Young Pa. Mayor’s Fatal Fentanyl Overdose A Snapshot Of Epidemic That Is Still Gripping Nation
Brandon Wentz was only 24 when he had to resign as mayor from a small Pennsylvania town because his family was moving. The day after he wrote his resignation letter, he died of an overdose. Other news on the national drug crisis is reported from Michigan, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Texas and California.
The Associated Press:
‘I Killed My Best Friend’: Opioids’ Fatal Grip On Mayor, Pal
Brandon Wentz agonized over his resignation letter. The 24-year-old mayor of Mount Carbon had just moved with his family to a nearby town, requiring him to give up the office. He felt like he was letting his constituents down. “You could just see the stress and sadness in him,” recalled his mother, Janel Firestone. Wentz finally sent a brief missive to the town secretary. Then he met up with a close friend, Ryan Fessler. They hung out in Wentz’s room for a while, and Fessler left. Wentz was dead by morning. The cause: an overdose of heroin and fentanyl. (Rubinkam, 12/9)
The New York Times:
Six Michigan Doctors Charged In $464 Million Insurance And Opioid Scheme
Six Michigan doctors have been charged with insurance fraud and unnecessarily prescribing opioids to patients in a $464 million scheme, according to court documents filed this week by federal prosecutors. The 56-count indictment, filed on Tuesday and made public on Thursday, named Dr. Rajendra Bothra, 77, of Bloomfield Hills, who owned and operated the Pain Center USA in Warren and Eastpointe, Mich., and the Interventional Pain Center in Warren. The other five doctors were employed by the clinics, which catered to patients with joint and spinal injuries. (Holson, 12/7)
NPR:
To Treat Addiction In Rural America, Start With Hiring Specialists
Lindsay Bunker woke up from a nightmare. The 32-year-old lives with her sixth-month-old daughter on the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation in northern Wisconsin. She's struggled with addiction for over 10 years, mostly to heroin. Then came the nightmare: She dreamt two men were attacking her baby while she could think only about drugs. (Sable-Smith, 12/9)
Boston Globe:
Emergency Rooms Once Had Little To Offer Addicted People. That’s Starting To Change.
What Martin did in the ensuing years would help move Mass. General to the vanguard of a new approach to addiction: Instead of sending addicted people on their way, the hospital can start treatment right in the emergency department. And now a new state law is requiring all hospitals to do the same, a mandate that calls on hospitals to meet the challenge of a crisis claiming four or five lives each day in Massachusetts. (Freyer, 12/10)
Courier Journal:
HIV, Opioid Crisis: Explore Courier Journal's Austin Rising
For 4 years, we've chronicled the heartbreaking, drug-fueled HIV epidemic in the small town of Austin, Indiana. Come along as the town lifts itself out of despair to create a new feeling of hope. (Boliaux and Strupp, 12/7)
San Jose Mercury News:
Suspected Fatal Overdoses At San Quentin Prompt Call For Life-Saving Drug Availability
A pair of suspected fatal overdoses on San Quentin State Prison’s death row this week is adding urgency to an effort to allow California prison guards and even inmates to carry a drug that can save the lives of those who overdose on opioids. Attorneys made the request earlier this year to state corrections officials and the federal receiver who controls prison medical care under a long-running lawsuit, Steven Fama of the nonprofit Prison Law Office said Thursday. (Thompson, 12/7)
KQED:
San Quentin Deaths Come Amid Increase In Drug Overdoses At Prison
The recent deaths of two inmates on California's death row at San Quentin State Prison took place as Marin County health paramedics received a "spike" in calls from the prison related to opioid overdoses, according to the county's top health official.Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County's public health officer, said in the past six months the county's emergency medical services responded to 155 ambulance calls at San Quentin. (Goldberg and Shuler, 12/9)
