Travis Lupick
California
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Journalist, author. "Light Up the Night: America's Overdose Crisis and the Drug Users Fighting for Survival" (2022). "Fighting for Space" (2018). 💉💊🚬
Articles by Travis Lupick
3 Tennessee Teens Overdosed and 2 Died. Now the Survivor Is Charged With Murder.
An estimated 109,680 people died of a drug overdose in 2022. Police and policy makers at all levels of government spent billions of dollars over the past decade attempting to contain this crisis, but 2022 saw the highest death toll on record, with fatalities exceeding 100,000 for the second year in a row. Social stigma and police push drug use out of view. Every death is a human being and their story, a dark space where personal tragedy and public policy collide.
The US Finally Removes a Major Barrier to Opioid Addiction Treatment
In a major victory for public health and the harm reduction movement, the Biden administration is touting changes to federal drug law that removed a major barrier to accessing buprenorphine, a standard medication for treating opioid dependence and addiction that is crucial for preventing overdose deaths.
For a Healthier Society, Ditch the Myth of Normal - Bioneers
This article was originally published in Yes! Magazine and is licensed under Creative Commons. BY TRAVIS LUPICK A typical American life in 2022 might include spending 50 hours a week mostly alone in a cubicle, riddled with chronic stress but on track for a promotion. Evenings pass isolated in a tower, where a doorman ensures strangers and even neighbors are kept at bay. You swipe down into the bowels of Instagram until you fall asleep.
For a Healthier Society, Ditch the Myth of Normal
Review An assessment or critique of a service, product, or creative endeavor such as art, literature or a performance. Celebrated physician Gabor Maté on how our toxic culture is making us ill. Why you can trust us A typical American life in 2022 might include spending 50 hours a week mostly alone in a cubicle, riddled with chronic stress but on track for a promotion. Evenings pass isolated in a tower, where a doorman ensures strangers and even neighbors are kept at bay.
Does Grapefruit Juice Make MDMA Stronger?
It is commonly believed among “recreational” users of MDMA that grapefruit juice (or other citrus/acidic beverages) potentiates the effects of, and/or expedites the onset of MDMA. Since there are no studies specifically on the subject matter, I performed a mini meta-analysis on a number of studies that observed drug metabolism with MDMA use, and cross-referenced a number of other studies done around the affected enzymes.
We’re in a fentanyl crisis. California needs to stop dragging on supervised injections sites
When news broke last month that San Francisco is allowing people to use drugs inside the new Tenderloin Treatment Linkage Center, the mayor’s spokesperson sent out an email calling the decision an “emergency initiative ... about doing everything we can to help people struggling with addiction.” Critics accused the city of running a “supervised drug consumption area,” which is currently illegal under state and federal law.
US Fatal Overdoses Top 100,000 Annually While NY Injection Sites See Zero Deaths
Jess Tilley works on the front lines of the U.S.’s overdose crisis. She runs a mobile syringe exchange in Northampton, Massachusetts, delivering clean needles to intravenous drug users. It’s a job that routinely brings her into situations of life or death. Tilley has responded to many overdoses over the years, and while she has never failed to resuscitate someone, every such encounter is intensely stressful. The work takes a mental toll. It also frustrates her.
Taking Back Our Focus
In 2018, he bought a “dumbphone” that lacked internet access, and found an old laptop that wouldn’t let him connect to the World Wide Web, check email, or access social media. With a backpack stuffed with paperbacks, he boarded a ferry for Provincetown, Massachusetts, and, with a pang of anxiety, stepped out of the modern world. For the next three months, Hari searched for something he had felt slipping away for many years: his concentration.
Light Up The Night: America's Overdose Crisis And The Drug Users Fighting For Survival
Earn 180 plum® points Buy Online Ship to an address Free shipping on orders over $35 Pick up in store To see if pickup is available, To check store inventory, Prices and offers may vary in store A revelatory, moving narrative that offers a harrowing critique of the war on drugs from voices seldom heard in the conversation: drug users who are working on the front lines to reduce overdose deaths Media coverage has established a clear narrative of the overdose crisis: In the 1990s,...
“This Story Is About Community Versus Isolation”: A Conversation with Sam Quinones
DECEMBER 15, 2021 THE LEAST OF US: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth is not a sequel that Sam Quinones ever intended to write. “I thought the story was done,” Quinones tells LARB. “Who moves on from heroin?” In his 2015 book, Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, Quinones recounts how drug overdose deaths rose steadily through the 1990s and 2000s.
By Tracing Addiction to Childhood Trauma, Can We Find Compassion?
“I’ve always been a rebel,” Gabor Maté says in The Wisdom of Trauma, a new documentary about the acclaimed physician’s groundbreaking work in mental health. “In communist Hungary, in grade six, my teacher wrote in my report card that, ‘You should watch it, because he incites the other students.’” Nearly 70 years later, although far from the playground, Maté is still doing exactly what his teacher warned of.
