Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
San Francisco Offers Antipsychotic Drugs To Unhoused Meth Users
San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Is Giving ‘Chill Packs’ To Homeless Meth Users. Why It May Be A Promising Intervention
San Francisco is handing out antipsychotic drugs to homeless methamphetamine users who frequent psychiatric emergency services to help them cope with symptoms such as paranoia, delusions and hallucinations. The city’s top addiction researchers believe it may be the next promising intervention for a portion of people languishing in San Francisco’s streets. (Angst, 8/26)
The Atlantic: A New Way To Track Americans’ Drug Use
Not long ago, tracking the spread of a virus by sampling wastewater counted as a novelty in the United States. Today, wastewater monitoring offers one of the most comprehensive pictures anyone has of COVID-19’s summer surge. This type of surveillance has been so effective at forecasting the risks of the virus’s rise and fall that local governments are now looking for other ways to use it. That has meant turning from tracking infections to tracking illicit and high-risk drug use. (Ouyang, 8/26)
KFF Health News: Public Voices Often Ignored In States’ Opioid Settlement Money Decisions
The conversation wasn’t sounding good for Kensington residents on June 20. The Philadelphia neighborhood is a critical center of the nation’s opioid crisis, and the city had decided to spend $7.5 million in opioid settlement money to improve the quality of life there. But on that day, a Pennsylvania oversight board was about to vote on whether to reject the city’s decision. (Pattani, Larweh and Mahon, 8/27)
In mental health news —
The Hill: Colorado Lawmaker Shares Treatment For Depression To 'De-Stigmatize Mental Illness'
Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) on Monday opened up about her experience with depression, revealing she is seeking treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and wants to “de-stigmatize” mental illness. Caraveo, in a statement Monday, said she, “like many Americans, struggle with depression,” and the symptoms became “more severe” in recent months. (Nazzaro, 8/26)
CBS News: Mental Health Team Responding To Nonviolent 911 Calls Expands Through Los Angeles
A program using mental health workers to respond to non-violent 911 calls focusing on issues with the homeless is expanding through Los Angeles, targeting areas where the need is the greatest. The Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement (CIRCLE) program, launched in 2022, dispatches mental health workers and individuals with lived experience, instead of armed police officers, to provide help and assistance for the homeless. (Sharp, 8/26)
AP: Philadelphia Airport Celebrates Its Brigade Of Stress-Busting Therapy Dogs
A pack of four-legged therapists got a break of their own on Monday when they were honored at the airport where they dutifully work to ease stress and calm travelers. The event at Philadelphia International Airport marked five years since the 23 members of the Wagging Tails Brigade began greeting people and serving as therapy dogs. (Vejpongsa, 8/26)
