Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy

12/07/2016

Chelsea Laliberte from Live4Lali talks about Medication Assisted Treatment an issue that we have been promoting at the Consortium for a long time. Thanks to HB1, many more Illinoisans can access MAT treatment under Medicaid, and also under private insurance.

11/29/2016

Did you know that you don't have to be convicted of a crime to have your assets, your home or your car taken from you. Thanks Benjamin Ruddell and ACLU for bringing this to light. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-police-forfeiture-seizure-illinois-20161128-story.html

Illinois law enforcement confiscated more than $319 million in property and cash from individuals over the past decade, using a system that does not require convictions — or even charges in some cases — to validate the forfeitures, according to a new study.

07/20/2016

If you ONLY read one article about addiction this month, please read this. It breaks down evidenced based treatment for opioid use disorders, deals with treatment brokering, all of the things that ICDP has been working on lately. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-science-says-to-do-if-your-loved-one-has-an-opioid-addiction/?ex_cid=story-facebook

When a family member, spouse or other loved one develops an opioid addiction — whether to pain relievers like Vicodin or to he**in — few people know what to do. Faced with someone who a…

07/01/2016

We want to thank Ellen for writing this excellent piece. http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/wellness/a55379/help-for-parents-of-drug-addicts/?src=social-email ""Would it not make more sense than tough love, not to mention be more humane, to offer my son tools and options to keep him alive and safe until effective help could be found?"

One mother shares the surprising mindset shift that ultimately saved her son from he**in addiction.

06/17/2016

"The World Health Organization and Institute of Medicine agree that methadone maintenance is the most effective treatment for opioid addictions....methadone massively reduces mortality rates, with studies showing these rates to be between one-quarter and one-third of those for people addicted to opioids who are not on maintenance drugs." http://theinfluence.org/why-is-methadone-a-proven-lifesaver-still-so-restricted-and-stigmatized/

June 16th, 2016 I was a patient in a very expensive, inpatient treatment program in Orange County back in the mid-2000s when I first heard of methadone. I didn’t hear about the drug, or any other maintenance options, from the program’s doctors, nurses, counselors or sponsors. Instead, I heard about

05/30/2016

Please do some research before sending a loved one to a sober living facility or any treatment center. Because of this....and the death of someone that is entirely preventable. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/drug-treatment-center-employee-offered-addict-s*x-drugs-lawsuit-says/article_aee42195-2b04-5995-ac89-931afc267c3c.html

Michael Schwartz, 32, an outpatient at an ARCA facility, died of a he**in overdose last year in the basement of his mother's home.

05/17/2016

" Parents who refuse medication for prayer when they have a sick child are arrested. Don’t make that mistake." http://denialends.com/blog/sponsor-plumber-says-stop-taking-suboxone/

Few things kick the hornets nest like a discussion of medication assisted recovery. It’s a stake your claim issue that stirs the pot in the recovery universe like no other. On the purist side are those who say addiction is a spiritual problem and only a spiritual solution can be used to solve it. Th...

05/12/2016

Too many people think what they see on TV regarding treatment is appropriate and scientific. Not so, it's entertainment, and entertainment that sometimes kills. It's time to end this dangerous practice. Evidence based treatment DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS. http://www.alternet.org/dr-drew-too-dangerous-prime-time

Pinsky should either get with 21st century treatment or get off the air.

05/10/2016

“In any other area of medicine, to not mention medication at all, that is a breach of ethics,” he told The Daily Beast during an interview at the organization’s headquarters in Philadelphia. “They’re obligated to act in the patient’s interest and they don’t, always.” A great article and an important read! http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/09/why-drug-rehab-is-outdated-expensive-and-deadly.html

The U.S. will spend $40 billion this decade fighting addiction, yet little of it will be used on science-based treatment. Why do we deny medicine for addiction?

05/06/2016

So many great articles this week! So many to choose from, but this one struck us because of our movement towards including current and former users in EVERYTHING we do. Here's a great piece...https://www.thefix.com/seven-things-i-wish-i-knew-then-navigating-recovery

How can “experts” medicalize addiction, then deny us medication or punish us for relapse?

05/05/2016

Our good friend Chuck Hilger weighs in on MAT and Prince's death. A lot to think about here, we hope you will listen. http://www.mprnews.org/listen?name=%2Fminnesota%2Fnews%2Ffeatures%2F2016%2F05%2F04%2F20160504_nelson_20160504_64.mp3

05/04/2016

Another thing we have been thinking about - the difference between addiction and dependency. Is dependency addiction? No. Here's why, through the lens of Prince's death http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2016/05/prince_s_death_reveals_we_have_no_idea_what_addiction_really_means.html

Although many of the facts surrounding the death of Prince remain to be established, one thing is clear: He had been treated for an extended period of ...