End It For Good

Change CAN happen! Mississippi Today recently published a story about District Attorney Steven Kilgore, who has decided to stop prosecuting mothers for drug use during pregnancy. After learning about the harsh realities and long-term impacts his previous approach had on women, he's chosen a new path. Brandy Moore's story sheds light on this issue. She faced felony charges for struggling with substance use early in her pregnancy. Even though she overcame addiction, she was later indicted for aggravated domestic violence against her unborn child. Upon reviewing the outcomes of such cases — where many women ended up in prison rather than receiving the help they needed — DA Kilgore has chosen to halt these prosecutions. This is a reminder that education and awareness can lead to positive change! It's wonderful to see people learn more and then change something harmful. You can read the full story at https://lnkd.in/gf-QP9dj

Navigating the holidays sober? You're not alone. It can sometimes feel intimidating to find the words to tell people that you're sober. If you're looking for a light-hearted yet helpful way to let your loved ones know you're not drinking this holiday season, check out Jonathon M. Seidl's article on the Circle of Chairs blog, titled "5 Ways to Tell Your Family You're Not Drinking This Christmas." It offers examples and some practical advice to make those conversations easier and more comfortable. Read, enjoy and share with anyone who might find it useful! Go to bit.ly/5-ways-article to check it out!

We're excited to share that our Reimagining Addiction Treatment event in Hattiesburg last week was covered by WDAM7! These events are meant to spread the word about alternative pathways to recovery from addiction — such as mutual aid groups or medication-assisted therapies — and we're so happy to offer people an opportunity to learn about them. Thank you, WDAM7! Check out the story here: https://lnkd.in/dBP_JV4f

There are a lot of groundbreaking approaches to addiction recovery treatment that many of us may have never heard of — like NeuroElectric Therapy (N.E.T.). N.E.T. uses electrical stimulation on the brain, and patients in trials have said it either completely or almost completely removes the experience of cravings and withdrawal symptoms. If you're interested in learning about it, there is a fascinating documentary available on Amazon Prime called "The Final Fix" that highlights the incredible potential of this approach. It's definitely worth a watch! Check it out at amzn.to/490tTbC

Big news!📢 The U.S. is experiencing a significant decline in drug overdose deaths, with projected fatalities for the current year falling below 100,000 for the first time since 2020. According to the CDC, there was nearly a 17 percent drop in overdose deaths in the span of 12 months ending in June, totaling 93,087, down from 111,615 in the previous year. Harm-reduction measures and improved access to addiction treatment medications (like methadone and buprenorphine) are likely contributing factors here, officials at the CDC said. We still have a long way to go, but we can celebrate this reason for hope today! Read more at https://lnkd.in/g7mSyi36

People magazine recently shared the incredible journey of Meghann Perry — who spoke at our 2023 SHIFT Summit — and her daughter, Sophie Perry-Stewart. Meghann used to struggle with an addiction to heroin, and Sophie was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). She has experienced complications from it all her life. Despite the odds, Sophie and Meghann's story is a beautiful one — together, they're learning how to be mom and daughter again, one step at a time. You can read their story at bit.ly/meghann-and-sophie

"In 2022 alone, there were more than 100,000 deaths from drug overdoses in the United States. In New York, someone dies from an overdose every 90 minutes. To put this in perspective, more New Yorkers died from overdoses in 2021 than from suicides, homicides, and car accidents combined. With statistics this stark, we cannot afford to ignore any form of treatment, especially methadone, which has been the gold standard for treating opioid use disorder since the 1960s." It's time to destigmatize methadone. This medication — which is safe and effective — was designed to treat opioid use disorder, yet only a small percentage of opioid users get the help they need. Many are deterred by the unwarranted stigma attached to methadone use. To learn more, read this op-ed by Charles Madray in the AMNY Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gzcfMaM4

Dr. Stacey McKenna recently released a powerful video about how the iron law of prohibition has led us to increasingly potent, dangerous drugs found on the underground market. It's a great summary of how we arrived at the fentanyl overdose crisis we're seeing today. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/gQYkTCet

We've utilized the criminal justice system to tackle drug and addiction issues for decades, but this method doesn't address the real problem or provide consistent results. In Christina's new op-ed in the DC Journal, she shares how she shifted from seeing drug addiction as a criminal issue to understanding it as a complex health challenge. In order to help more people live healthy, thriving lives, we need to offer treatment and support to people who are struggling with addiction - not more punishment. You can read her full article at https://lnkd.in/gq2sd9ZT

Big news!📢 We're thrilled to share that we've found an amazing leader to scale our impact nationwide — please join us in welcoming Bryan Mauk as our new CEO! Bryan brings over 15 years of dedicated service in the nonprofit sector, most recently at PCs for People, where he expanded access to technology for underserved communities across the country. Earlier in his career, Bryan worked extensively with people who were homeless, individuals re-entering society after incarceration and at-risk teens. Through these experiences, he saw firsthand the downstream destruction of a criminal justice approach to drugs and addiction. This ignited his passion to go upstream and stop the harm before it happens — which is why he's a great fit for our mission! End It For Good will reach even more people under Bryan's leadership. We're so excited to step into this new chapter!