NO SENSIBLE PERSON wants to “punish addiction” or needlessly imprison addicts. But this is precisely what some accuse the criminal justice system of doing when courts incarcerate addicted criminals who violate their condition of probation or parole by returning to drugs. In a recent editorial, the New York Times claimed that relapsing shouldn’t be a crime because addiction […]
Addiction
Posted inDrug Addiction
No welcome wagon for sober houses
IT”S BECOME INCREASINGLY popular to talk about addiction problems as a public health issue, with those suffering from the problem in need of help, not scorn or jail. Much less popular is the idea of that help being delivered next door. Especially when that means packing the programs into communities that feel they already do […]
Posted inThe Download
No welcome wagon for sober houses
It’s become increasingly popular to talk about addiction problems as a public health issue, with those suffering from the problem in need of help, not scorn or jail. Much less popular is the idea of that help being delivered next door. Especially when that means packing the programs into communities that feel they already do […]
Posted inDrug Addiction
Involuntary commitment of drug users wrong approach
MASSACHUSETTS IS AIMING to tackle the opioid crisis head on. On Friday, the Joint House and Senate committee dealing with substance abuse is set to move forward on major legislation known as the CARE Act. Though the bill includes many good measures, it would also expand the dubious practice of involuntarily sending drug users to rehab. And that […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
A welcome boost for Boston Medical Center
A $25 million donation to Boston Medical Center has, in the words of the hospital’s CEO, Kate Walsh, brought “addiction medicine out of the philanthropic shadows.” The gift, from billionaire investor John Grayken and his wife, Eileen Grayken, will establish the Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine at BMC. It does indeed send a loud message about […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Patrick Kennedy comes clean
Patrick Kennedy wears his heart on his sleeve, his manner far more confessional than calculating. That said, his timing couldn’t be better. The youngest child of Ted Kennedy has written a book that pulls back the curtain on the painful damage done by addiction in his family at a time when the scourge of drug […]