Tag Archives: opioids
Wastewater Treatment Plants: Cocktail of drugs taint bonefish in Biscayne Bay and Keys, study finds.
A cocktail of prescription drugs, from blood pressure medications to opioids, has found its way into the flesh of South Florida’s population of bonefish, one of the state’s most sought-after game fish, according to a study released this week. “The source of this contamination is human waste and a wastewater infrastructure that has been pressed beyond its technological capability and capacity, at least to meet the demands of today,” The culprit is a sewage system designed to filter out fecal matter and other pollution, but not pharmaceuticals, researchers at Florida International University and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust say. >click to read< 09:07 Read more about wastewater treatment plants, >click to read<
‘Completely heartbroken’: Beloved lobsterman loses addiction fight
The F/V Patricia Lynn II was Josiah Beringer’s refuge. It was also his darkness. The red and white lobster boat, named after his late mother, The Patricia Lynn now sits inside a cold warehouse at the state pier in Portsmouth, propped in the air above the concrete floor. A haunting autumn wind sweeps in, circling the boat like a cloak, a spirit. Aboard the Patricia Lynn on July 10, while docked at Badger’s Island in Kittery, Maine, Josiah overdosed twice within the same day, the second time killing him. He laid on her deck for 10 hours before he was found. He was 31. >click to read<05:47
Finding help for addicted fishermen
It hurts to be a fisherman. Tyler Miranda found that out when he started working on a scallop boat at age 18. The son of a lobsterman and nephew of a scalloper, he was prepared for long days of heavy, repetitive work. But he didn’t anticipate how much his back would hurt after hours of shucking scallops, hauling buckets, and shoveling debris. Nor did he foresee the remedy his boatmates would offer: Percocets. >click to read<13:42
Drug overdoses hit new high in 2017 — CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates a record number of people died from drug overdoses in 2017. The death toll is higher than the peak yearly death totals from HIV, vehicle crashes or gun deaths. Experts point to two contributing factors: More Americans are using opioids, and drugs are becoming more deadly. Parts of Appalachia and New England showed the highest mortality rates. Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont all saw declines. Trump has also set up a presidential council to address the problem. “A majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet”, Ebied said. “Because of the forces of stigma, the population is reluctant to seek care”. There were 10,684 overdose deaths from these drugs in 2016. Ciccarone said the real number could be as high as 4 million. >click to read<11:02
One Square Mile: Opioids In New Bedford’s Fishing Industry – Parts 1 and 2
Captain Mario Gonsalves drove up to the docks one December morning to find his fishing boat caked with ice. Gonsalves and his five-man crew fish for whiting, squid and scup year round — in all kinds of weather.“Right now we drug test all the time,’’ Gonsalves said. “We never used to do that but since a couple months back we started drug testing everybody…. Part 1 >click to read< Andrew Dillon has had a front row seat to the opioid epidemic in New Bedford. His dinner is a favorite for local fishermen. Sometimes he sees customers come in so high they can barely stay awake. Part 2>click to read< 10:01 
A deadly epidemic: Addiction to opioids has put an entire generation at risk
Dr. Mary Dowd slid into a chair inside the Portland offices of Catholic Charities and surveyed the list of patients, all battling opioid addiction.,, Many people struggling with addiction find treatment and regain their lives. She sees it every day. Those are the lucky ones. But it’s the people she never gets to see who frustrate her. The ones who don’t make it. The ones who are dying in unprecedented numbers. They are dying in the potato fields of Aroostook County and the lobster-fishing harbors Down East. They are dying in the western Maine foothills where paper mill closures have sown economic anxiety. They are dying in cities like Portland and Lewiston and in the suburbs, where opioids are in plentiful supply. They are dying in New Bedford, Portsmouth, Anytown USA. I know this is not a fishing article, but it is a problem within every fishing community, not only ours. It’s a human tragedy. Read this story here 15:03
