Catherine & Rose: Addiction and Unconditional Love

Catherine & Rose: Addiction and Unconditional Love

In November 2017, Catherine Clark died of an accidental fentanyl overdose. Her mother, Rose, had tried her best to help her daughter overcome her addictions. In the wake of Catherine’s death, Rose had to face her own addictions. This story of addiction, loss, and unconditional love is just one of countless examples in the context of America’s opioid epidemic.   Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of drug use, addiction, and a few curse words.   SAMHSA National Helpline: [https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline] 1-800-662-4357   For The Love Of Catherine Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/231232607525424]   Harm reduction groups mentioned in this episode: Reacting to Opioid Overdose [https://roonow.org/] DFW Harm Reduction Education Access Movement (DHREAM) [https://www.instagram.com/dfwharmredux/?hl=en]   Contact me: jackmoraglia.wordpress.com/contact [https://jackmoraglia.wordpress.com/contact/] References: Dopesick: [https://www.amazon.com/Dopesick-Dealers-Doctors-Company-Addicted/dp/0316551244] Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy Raising Lazarus: [https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Lazarus-Justice-Americas-Overdose/dp/0316430226] Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis by Beth Macy KFF Poll: [https://www.kff.org/other/press-release/kff-poll-three-in-ten-people-say-they-or-someone-in-their-family-has-been-addicted-to-opioids-with-rural-families-hit-hardest/#:~:text=A%20new%20KFF%20poll%20assessing,and%20illegal%20drugs%20like%20heroin.] Two-thirds of Americans have personal or familial experience with addiction. CDC: [https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html] Over 600,000 overdose deaths from 1999 to 2021. American Journal of Public Health: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2622774/] 3% to 45% prescription drug abuse incidence. New York Times: [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/podcasts/the-daily/opioid-victims-have-a-settlement-will-the-supreme-court-undo-it.html?showTranscript=1] $6 billion settlement by Sackler family goes to Supreme Court. Supreme Court: [https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-124] Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. NBC News: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3uadrOvVeE] Protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court. AP News: [https://apnews.com/article/purdue-pharma-opioids-sackler-settlement-supreme-court-403e6d0fd01852b858ac3ce6d2a17e9e] More than 60,000 victims support the settlement. Dallas Morning News: [https://interactives.dallasnews.com/2023/deadly-fake-fentanyl-crisis-in-north-texas/] “Deadly Fake: 30 Days Inside Fentanyl’s Grip on North Texas.” Journal of Applied Communication: [https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2315] Only 7% of opioid news stories used former or current illicit opioid users as sources, and only 5% cited opioid users’ family and friends. Denton’s North Texas Overdose Awareness Day [https://roonow.org/north-texas-overdose-awareness-day/] Narcan Price at Kroger [https://www.kroger.com/p/narcan-nasal-spray-emergency-treatment-of-opioid-overdose-two-single-dose-devices/0036954762702] Texas House Bill 1694 (Jessica Sosa Act) [https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB01694F.htm] Virginia’s 2015 Good Samaritan Law [https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?151+sum+HB1500] Texas Penal Code: [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.42.htm] Abuse of Corpse The International Journal on Drug Policy: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35934583/] “86.6% of individuals with OUD nationwide who may benefit from [medications for opioid use disorder] treatment do not receive it.” American Journal of Public Health: [https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304514?role=tab] “The respective [opioid overdose death] risk among former inmates was 40 times as high as general [North Carolina] residents.” Office of the Texas Governor: [https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-expands-life-saving-narcan-to-all-texas-law-enforcement] Greg Abbott announces allotment of 60,000 units of Narcan for Texas police departments. CDC: [https://www.cdc.gov/ssp/syringe-services-programs-summary.html] “New users of [Syringe Services Programs] are five times more likely to enter drug treatment.”