Overall Category for substance use disorder issues.

Addiction as a brain disease

Understanding Addiction: The Brain Disease Behind Substance Use

In 2016, the United States Surgeon General issued the report: Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.  In the report, he defined “addiction” as: The most severe form of substance use disorder, associated with compulsive or uncontrolled use of one or more substances. Addiction is a chronic brain disease
person-first language

Embracing Person-First Language in Substance Use Disorders

Everyone uses labels that shape care. DSM-5’s shift to person-first language reframes addiction as Substance Use Disorders, reducing stigma. Studies show “substance abuser” triggers blame, unlike neutral terminology. AP and federal memos endorse person-first. Consciously adopting respectful language can encourage treatment, humanize those affected, and foster equity in care.
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Recovery Month

Recovery Month: Celebrating Sobriety, Support, and Second Chances

A Time of Celebration and Hope www.recoverymonth.gov In Memorium: Christopher Kennedy Lawford, 33 years sober. While recovery should be celebrated every day, September is the 29th Annual National Recovery Month to remind us of the importance of this issue in our communities.  We ask local policy makers to sign proclamations to demonstrate a commitment to
Ending Stigma

The Power of Language: Ending Stigma in Substance Use Disorders

Psycho, lunatic, cripple: all words that now have a demeaning connotation.  If someone had a medical condition and got labeled with these words, they were not being complimented. These words, and others even worse, created a stigma that resulted in a person having problems getting proper help, or even participating in society. This article is
Alcoholism in the legal profession

The Hidden Crisis: Alcoholism in the Legal Profession

The national average for people with alcohol use disorders is 1:10. According to Law.com, for lawyers, it’s 1:3.  Alcoholism in the legal profession is a significant issue. Fully one third of the profession is struggling with alcoholism. How can that be? What makes lawyers vulnerable to alcoholism? And what is the profession doing about it?

There’s an App for That: Apps that Support Sobriety

According to the Pew Research Center, 68% of Americans have smartphones and 45% have tablet computers.  Along with smart phones and tablets come apps – apps that keep track of airline reservations; apps that count calories; apps that fetch drivers.  There’s an app for just about anything. A new set of apps have been developed
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Understanding Addiction

Understanding Addiction: A Prosecutor’s Perspective

Over thirty years ago, I walked into a courtroom located in Eaton County, Michigan. I was a new assistant prosecuting attorney (APA) eager to start doing jury trials, to make my community a safer place. I became an APA because I believe that holding people accountable for their actions will make the world a better
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21-year-old drinking age law

How the 21-Year-Old Drinking Age Law Saves Lives

Over 30 years ago President Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA) that requires states to make 21 as the minimum age for purchasing or public possessing alcohol. It is one of the most successful laws in traffic safety, and yet it seems like challenges keep coming up to take the age of
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Baby addict myth

The Baby Addict Myth: Debunking Misinformation About Neonatal Exposure

In the 1980s and 1990s it was “crack babies.” Now it’s babies born “addicted to opiates.” We’ve spent 30 years trying to debunk the baby addict myth; that newborns can be born “addicted.” However, the misinformation continues with current headlines like “Life begins with agony of withdrawal for opiate-addicted babies.” Over ten years ago 30
cannabis harm reduction

Cannabis Harm Reduction: A New Path in Addiction Treatment?

The topic of marijuana is of growing interest across the world.  At least 10 countries have seen or will see marijuana legalization either recreational or medical use: Spain, Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Ecuador, Israel[1] and Australia.[2] As of 2015, Bangladesh, North Korea, Czech Republic, Portugal, Uruguay, the Netherlands, and the United States (Recreational-Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska,
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