Sign in

reginalabelle.bsky.social

@reginalabelle.bsky.social
193 followers 184 following 146 posts

Professor of addiction policy at Georgetown University. Former Biden and Obama Administration official. substack.com/@reginalabelle?r=h9gu&…

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Joan Alker @joanalker1.bsky.social · 8h
The state of Nebraska has released data on the 1st few months of Medicaid work reporting requirements Over 1,000 people have lost/been denied coverage Vast majority are losing not bcuz they aren't working but bcuz they can't get thru the red tape My new blog: ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/09/30/n...
ccf.georgetown.edu
Nebraska Releases First Data on Medicaid Work Reporting Requirement: As Expected, Coverage Losses Start to Mount Due to Red Tape
At a recent Medicaid Advisory Committee meeting, the state of Nebraska, the first in the nation to implement what will soon be a mandatory Medicaid work reporting requirement (WRR), shared the first d...
11116
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
www.npr.org/2026/08/06/n...
npr.org
How deep-rooted medical bias creates deadly consequences for addiction patients
Addiction treatments are safe, effective — and rarely offered to patients. That's because many doctors and nurses still view people with alcohol or drug addiction with suspicion and hostility.
000
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
O'Neill Institute @oneillinstitute.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Last week's O'Neill Institute newsletter showcased work by faculty members including @reginalabelle.bsky.social, @michelebgoodwin.bsky.social, and @katie-keith.bsky.social. Subscribe here to stay up to date on our faculty's work: oneill.law.georgetown.edu
022
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Grateful to Science Politics and @emendenhall.bsky.social for publishing my piece on how the next Congress can move forward, in a bipartisan way, to address untreated addiction and overdose.
001
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
David Holtgrave @holtgrave-health.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
A history of medetomidine trends in the NY drug supply and an overview of public health responses: Emergence of Medetomidine in New York’s Illicit Drug Supply | NEJM Evidence @nejm.org @cidrap.bsky.social -- evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
evidence.nejm.org
Emergence of Medetomidine in New York’s Illicit Drug Supply
New York State and New York City health departments have closely monitored the emergence of medetomidine, a sedative that can cause prolonged sedation and a complex withdrawal syndrome, in the illi...
062
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
The long saga with Purdue Pharma is about to end and $7B will flow to governments and a small % to individual victims. The federal government will receive $225 million which will be sent to the General Treasury. abcnews.com/US/wireStory...
abcnews.com
Purdue Pharma to be sentenced in criminal opioids case, allowing settlement money to flow
A judge is expected to sentence OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to forfeit $225 million to the U.S. government
010
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
JAMA @jama.com · 01/03/2026
Opioid overdose deaths in the US have fallen dramatically, according to the latest CDC data. What factors are driving this welcome downturn? ja.ma/3N5FAXY
ja.ma
Why Are Opioid Deaths Declining?
This Medical News article discusses new research on factors contributing to a dramatic decrease in drug overdose deaths in the US since 2023.
183
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Emily Mendenhall @emendenhall.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Regina LaBelle in @sciencepolitics.bsky.social: "The U.S. cannot stop rogue actors by itself when transnational criminal organizations operate w/o regard to borders & across numerous criminal enterprises...Countering TCOs relies upon international cooperation." sciencepolitics.org/2026/02/02/t...
sciencepolitics.org
The Story Linking Migrants to U.S. Fentanyl Deaths Is Powerful. But It Misses the Real Solutions. - Science Politics
Public health investments and international cooperation to stop rogue actors would better address the overdose crisis.
001
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
David Holtgrave @holtgrave-health.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Honored to collaborate with @reginalabelle.bsky.social on a look at the state of policy-relevant substance use data in the nation for @brookings.edu: www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
brookings.edu
The cost of chaos: A cracking windshield on substance use in the US | Brookings
Current conditions create incremental cracks in the national substance use windshield, which must be repaired as quickly as possible.
