The Yurok Tribal Council voted unanimously last week to oppose the proposed bankruptcy settlement agreement and restructuring plan for OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma, saying it amounts to a “sweetheart settlement” for the billionaire Sackler family, which owns the pharmaceutical giant. “There is no justice in this settlement,” Tribal Chair Joseph James said in a press […]
Addiction
Posted inNews
As Heroin Addiction Increases, Humboldt Sees a Surge in Drug Seizures
Just three drug busts between August and November — including one of the largest in recent history — helped push the amount of heroin seized by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force in 2018 into the record books. Over the course of last year, the multi-agency investigative team recovered nearly 35 pounds of the drug […]
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NYT Story Examines Heroin’s Impact on Local Tribes and its Link to an Ailing River
The New York Times this week explores the devastating impacts of the nation’s opioid crisis on Kaurk, Hoopa and Yurok tribal communities, placed in the context of their connection to the struggling health of the Klamath River — an integral link between the tribes as well as their past, present and future in the region. It’s […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
The High Price of Freedom
The libertarian Cato Institute released its annual report this week ranking the freest states in the nation and, perhaps unsurprisingly, California ranked among the very bottom, 48th out of 50. But the list, which ranked states through a libertarian lens based on personal and economic freedoms across 230 policy variables, including taxation, gun freedoms, civil […]
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Humboldt County’s Most Successful Addiction Treatment Program Might Be Probation
When Joel Pittman was a kid, he wanted to be a doctor. Instead, the Eureka native found himself homeless at 21, traveling up and down the West Coast, spending around $200 a day on heroin to avoid going through withdrawal or getting “dope-sick.” To support his habit, he dealt drugs and stole. He was arrested […]
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Clean, Sober, Homeless
Ligia Giovannoni thought she was doing the right thing. The petite 58-year-old with dark hair and large, dark eyes brought a thick folder of paperwork to her meeting with the Journal on Nov. 15. In it was the deed to her former home at 2145 C St. in Eureka, rental agreements with the women who lived […]
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Bass Announces $4.8 Million Federal Grant, Ramped Up Needle Disposal Efforts at Packed Opioid Town Hall
Speaking before a Sequoia Conference Center packed with more than 250 people for Tuesday night’s opioid town hall meeting hosted by state Sen. Mike McGuire, Humboldt County Supervisor Virginia Bass announced the county has received a $4.8 million federal grant to create a new local opioid help center. The meeting saw presentations from a handful […]
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Goodbye MAC, Hello Waterfront Treatment Services
The dramatic debate in Washington, D.C. over the fate of national healthcare policy almost scuttled plans to bring comprehensive addiction treatment to Humboldt County. The July 18 vote by the Eureka City Council to allow City Manager Greg Sparks to negotiate a lease agreement for the property at 139 Y St. formerly known as the […]
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EPD Offering Grant Money for Juvenile Drug Treatment
The Eureka Police Department is offering $20,000 in grant money to a local nonprofit or government entity with a proven track record of successfully combating juvenile drug addiction. The money comes from the $124,000 in asset seizure funds EPD received last year, $25,000 of which can be earmarked for community education. Chief Andrew Mills said […]
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Opioid Prescription Rates Falling in Humboldt
While Humboldt County still has more opioid prescriptions than people, the county reports it is making headway in battling what has become a nationwide epidemic. The Humboldt County Department of Human Services reported this morning that the amount of opioids prescribed in the county has dropped by 23 percent since 2010, falling from 1.29 prescriptions […]
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Life-Saving Librarian, Narcan Prevent Overdose Death
The overdose reversal drug Narcan has saved at least two lives in Humboldt County this month. Over the weekend, Arcata police officers revived an unconscious 29-year-old man with a nasal spray dose in the department’s first use of Narcan since officers began carrying the medication that counteracts the effects of opioids. Earlier this month, librarian […]
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MediCal Expansion May Bring Better Addiction Treatment to Humboldt
Drug and alcohol related fatalities comprised 20 percent of all Humboldt County deaths over the last three years, but the number of those seeking help often exceeds the amount of treatment available. A change in the state’s MediCal program may change that, opening up access to treatment for many low-income residents. A key component of the […]