Welcome to This Week in Recovery, a weekly recap of the 5 biggest stories and developments in the recovery industry.
El Chapo Convicted While Cartels Still Operate Freely – NYTimes
The conclusion of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman’s trial this week was heralded as a major victory in the war against Mexican drug cartels. The same day however, Arizona officials made the largest seizure of fentanyl ever found in the United States, enough for 100 million lethal doses. The capture is a reminder that Guzman’s organization, the Sinaloa drug cartel, is going to require far more effort to dismantle than simply the removal of their leader.
Protesters Target Guggenheim Over Link To Sackler Family – The Guardian
Tourists and locals stood in confusion as protestors tossed thousands of fake prescriptions that read “Sacklers Lie, People Die” from the top of the Guggenheim to protest the museum’s association with the family that owns Purdue Pharma. The OxyContin manufacturing company has been making headlines recently as lawsuits have alleged that it played a major role in the current opioid epidemic in the country.
Crystal Meth Is The Hottest Gift for North Korea’s Lunar New Year – NYTimes
Crystal methamphetamine continues to be a popular drug used by the North Korean government and people. Called pingdu (ice drug) in Korean, methamphetamine was once produced by state run facilities and either used by the military or sold to the Chinese triads and Japanese yakuza. Today, it is a popular gift to exchange during the Lunar New Year.
“Mexican Oxy” Pills Hit Arizona Hard – NYTimes
Fake Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl have flooded Arizona in the last several years. From 2015 to 2017, fentanyl deaths have tripled in Arizona, claiming the lives of the old, young, poor, and rich alike. Stamped with ‘M”on one side and ’30’ on the other to make them look like legitimate oxycodone, the pills started showing up in Arizona in recent years as the Sinaloa cartel’s newest drug product.
FDA Accuses McKesson of Shipping “Illegitimate” Product – CNBC
The Food and Drug Administration warned the drug distributor McKesson for allegedly shipping an “illegitimate” product. “A distributor’s failure to have systems in place to investigate and quarantine suspect and illegitimate products within their control is a violation of the law. But this is even more concerning given that we’re in the midst of a widespread opioid crisis,’ said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.
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Stories of Recovery: Samuel L. Jackson
Before his cold-eyed and swaggering appearance in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, Samuel Jackson was a 44-year-old stage actor in New York struggling with substance abuse. Read about why the actor decided to get sober and how he credits his strong work ethic.