053
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
open.substack.com/pub/reginala...
open.substack.com
Snapshot of the Moving Fiscal Picture
Grants and Fiscal Year 2026 Funding
020
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Noam Ross @noamross.net · 21/01/2026
Last week, the Trump administration cancelled >$2B in mental health + addiction treatment funds. Only massive, rapid pushback caused them to reverse the decision. But these programs remain at risk. So Grant Witness is now tracking SAMHSA grants. What found so far: grant-witness.us/posts/2026-0...
grant-witness.us
Grant Witness is tracking SAMHSA Grant Terminations – Grant Witness
13821
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Matthew Lawrence @handle.invalid · 05/01/2026
I’m honored to join the @oneillinstitute.bsky.social's Center for Addiction and Public Policy, Taleed El-Sabawi, Regina LaBelle, and other colleagues for the "Winter Institute on Addiction Policy and the Law” CLE event on February 9-10, 2026. Register (zoom or live): web.cvent.com/event/e921a3...
021
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Reversal by White House of addiction and mental health grant cuts. rollcall.com/2026/01/14/h...
rollcall.com
White House reverses $2 billion cut to mental health, addiction grants
Many of the affected grant programs had bipartisan support and President Donald Trump has supported them in the past.
072
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
NPR @npr.org · 03/01/2026
The military removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on US drug charges comes after Trump has freed other figures connected to narcotics trafficking. n.pr/4skk4yB
n.pr
Maduro's ouster on drug charges comes as Trump lets others free
The military removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on US drug charges comes after Trump has freed other figures connected to narcotics trafficking.
88871311
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Venezuela is on the US list of major drug trafficking countries. But it’s on this list because it’s a transit country for cocaine trafficking - not a fentanyl producer. See the State Department 2025 report www.state.gov/wp-content/u...
state.gov
020
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
The children left behind. The Opioid Crisis Never Ended. It Was Inherited by the Children. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | In Appalachia, Children Inherited the Opioid Crisis (Gift Article)
The pain of drug addiction continues to course through towns like Clarksburg, W.Va., where many babies are born withdrawing and have to be taken from their parents.
011
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
More on fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction by David Ovalle of @washingtonpost.com with a range of commentaries from parents looking for solutions to doctors and academics. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
washingtonpost.com
Trump declared fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. What does it mean?
The declaration of fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction is the latest move by President Donald Trump casting the nation’s deadly drug crisis as a national security issue.
000
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
In light of the President’s Executive Order today on fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, I’m reupping the piece we wrote about the issue - oneill.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/u... The overdose epidemic demands serious responses - this isn’t one.
oneill.law.georgetown.edu
000
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Blowing up boats won’t address the larger issue of money laundering that fuels transnational crime - good piece in The NYTimes about the ease of using stable coins for money laundering amidst lax regulation www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/t...
nytimes.com
How a Cryptocurrency Helps Criminals Launder Money and Evade Sanctions
010
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
open.substack.com/pub/reginala...
open.substack.com
Drug Policy Updates
Purdue Litigation and FY26 Appropriations
010
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Now that the Purdue bankruptcy is over, the federal government will receive a $225 million payment as a result of DOJ’s 2018 settlement w/the company. That $ should not go to the general treasury but should be dedicated for treatment and other health services. apnews.com/article/purd...
apnews.com
Here's what's in the opioid settlement against OxyContin maker Purdue and the Sackler family
A bankruptcy court judge has approved the settlement of thousands of lawsuits against Purdue Pharma, maker of the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin.
010
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
This is the same Administration that pardoned the Silk Road founder, an online dark web drug trafficking site linked to 6 deaths. This is performative, likely illegal, & will do little to stop trafficking. U.S. kills 3 in strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela, Trump says wapo.st/4nCzbQN
wapo.st
U.S. kills 3 in strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela, Trump says
The president also signaled that his administration was preparing to take military action against Latin American cartels that move narcotics over land.
020
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
While walking away from anti-money laundering efforts, the Administration is relying more on military tactics in its counter narcotics efforts - a short sighted strategy. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
U.S. kills 11 in strike on alleged drug vessel from Venezuela, Trump says
The attack is a dramatic escalation that coincides with the administration’s growing counternarcotics focus and its intensifying feud with the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro.