Light Up the Night: America’s Overdose Crisis and the Drug Users Fighting for Survival: Lupick, Travis: 9781620976388: Books
A revelatory, moving narrative that offers a harrowing critique of the war on drugs from voices seldom heard in the conversation: drug users who are working on the front lines to reduce overdose deaths Media coverage has established a clear narrative of the overdose crisis: In the 1990s, pharmaceutical corporations flooded America with powerful narcotics while lying about their risk; many patients developed addictions to prescription opioids; then, as access was restricted, waves of people...
Light Up the Night: America's Overdose Crisis and the Drug Users Fighting for Survival
Description A revelatory, moving narrative that offers a harrowing critique of the war on drugs from voices seldom heard in the conversation: drug users who are working on the front lines to reduce overdose deaths When the news began to break (and break) about the impending opioid epidemic, the story was reliably about despair, addiction, and death.
"Undoing Drugs"-Maia Szalavitz's Profound History of Harm Reduction
In 1986, HIV/AIDS was burning through New York. The city’s gay population was devastated, and, though it was talked about much less, so were its quarter million injection drug users. Maia Szalavitz tried not to share needles. But syringes were scarce, and she was addicted to drugs, shooting cocaine and heroin daily. Facing 15-years-to-life on a trafficking charge, she often found it more important to dampen her anxiety, and turn the dial down on a world that didn’t always feel comfortable to her.
"This Is Ohio"-Economic Pain and Harm Reduction in the Rust Belt
Jack Shuler watched the overdose crisis take a heavy toll on his hometown of Newark, Ohio. It was terrible and needed attention, the author and Denison University associate professor of English told Filter. But deaths alone—even so many—were not the whole story. “There were a couple of different counties in Ohio that were using refrigerator trucks to store the bodies of people who had overdosed and died,” Shuler began in a telephone interview. “That was the narrative coming out of Ohio.
How "Reforms" Swelled the Carceral State
Place Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law together on a street corner in an impoverished neighborhood and they’ll see examples of a new and expanded carceral system in every direction they look. A man walks toward them and the journalists spot an ankle bracelet, monitoring his location electronically.
California’s Huge Overdose Increase Didn’t Have to Happen
The overdose crisis has finally reached California, following a relative delay in the arrival of fentanyl there which I described for Filter in 2018. Meanwhile, in the State Senate, legislators have an opportunity to deploy an effective response. There were an estimated 6,518 drug-overdose deaths across California last year, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 15. That’s up from 5,626 in 2018—an increase of 15.9 percent.
Harm Reduction Works: An Exciting New Alternative to Narcotics Anonymous
The pandemic is taking a toll on people’s mental health, and there’s likely no group more affected than people who struggle with their drug use. “People are so isolated right now and longing for connection,” Jess Tilley, co-director of the Urban Survivors Union, a national group of drug users, told Filter. “And then when you add being a drug user on top of that, or being a frontline worker or working in harm reduction, it’s worse.
Dave Murray’s Legacy: A Safer World for Drug Users
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Benjamin Perrin's Overdose begs conservative readers to embrace progressive solutions to the overdose crisis
British Columbia declared the coronavirus a public-health emergency two weeks ago today, on March 17. It’s a rare measure that authorities have only deployed a few times in the province’s history. Even more extraordinary, B.C. was already in a state of emergency when it decided that COVID-19 warranted this classification. The first state of emergency, made official in April 2016, was declared in response to an unprecedented and seemingly ever-rising number of illicit-drug overdose deaths.
A Conversation with Anna Mehler Paperny
MARCH 31, 2020 ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY does not want anyone to commit suicide. Her new book, Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me: Depression in the First Person, extends a warm hand to anyone who’s feeling what she has been through. But for people who are absolutely determined to try self-harm, she has a few solid suggestions they might want to consider.
Benjamin Perrin's Overdose begs conservative readers to embrace progressive solutions to the overdose crisis
British Columbia declared the coronavirus a public-health emergency two weeks ago today, on March 17. It’s a rare measure that authorities have only deployed a few times in the province’s history. Even more extraordinary, B.C. was already in a state of emergency when it decided that COVID-19 warranted this classification. The first state of emergency, made official in April 2016, was declared in response to an unprecedented and seemingly ever-rising number of illicit-drug overdose deaths.
COVID-19: Vancouver prepares fines and enforcement mechanisms for those ignoring coronavirus precautions
The city of Vancouver has signaled it’s losing patience with citizens who continue to ignore rules and advice aimed at minimizing the spread of the coronavirus. “Vancouver City Council will convene on Monday [March 23] for a Special Council Meeting to vote on an amendment to Vancouver’s emergency powers bylaw that will include enforcement of orders,” a city media release reads.
