News: Opioids, Kratom, and Harm Reduction [#140]

This Week in Drugs

Rachelle and Sarah talk about harm reduction in the US, what it means to take a public health approach to drug policy, and how we navigate the world of drug use and consent.

News Updates:

• Surgeon General Urges Americans to Carry Drug That Stops Opioid Overdoses
  • Kaleo expanding access in U.S. to drug to reverse opioid overdose
• FDA orders mandatory recall for kratom products due to risk of salmonella
• Poll: Most Americans wary of those suffering from addiction, despite recognition of medical condition
  • Americans Recognize the Growing Problem of Opioid Addiction
• Chemsex exemplifies much wider issues with drugs and sexual consent

Headlines:

• Last week, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ordered the dismissal of more than 11,000 convictions impacted by the misconduct of Sonja Farak, the drug lab chemist accused of stealing and using drugs from her workplace.
• A former Georgia police officer has been indicted of stealing more than $150,000 during fake traffic stops. Between 2014 and 2015, Officer Lori Monique Johnson worked with one group of drug dealers to target a rival gang, pull them over while in uniform, steal their cash, and then split it with the dealers she was working with. Johnson resigned from the force in October 2017 while under investigation by both the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI.
• On Wednesday, the FDA’s Scott Gottlieb called on internet providers and social media platforms to do more to stop the sale of opioids online. Gottlieb noted many internet providers are hesitant to take on a “broader policing role,” but said “insidious threats” on the web platforms should serve as motivation.
• Netflix is launching a new series called “Amo,” which is a dramatization of the Philippines’ deadly drug war. In it, a high school student starts selling crystal meth and ends up tangled in a nightmarish world populated by violent kingpins and corrupt officials. The series is directed by an international award-winning Filipino director, Brillante Mendoza, who has been vocal about his support for President Rodrigo Duterte.
  • Sign the open letter to Netflix

Forecast:

• April 20-21: National Cannabis Policy Summit and Festival (Washington, DC)
• April 23-25: Southern Harm Reduction and Drug Policy Conference (Lake Junaluska, NC)

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