010
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
The vast majority of firearms seized in Mexico that can be traced, originate from the US www.nytimes.com/video/world/... www.nytimes.com/video/world/...
nytimes.com
Video: Mexico’s Cartels Are Using Military Weapons
Recent attacks on villages in Mexico’s western state of Michoacán reveal the cartels’ growing paramilitary-style power, using drones, I.E.D.s and other weapons of war. Paulina Villegas examines the af...
010
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) @tfah.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
@reginalabelle.bsky.social will join TFAH on July 30 at 2 PM ET to discuss our Pain in the Nation report. Register today bit.ly/PitN2025Webi...
001
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
New commentary out from @brookings.edu - always great to collaborate with @holtgrave-health.bsky.social Progress under threat: The future of overdose prevention in the United States www.brookings.edu/articles/pro...
brookings.edu
Progress under threat: The future of overdose prevention in the United States | Brookings
Overdose prevention stands at an important crossroads as the Trump administration and Congress propose and implement policies that endanger recent progress.
043
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Important perspective from Brandon del Pozo about the need for law enforcement to show their faces and identify themselves in a democratic society. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
theatlantic.com
Show Us Your Face
The federal government should prohibit the wearing of masks by ICE agents and require them to properly identify themselves.
000
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
“He was dirty,” Mr. Musto said of the Salvadoran president. “He was corrupt. And now he’s sitting next to the president in the Oval Office and he’s got prime access to the leader of the free world.” www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.
030
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 24/06/2025
VEASEY: You've credited the 12 steps in your recovery. What's step 4? RFK JR: Making a fearless inventory VEASEY: Of ourselves. Do you remember step 12? RFK JR: We try to help other addicts VEASEY: Does cutting off treatment from people still suffering align with step 4 or step 12?
540183474806
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Excellent questioning by Congressman Marc Veasey on HHS’s proposed cuts to SAMHSA. The proposed HHS budget calls for a $500M cut to grant funding for mental health & substance use, cuts that will devastate the nation’s addiction response. youtu.be/jR4VVrIvIOQ?...
youtu.be
'This Isn't A Budget, It's A Death Sentence': Marc Veasey Doesn't Hold Back In RFK Condemnation
YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News
000
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
The Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) @cduhr.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Overdose deaths of Black Bostonians dropped significantly in 2024. Here’s why www.masslive.com/news/2025/06...
masslive.com
Overdose deaths of Black Bostonians dropped significantly in 2024. Here’s why
Drug overdose deaths among Black Bostonians fell by nearly 60% last year. It's an achievement to be recognized, but much work remains, community health workers say.
121
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Looking forward to this discussion about the Trump Administration’s approach to drug policy on July 8th. Register here for the virtual event: medicine.yale.edu/event/addict...
medicine.yale.edu
Addiction Medicine Grand Rounds: The First 100 Days - The Trump Administration and Changes to Addiction Policy
07/08/2025 event : The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine is pleased to welcome Regina LaBelle, JD, as guest speaker for Addiction Medicine Grand Rounds on July
031
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
By cutting Medicaid and SAMHSA, the “backbone” of the nation’s public health response to mental health & addiction is in danger. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
washingtonpost.com
SAMHSA has fought drug and mental health crises. Now it’s in crisis.
Staff and budget cuts will result in fewer services for people fighting mental illness and addiction, including Narcan distribution.
031
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Latest Substack open.substack.com/pub/reginala...
open.substack.com
This Week in Drug Policy
HALT Fentanyl Act Passed and the Importance of Governance
000
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
The Associated Press @apnews.com · 16/06/2025
BREAKING: The doctor charged with supplying Matthew Perry ketamine before the actor's death will plead guilty to drug charges.
bit.ly
Doctor who helped supply Matthew Perry ketamine will plead guilty to drug charges
A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the months leading up to the “Friends” star’s overdose death has agreed to plead guilty, authorities said Monday.
1622750
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
The settlement with Purdue includes $850M to settle claims brought by victims. It also doesn’t include a waiver of future claims a/g the Sacklers.
