seacoast Online |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

New Hampshire's Rockinham County gives some people with extensive drug and criminal histories an offramp from the criminal legal system, in the form of housing at Cross Roads House and a drug court to emphasize treatment over punishment. But, while other cities in the state meet such needs with multiple programs, the second-most populous county in the state has a severe shortage of supportive housing and services. Such services can make the difference between prison and success, and even between life and death in a place with high rates of overdose deaths.

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His Daughter Died Of An Opioid Overdose. So He Built A Treatment Facility In Her Name

Tyrone Turner

March 05, 2020 |

American University Radio (WAMU) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Hagerstown, Maryland

Named after his daughter who overdosed, a former narcotics police officer created Brooke's House, a women's treatment facility in Maryland. Combining methodologies and using multiple approaches, the program works to help residents achieve sobriety through counseling and treatment.

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How medication donation programs could be a game-changer in PA

Brianna Baker

February 25, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Unused prescription drugs can often end up in landfills or in "the hands of those who may be vulnerable to misuse and addiction," so Wyoming has introduced a program to decrease those likelihoods from happening. This program, like that of other programs in 38 other states, collects unused medications and redistributes them to uninsured residents.

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Teaching Children How to Reverse an Overdose

Dan Levin

February 23, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Elizabethton, Tennessee

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 opposition from some local residents, at least 100 students have administered the life-saving treatment.

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Weaponizing Truth Against Opioids

Tina Rosenberg

January 28, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

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 dramatically reduce teenage smoking during recent decades by creating ads that targeted teens with compelling messages. Now, the Truth Initiative is including anti-opioid messaging in its campaign.

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Biometric opioid dispensing machine first of its kind to address demand for safer drug supply

Andrea Woo

January 17, 2020 |

The Globe and Mail |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

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 this methodology is not a means of addiction treatment, it does eliminate an autonomy barrier for safe injections, requires an initial assessment by a physician, and limits the amount of pills one can request per day which means fewer overdoses.

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‘Like A Flu Shot' For Addiction Crisis: Training High School Students As Recovery Coaches

Kara Leigh Lofton

January 13, 2020 |

West Virginia Public Broadcasting |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Clay, West Virginia

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 questions to intervene in a crisis, the students walked away from a “life & recovery coach academy” equipped with usable skills, college credits, and a certificate, while also reentering their community as more engaged citizens.

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