Alison Knopf

Flavored Vapes: The Partial US Ban Brings Very Mixed Feelings

It was a cold, rainy morning when I walked into “Happy Habits,” our local vape store in the Hudson Valley.…

January 6, 2020

The Ethical Quagmire of Conducting Drug Trials With Incarcerated People

Using human beings as “guinea pigs” for unethical experiments becomes so much easier when the subjects belong to marginalized and…

December 5, 2019

Cannabis for Opioid Use Disorder: What Do Experts and Patients Say?

Cannabis works as a treatment for opioid use disorder, according to many patients and some limited research. But experts suggest…

November 19, 2019

A TSA Officer Sexually Assaulted Me: Know Your Rights

The first person I interviewed for this story⁠—days before I knew I would write it, because I felt ashamed—was my…

October 30, 2019

Why Opioid Pharma Hatred Is Overblown and Harmful

Opioid pharma—manufacturers of medications designed to relieve pain—has been under the gun ever since the opioid-involved overdose crisis began. Most…

October 17, 2019

SAMHSA Stifles Public Comment on Expanding Cops’ Powers Over MAT Patients

Technical problems. That’s the reason the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) gives for its commenting website being…

September 24, 2019

SAMHSA Ushers in Law Enforcement “Fishing Expeditions” for MAT Patients

The federal government’s move to ditch confidentiality regulations for substance use disorder treatment will increase patients’ exposure to law enforcement…

August 28, 2019

SAMHSA to Drop SUD Treatment Confidentiality Rule, Because “Times Change”

The attack on patient confidentiality⁠—by the very agency that is supposed to protect it⁠—has begun. On August 22 the Substance…

August 23, 2019

Your Methadone History Could Soon Be Shared Without Your Consent

The federal government wants to weaken confidentiality rules for patients with addictions. This means people who have been in any…

July 31, 2019

To Taper a Pain Patient? It’s Never One-Size-Fits-All

Many years ago, I broke my ankle⁠—tibia and fibula⁠—in a fall from a horse. It was compound and comminuted, meaning…

July 22, 2019