How diverse is Cologne carnival? How migrants appropriate popular art spaces

The present article contributes to the ongoing academic debate on migrants’ appropriation of artistic and political spaces in Germany. Cologne, one of the largest cities in Germany, is an interesting example of the tension between political discourse centred around multiculturalism and cultural segregation processes. The ‘no fool is illegal’ carnival organised by asylum seekers shows their capacity to act, as they reinvent an old local tradition by reinterpreting medieval rituals. Today, different groups and associations appropriate this festive art space: migrants, gays and lesbians, feminists and far-left groups either organise their own parties or take part in the official parties and parades as separate groups. As a result, the celebration of diversity figures on the local political agenda and becomes part of the official carnival festivities. This leads to a blurring of boundaries, whereby mainstream popular culture becomes more and more influenced by multicultural elements.     

Differences and similarities in monetary benefits for informal care in old and new EU member states

This article presents an overview of the monetary benefits available in the context of long‐term care provided by family or other informal carers in 11 old and 10 new EU member states. All but one country in our sample offer at least some monetary benefits that can be used to help finance informal care. Old EU member states tend to direct benefits to individuals in need of care, whereas new EU member states place more emphasis on benefits for carers. Among new EU member states, monetary benefits are less often means‐tested and tend to be lower compared with benefits in old EU member states. Because social policies in many countries increasingly rely on monetary benefits rather than on benefits in kind and because the share of informal care in the overall provision of elderly care will scarcely decline, monetary benefit incentives for labour market participation need to be carefully monitored.     

SAMHSA to write new application for new SOR with stimulants included

The addition of stimulants as an allowable use for State Opioid Response (SOR) grants will require a new application, which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is working on, ADAW has learned. The change was in the FY 2020 appropriations bill passed last month by Congress (see ADAW, Dec. 23, 2019; “FY 2020 Appropriations: Stimulants added to SOR's $1.5 billion,” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adaw.32573 ), along with funding for other SAMHSA programs, including the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment block grant (SAPT BG). After the bill passed before Christmas, Washington went away for the holidays.     

Indivior CEO steps down,pleads guilty over Suboxone

On June 30, the federal Department of Justice announced that Shaun Thaxter, CEO of Indivior, pleaded guilty for misrepresenting Suboxone's safety. Suboxone is buprenorphine combined with naloxone. Briefly, Indivior was trying to promote its new film, saying that its tablets caused a risk of pediatric exposure (see “Reckitt Pulls Suboxone Tablets, Citing Pediatric Exposures,” ADAW, Sept. 12, 2012, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adaw.20347 ). It had just discontinued its own tablets and was trying to convert its patients to its patented film, because the tablets were off patent and it wanted to keep market share, crowding out any generics in a scheme commonly known as “evergreening.” Medicaid formularies in Massachusetts and Virginia were sold on the idea, and therefore agreed to approve Suboxone even to patients with children under the age of 6 living in the home. The interstate commerce made this a federal case.     

Vaping nicotine and marijuana more than doubled

Last week, the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) revealed dramatic increases in vaping of marijuana and nicotine among college students and young adults. The study shows that marijuana use is almost at its highest level in the past four decades.     

NA success linked to support by treatment

A deeply researched white paper shows how mutual support groups can assist — and have assisted — people trying to deal with their drug use. The paper summarizes research on the use of these support groups and details how Narcotics Anonymous (NA) helps drug users, in much the same way Alcoholics Anonymous helps alcohol users, but there are some important distinctions.     

NAMA and AATOD warn Senators not to raise cap

Last week, Mark W. Parrino, president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), and Zachary Talbott, president of the National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery (NAMA Recovery), wrote a letter to Congress warning against raising the DATA 2000 (buprenorphine prescribing) patient cap from 275 to 500 during the pandemic. The letter to Senators Ed Markey (D‐Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D‐N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D‐N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D‐Mass.) and Dianne Feinstein (D‐Calif.) was in response to an April 17 letter from the senators to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Assistant Secretary Elinore McCance‐Katz urging them to increase the cap.