COVID-19: Senior IOC member says coronavirus will see 2020 Summer Olympics postponed
It’s not yet official, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reportedly about to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. “On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” IOC member Dick Pound is quoted saying in a USA Today article published online this afternoon (March 23).
COVID-19: B.C. eases restaurant regulations to allow for alcoholic beverages to come with pickup and delivery orders
The coronavirus and accompanying physical-distancing orders have a lot of people taking a more-relaxed approach to life. Working from home has a lot of people living in sweatpants, for example. And who’s going to notice if you indulge in a bit of a boozy lunch while we ride this thing out? Authorities have similarly eased certain regulations in order to help people cope.
The coronavirus has eSports online numbers soaring but live events are mostly postponed or cancelled
The NHL, MLS, CFL, NBA, and MLB are all on hiatus as part of North America’s collective effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Another wildly popular sector of competitive entertainment is similarly affected by the coronavirus, although it’s receiving less attention from the mainstream media. That’s eSports, the high-stakes world of competitive video gaming. In some ways, the virus and the measures people are taking to #FlattenTheCurve are actually a boon to the industry.
B.C. premier John Horgan and finance minister Carole James pledge COVID-19 economic relief is on the way
The coronavirus is hammering the B.C. economy. Authorities have encouraged bars and restaurants to limit services, movie theatres are sitting empty, tourist attractions are closed or deserted, and concerts and events of every kind are cancelled or postponed indefinitely. Today (March 17), B.C. premier John Horgan acknowledged economic concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and said the provincial government is working on providing relief.
B.C. says K-12 students to stay home from school until the worst of the coronavirus has passed
Elementary and secondary schools across British Columbia will remained closed indefinitely, B.C. education minister Rob Fleming announced today (March 17). “This is a very challenging time in B.C. and around the world,” he said at a press conference in Victoria. “The actions we are taking today are temporary. We will return to regular school life down the road.
Vancouver housing advocates issue call for urgent coronavirus help for the homeless
“How can you self-isolate when you don't have a home?” That’s the question that the Carnegie Community Action Centre (CCAP) is asking in light of unprecedented measures that authorities are encouraging citizens to adopt in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Cam girls and online porn see a boom in business during the coronavirus lockdown
Social distancing and self-isolation efforts prompted by the coronavirus are killing the economy. But a few specific industries are actually fairing better during this uncertain time. Hand sanitizer and other cleaning products (and toilet paper, of course) continue to fly off the shelves. Other industries seeing a boom in business since North America confined itself indoors are less obvious.
BC.'s public-sector union calls for a coronavirus freeze on rent and mortgage payments
If you’re an employee working in the service sector, tourism industry, gig economy, or any one of countless other fields, the coronavirus may by now be putting a frightening squeeze on your finances. The B.C. Government Employees Union (BCGEU) has heard that from its 80,000 members throughout the province and has called for a freeze on rent and mortgage payments for sick or self-isolating employees.
Councillors to ask if Vancouver civic buildings should offer free pads and tampons
The average Canadian woman spends $65.82 per year on menstrual products, according to a 2017 estimate by Chatelaine magazine. That might not sound like much but, in 2018, Plan International Canada found that fully one-third of Canadian women under the age of 25 have struggled to afford menstrual products.
Vancouver drug users employed in overdose response vote on whether to join a union
It’s not very often that the labour movement receives much attention these days. In both Canada and the United States, unions are the weakest they’ve been in a generation and the so-called gig economy is only growing stronger. Today (March 9) in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, however, there’s an important vote underway that could see a unique group of workers join an influential Metro Vancouver union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1004 (CUPE 1004).
Starbucks testing new hot-coffee cups in Vancouver in search for environmentally friendly containers
If you’re standing on a street corner in downtown Vancouver as you read this, look up from your screen and odds are you’ll spot a Starbucks coffee cup before taking another step. The Seattle-based coffee giant’s white and green containers are ubiquitous in Vancouver, and now a little better for the planet.
Tightrope: A Powerful But Problematic Deaths-of-Despair Narrative
Through the 1970s, Nicholas Kristof rode the Number 6 bus to school with Donna King, the Knapp’s five children, and a gaggle of other little boys and girls attending Yamhill Grade School and Yamhill Carlton High School in small-town Oregon.
Chelsea Handler visits Whistler to appropriately celebrate 45 years with a drink in one hand and a joint in the other
Chelsea Handler had some fun in B.C. last week. The comedian and cannabis enthusiast shared a video from Whistler in which she hits the slopes with Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” playing in the background. One can’t help but notice that a pair of pants is missing from Handler’s snow gear. The video is also catching comments for what Handler did choose to bring onto the mountain. As she skis down what looks to be a lower section of Blackcomb, there’s a joint in one hand and a cocktail in the other.