010
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
How a Generation’s Struggle Led to a Record Surge in Homelessness www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...
nytimes.com
How a Generation’s Struggle Led to a Record Surge in Homelessness
021
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
C-Span is a national treaure that allows an unfiltered look at government. Now more than ever we must save @c-span.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Column | Big Tech stumbles into a big brawl over C-SPAN’s streaming future
A bipartisan Senate coalition is asking YouTube TV and Hulu to add Congress’s favorite station to their lineups.
010
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
JEPPDX @jeppdx.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Amazing job by @brianmannadk.bsky.social reporting on youth drug deaths. Age 20-24 broke the mold, beat fentanyl, returned to 10 yrs prior. Teens coming down, room to go, upstream mitigations needed. We need more answers on "how". Inside these data lie insights that will save lives. (1/3)
152
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 11/06/2025
Sarah Stillman investigates a widespread crisis of deaths by starvation in America’s county jails. Most of the victims she identified had been arrested in the midst of a mental-health crisis, often on petty charges tied to their psychiatric distress.
newyorker.com
Starved in Jail
Why are incarcerated people dying from lack of food or water, even as private companies are paid millions for their care?
12025861208
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Politico @politico.com · 11/06/2025
RFK Jr. wants to Make America Healthy Again. But he's ignoring the country's leading cause of preventable deaths: smoking.
politico.com
There’s one vice RFK Jr. isn’t talking about
The health secretary, who wants Americans to make healthier choices, rarely mentions smoking.
73659841331
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Brian Mann @brianmannadk.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Deaths were dropping even faster among young people, with some under-35 age groups seeing a 47 percent drop in fatal overdoses. This is immediate results delivered by Biden-Harris resulting in thousands of lives saved. 3/ www.npr.org/2025/06/10/n...
npr.org
Drug deaths plummet among young Americans as fentanyl carnage eases
U.S. drug deaths dropped by roughly 40% last year among people under the age of 35. It's a welcome pivot for families and communities devastated by fentanyl.
132
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
House Rules Committee hearing today on the SUPPORT Act is an example of the shell game of authorizing programs that won’t be funded & can’t be administered w/out staffing. $1B in HHS funding has been clawed back & 20,000 HHS employees have lost jobs-not including Medicaid or other budget proposals.
011
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
Preventing harm is a cornerstone of public health, even if success is less visible or harder to measure. But the consequences of the thoughtless slashing to public health funding will be unmistakable and long-lasting. apnews.com/article/publ...
apnews.com
Deep cuts erode the foundations of US public health system, end progress, threaten worse to come
Americans are losing an array of people and programs dedicated to keeping them healthy.
020
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Nick Kristof @nickkristof.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
SecState Rubio claims that no on has died because of USAID cuts and suggested that I had lied in my reporting. So here I show him photos of specific children who have died because of the Trump administration's reckless cancelation of aid: www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/o...
14035491499
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
By focusing solely on drug seizures as a measure of success, this administration overlooks the broader, more meaningful indicators of progress in drug policy. The Administration’s narrow approach will ultimately undermine long-term solutions and cost lives. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
The mysterious drop in fentanyl seizures on the U.S.-Mexico border
The reasons behind the decrease of fentanyl seizures in the U.S. and along the Mexico-U.S. border are complex.
010
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
New Office of National Drug Control Policy budget request is online. Two key takeaways - moves the High Intensity Drug Trafficking & Drug Free Communities programs to DOJ & HHS. This was in Project 2025 and attempted in the 1st Trump Administration. www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
whitehouse.gov
020
Reposted by @reginalabelle.bsky.social
Ricky N. Bluthenthal @rnbluthenthal.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Changing drug use trends appear to have health consequences. See the latest from my team on the transition to fentanyl smoking in Los Angeles and Denver, CA. authors.elsevier.com/c/1lAwq3PEro... Free access in link.
0133
reginalabelle.bsky.social @reginalabelle.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Important work from the @prisonpolicy.org about limitations on health care in prisons linked to copays news.prisonpolicy.org/t/r-e-thhjti...
news.prisonpolicy.org
New 50-State Data; Why waiving prison medical copays isn't all its cracked up to be.
041