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HEALTH & JUSTICE IN THE NEWS
Date: April 24, 2017
Around the Nation
President Trump: There's 'No Particular Rush' to Pass Health Care Bill
Time Magazine, 4/21/17
President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed the significance of pushing Republican health care legislation through the House next week, a retreat from more bullish White House pronouncements a day earlier, which had gotten a skeptical reception at the Capitol. In brief comments to reporters Friday, Trump said the attempt to rekindle the GOP drive to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law is "coming along well." But he said there was "no particular rush" to do it next week, when Congress returns from its spring recess.
Trump Issues New Warnings on Demise of Affordable Care Act
The Wall Street Journal, 4/23/17
In a series of Sunday morning Twitter messages, President Donald Trump warned the Affordable Care Act would falter without new funding, and pressured Democrats to support spending for his proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico to keep the health program going.
Nurse Replaces Surgeon General After Obama Appointee Resigns
The New York Times, 4/21/17
Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, an Obama administration holdover, was asked to resign by the Trump administration on Friday. He was replaced by his deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, one of the first nurses to serve as surgeon general.
Federal Government Will Provide $485 Million for Opioid Prevention, Treatment
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 4/20/17
The Trump Administration will soon provide $485 million in grant money to states for prevention and treatment programs aimed at addressing the nation's opioid crisis, the Associated Press reports. The funding is the first of two rounds provided for in the 21st Century Cures Act, signed by President Obama in December. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price said another half-billion dollars in state grants will follow in 2018.
Task Force Aims to Impose Standards on Addiction Treatment Field
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 4/20/17
A group of addiction treatment experts and insurance company executives have formed a task force that aims to impose standards on the addiction treatment field, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Substance Use Treatment Task Force will evaluate treatment approaches shown to be most effective, and draft a plan to ensure that state agencies and insurance companies require addiction treatment centers to use those approaches as a condition for licensing and payment.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to Hold Public Briefing: Collateral Consequences: The Crossroads of Punishment, Redemption and the Effects on Communities
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Press Release, 4/21/17
On May 19, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a public briefing: Collateral Consequences: The Crossroads of Punishment, Redemption and the Effects on Communities. The Committee will hear presentations from diverse stakeholders, including affected individuals, community and advocacy groups, government officials, and academics. Members of the public are encouraged to provide public comments about their experience with this topic via email to: [email protected]. The Commission will announce the agenda and scheduled panelists before the May 19th event.
Feds Give Nurses Power to Prescribe Anti-Addiction Drugs
The Crime Report, 4/21/17
Confronting an opioid overdose epidemic that is killing at least 90 people every day, two federal agencies this month gave more than 700 nurse practitioners and physician assistants the authority to write prescriptions for the anti-addiction medication buprenorphine, reports Stateline. Tens of thousands more nurse practitioners and physician assistants could be helping by applying for a federal license to prescribe the potentially life-saving medicine. Laws in more than half the states are likely to prevent nurses from using their licenses in rural areas that need it most.
The Heroin Crisis We've Ignored (Illinois featured)
In These Times, 4/24/17
The heroin epidemic has been a subject of growing public concern in recent years, but Black and Latino people who use heroin are often absent from the discussion. The prevalence of opioids in white communities has helped motivate a new policy response. Many municipalities and court systems are opting to treat addiction as a public health issue, rather than a crime or individual moral failing. This is especially true in the Northeast (Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts), where the epidemic has hit white communities hard. Experts and advocates welcome this shift in attitudes but lament that poor people and people of color still face many barriers to accessing treatment.
ACHESS Smartphone App
Addiction Policy Forum, 4/21/17
The Addiction Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System, or ACHESS, is an evidence-based smartphone application that utilizes technology to assist in the maintenance of recovery stability, providing individuals with necessary resources. The ACHESS application is provided to patients by agencies to improve treatment and recovery effectiveness. Agencies can choose which levels of care to apply ACHESS. ACHESS is used in the various settings including: residential, intensive outpatient, outpatient, and aftercare or "continuing care".
Around Illinois
Illinois Receives $16M to Fight Opioid Addiction Crisis
NBC Chicago, 4/18/17
Illinois is receiving more than $16 million in federal money to help fight a prescription drug addiction crisis.
Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grants. The money will go toward prevention, treatment and recovery services.
Prescription Drug Take Back Day Hosted by Elmhurst Police
Elmhurst Patch, 4/20/17
The Elmhurst Police Department will be hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 29. The department said officers will be on hand to collect expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs for safe destruction.
Sangamon County Coroner: Powerful animal tranquilizer linked to overdose deaths
The State-Journal Register, 4/23/17
A powerful opioid used as a tranquilizer for elephants and other large animals has shown up in the toxicology reports for two recent overdose victims in Sangamon County, Coroner Cinda Edwards said Thursday. Carfentanil, which is not approved for human use, is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Experts: People who have been incarcerated need help returning to society
Bloomington Pantagraph, 4/21/17
Individuals returning to the community from prison have about a 50 percent chance of success as they navigate a system with few options for housing, employment and support, according to speakers at Thursday's Central Illinois Offender Reentry Symposium. Some of the strongest calls for more services were offered by speakers who have worked in the criminal justice system.
In suburbs, heroin and opioid epidemic moving 'faster than we can deal with it'
MySuburbanLife.com, 4/21/17
Over the years, law enforcement, lawmakers, nonprofits and others have worked together to address the drug overdose epidemic. But those involved in the fight said at the sixth annual HERO-HELPS Southwest Coalition Community Summit that more efforts are needed. The event was held Friday at the Edward Hospital Athletic & Events Center in Romeoville. "All the things we're doing - all these progressive things - and the numbers just keep skyrocketing," said Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow. "So, we have to continue doing what we're doing and come up with new methods."
Wells Center Officially Announces Closure
Fox Illinois
A drug treatment center in Jacksonville has officially announced it will close next month. According to a statement released on Friday, the Wells Center will close the first week of May.
Health & Justice in the News
is a summary of recent news stories relating to criminal justice, mental health, addiction, recovery, and related issues. It is compiled and published by TASC each Monday and Thursday.
Some headlines and text have been altered by TASC for clarity or emphasis, or to minimize discriminatory or stigmatizing language. Opinions in the articles and op-eds do not necessarily express the views of TASC or our staff or partners.
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