Blog

On Sept. 26, 2019, the Department of Justice appointed me to serve on the Official Unsecured Creditors Committee in the bankruptcy case against Purdue Pharma, the company that helped fuel the opioid overdose crisis through the misbranding and reckless marketing of the powerful painkiller OxyContin. The committee acted as a mega-plaintiff, with broad powers to subpoena records, take depositions and cross-examine witnesses. For nearly two years, I attended countless negotiations, depositions and chambers meetings. I read thousands of pages of confidential documents revealing the true nature and depth of Purdue’s liability in the crisis. The proceedings came to a close...Read More

Macklemore, KT Tunstall, Evvie McKinney, Daphne Willis and The Residency will perform at a concert next month to help raise awareness around addiction and recovery. The “Recover Out Loud” concert will be pre-taped at Las Vegas’ Westgate Resort & Casino before streaming on iHeart’s Facebook and YouTube channels on International Recovery Day on Sept. 30. The event also caps off this year’s National Recovery Month. “The twin pandemics of drug overdose and COVID-19, combined with millions struggling with mental health, makes it imperative and urgent for influencers, policymakers, and corporations with global reach to come together in support of solutions through the...Read More

Numerous medications that are now available over-the-counter were once prescription-only, including antihistamines, nicotine replacement therapy, and certain analgesics. These nonprescription switches have benefitted public health efforts by establishing universal access, a prime example being the emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel), a safe and effective treatment to prevent unintended pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) was one of the first groups to support Plan B’s nonprescription conversion, along with the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), who have supported it as well. After a protracted legal and ethical siege, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made Plan B an over-the-counter medication...Read More

Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a simple, inexpensive, and evidence-based method of averting drug overdose. FTS are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in any drug batch—pills, powder, or injectables. This tool might be lifesaving for the teenager experimenting for the first time, the individual in the throes of a severe opioid use disorder, the concert-goer looking for a trip, the person using a preferred substance obtained from a new source, or the individual years into recovery. FTS also support the dignity and well-being of people who use drugs (PWUD), enabling them to make educated...Read More

The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, with generous support from the Sandgaard Foundation, will host “Finding Solutions to the Opioid Crisis,” a free web-based speaker series launching in late June 2021. The series will bring together a diverse line-up of experts from across the United States to discuss priority issues in addiction treatment and recovery. The first event in this series, “Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation” will be held on June 29, 2021 from 12 – 1:30 p.m, with guest speaker, Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement, Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, and...Read More

It’s been a busy few months in the world of addiction recovery advocacy. In April, the Biden administration laid out their first year priorities for recovery. The statement acknowledges the wide impact of the overdose and addiction epidemic, and how COVID-19 has exacerbated the effects. The White House designated addressing the epidemic as an urgent priority for Biden’s administration. In March, the President signed into law the American Rescue Plan, which appropriated nearly $4 billion to enable the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand access to vital behavioral health services....Read More

I’m excited to share with you today that Mobilize Recovery 2021 is now live and accepting applications! Please visit mobilizerecovery.org today to learn more and apply!   This year’s Mobilize Recovery will be hosted online and in-person at the Westgate Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV from September 24-27, 2021. Apply today to attend this year’s event and select your preference to join online or in-person. The application process will only remain open until June 11, 2021 — so please don’t wait! Now more than ever, the addiction & mental health recovery community needs to come together—creating connection and community at...Read More

The latest numbers surpass even the yearly tolls during the height of the opioid epidemic and mark a reversal of progress against addiction in recent years. WASHINGTON — More than 87,000 Americans died of drug overdoses over the 12-month period that ended in September, according to preliminary federal data, eclipsing the toll from any year since the opioid epidemic began in the 1990s. The surge represents an increasingly urgent public health crisis, one that has drawn less attention and fewer resources while the nation has battled the coronavirus pandemic. Deaths from overdoses started rising again in the months leading up...Read More

The Voices Project is proud to announce that Mobilize Recovery will be returning in Fall 2021. Details regarding applications, timeline, and ways to participate will be announced later in Spring 2021. Sign up today to be the first to know when details are available by registering at mobilizerecovery.org. In addition to our 2021 partners already announced, including the Sandgaard Foundation, the Mobilize Recovery team is excited and grateful that Serve You Rx will be joining us as a presenting partner for the third year in a row! Without the support of Serve You Rx and their CEO—Sharon Murillo—Mobilize would never...Read More

Foundations commit to lifting up voices of people in recovery and those impacted by addiction; support ongoing efforts for overdose response initiatives; and empower community-based solutions. The Voices Project and Sandgaard Foundation to End the Opioid Crisis today announced a major partnership to continue their not-for-profit work together in addressing America’s long-standing addiction and overdose crisis. Together, the organizations commit to increasing access of naloxone and overdose response trainings in recovery residences (also known as sober livings) across the United States; support bold media efforts to eliminate stigma for those impacted by substance use disorder; and empower people in recovery with organizing and...Read More