North Vancouver proposes public-smoking ban plus updated language that includes e-cigs and vaping
Tonight (March 3), the city of North Vancouver will debate banning smoking in most public spaces. Councillors will receive a series of proposed bylaw amendments that would prohibit smoking in parks, plazas, and multi-use pathway. The proposed amendments wold also expand the city’s definition of the word “smoking” to prohibit e-cigarettes and vaping devices in the same ways it bans the smoking of cigarettes and cannabis.
Tunnels and bridges shortlisted for a new high-capacity crossing of the Burrard Inlet
Traffic on Vancouver’s North Shore is a nightmare. The provincial government conceded this point a few years ago and now has identified possibilities for a new high-capacity crossing of the Burrard Inlet. The list consists of six shortlist options that are deemed to fit with existing infrastructure and work with future land use and affordable-housing developments.
UBC student discovers new planet that might hold liquid water one thousand light years from Earth
A UBC student has found no less than 17 new possible planets, including one that appears to meet the conditions required to hold liquid water on its surface. Michelle Kunimoto, a PhD candidate in UBC’s department of physics and astronomy, made the discoveries analyzing data collected by NASA’s Kelper mission, which used a telescope launched into space to gather information about celestial bodies found orbiting stars.
Property tax relief on the way for small businesses and nonprofit groups squeezed by runaway growth
Property values across Metro Vancouver and throughout much of British Columbia have soared during the past decade. That might sound like great news for owners, but for many, newfound wealth has brought challenges. Higher property values mean higher property taxes. For owners with no intent to sell, that simply means larger bills.
Telus vows to repair broken payphone in remote region of B.C.
Calling it “David versus Goliath” might be a stretch, but a small-town B.C. politician has fought a mighty corporation and won. Telus has vowed to repair a remote payphone after the area’s local MP drew attention to the matter on social media. “Can I get 100 RTs to convince @TELUS to finally fix the pay phone at the Rosswood General Store?” Taylor Backrach, the NDP MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, wrote on Twitter last Saturday (February 22).
A federal carbon tax infringes on provincial rights, Alberta court finds
Canada’s carbon tax is unconstitutional, according to the Court of Appeal of Alberta. In a 4-1 decision today (February 24), judges said the tax impinges on provincial affairs. Chief Justice Catherine Fraser described the law as a “constitutional Trojan horse” and argued it violates provincial jurisdiction on issues concerning non-renewable resources.
B.C. overdose deaths declined in 2019 but health officials caution the overdose crisis continues
The province’s first initial count of overdose deaths in 2019 shows a sharp decline from previous years but a number that remains miles above what was once considered “normal” for British Columbia. There were 981 illicit-drug-overdose deaths in B.C. last year, according to a B.C. Coroners Service (BCCS) report released today (February 24). That’s down roughly a third from 1,543 deaths in 2018 and 1,495 the year before that.
Insite co-founder says government won't ask how overdose crisis began because it doesn't want the answer
An entire election cycle has long come and gone since a Vancouver harm-reduction pioneer began lobbying the Prime Minister’s Office for a formal review of the opioid epidemic. And finally, after 22 months of correspondence, it appears Ottawa has shut the door on the idea.
Federal government says it will not use force to break up Indigenous protests across Canada
The federal government has said that for now it has no intention of using physical force to end Indigenous demonstrations across Canada. “We have the experience of Oka 30 years ago where people went in with police and someone died,” Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller told the Globe and Mail yesterday (February 16).
RCMP says nothing suspicious about truck carrying three men found in Sooke River
Two men are dead in Sooke and a third is missing but the RCMP has said it does not believe that foul play was involved in the incident. Cpl. Chris Manseau, a spokesperson for the force, yesterday (February 3) told media that so far police have found nothing suspicious about the deaths. “There is no indication at this time that intoxication or anything is a part of this,” he said according to the Province.
A lot of snow is about to fall on Metro Vancouver and people are freaking out
The Weather Network shared an ominous warning this morning (January 4). “Vancouver could see a month’s worth of snow in a few hours,” reads a headline the network posted on social media. “Up to 20 cm of snow is on the way for Metro Vancouver, likely to cause widespread travel woes on Tuesday and Wednesday,” an accompanying message adds. Click through to the link and the bad news continues.
Coronavirus update: Canadians returning from China's Hubei province will be quarantined for 14 days
Canada will soon begin bringing citizens home from Hubei province, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak that’s infected more than 17,400 people and left some 360 dead since mid January 2020. A B.C. government release does not say how many Canadian citizens the government is working to repatriate but does state that at least some of them will eventually continue on to British Columbia as their final destination.
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