@reginalabelle.bsky.social
Professor of addiction policy at Georgetown University. Former Biden and Obama Administration official.
https://substack.com/@reginalabelle?r=h9gu&utm_medium=ios
https://substack.com/@reginalabelle?r=h9gu&utm_medium=ios
Reposted
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...
www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
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.
www.brookings.edu
January 31, 2026 at 12:55 AM
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...
www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
Reposted
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...
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 is tracking SAMHSA Grant Terminations – Grant Witness
grant-witness.us
January 21, 2026 at 9:50 PM
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...
But these programs remain at risk. So Grant Witness is now tracking SAMHSA grants. What found so far:
grant-witness.us/posts/2026-0...
Reposted
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...
Register (zoom or live): web.cvent.com/event/e921a3...
January 5, 2026 at 8:31 PM
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...
Register (zoom or live): web.cvent.com/event/e921a3...
Reversal by White House of addiction and mental health grant cuts.
rollcall.com/2026/01/14/h...
rollcall.com/2026/01/14/h...
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.
rollcall.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Reversal by White House of addiction and mental health grant cuts.
rollcall.com/2026/01/14/h...
rollcall.com/2026/01/14/h...
Reposted
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
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.
n.pr
January 3, 2026 at 8:48 PM
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
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...
www.state.gov
January 3, 2026 at 1:12 PM
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...
The children left behind. The Opioid Crisis Never Ended. It Was Inherited by the Children. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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.
www.nytimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 12:32 PM
The children left behind. The Opioid Crisis Never Ended. It Was Inherited by the Children. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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/...
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.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:48 PM
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/...
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.
The overdose epidemic demands serious responses - this isn’t one.
oneill.law.georgetown.edu
December 16, 2025 at 1:37 AM
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.
The overdose epidemic demands serious responses - this isn’t one.
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...
How a Cryptocurrency Helps Criminals Launder Money and Evade Sanctions
www.nytimes.com
December 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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...
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...
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.
apnews.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:02 AM
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...
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
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
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.
wapo.st
September 16, 2025 at 11:49 AM
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
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
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...
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.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 3, 2025 at 11:29 AM
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...
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/...
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...
www.nytimes.com
September 1, 2025 at 12:35 PM
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/...
Reposted
@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...
July 17, 2025 at 2:28 PM
@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...
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...
Progress under threat: The future of overdose prevention in the United States www.brookings.edu/articles/pro...
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.
www.brookings.edu
July 21, 2025 at 6:46 PM
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...
Progress under threat: The future of overdose prevention in the United States www.brookings.edu/articles/pro...
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...
Show Us Your Face
The federal government should prohibit the wearing of masks by ICE agents and require them to properly identify themselves.
www.theatlantic.com
July 7, 2025 at 12:53 PM
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...
“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...
Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.
www.nytimes.com
June 30, 2025 at 11:30 AM
“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...
Reposted
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?
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?
June 24, 2025 at 4:15 PM
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?
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?
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?...
'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
youtu.be
June 25, 2025 at 11:40 AM
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?...
Reposted
Overdose deaths of Black Bostonians dropped significantly in 2024. Here’s why
www.masslive.com/news/2025/06...
www.masslive.com/news/2025/06...
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.
www.masslive.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Overdose deaths of Black Bostonians dropped significantly in 2024. Here’s why
www.masslive.com/news/2025/06...
www.masslive.com/news/2025/06...
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...
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
medicine.yale.edu
June 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM
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...