January 31, 2024
Dear Hossein,
The new Congress 60 building purchased for use by co-travelers is a physical manifestation of the importance of family involvement and support of recovery. That the number of travelers and co-travelers is nearly equal in Congress 60 is a remarkable achievement that few other programs in the world have accomplished. The fruits of that achievement will extend for generations to come. I have been thinking more about the future of the university you are creating. There are presently only two research institutes I am aware of that specialize in the study of addiction recovery: The Recovery Research Institute at Harvard University led by Dr. John Kelly in the U.S. and the Recovery Outcomes Institute at Leads Trinity University led by Dr. David Best in the U.K. Hopefully, there will be in the years ahead a vibrant network of recovery research institutes around the world. My hope is that the newly developed University at Congress 60 will be among the leaders specializing in such research. The pace of publication of your research efforts is accelerating and it would be wonderful to have these efforts formalized into an Institute that receives worldwide recognition for the focus and quality of its research. I hope we can continue to explore this possibility as planning for the university proceeds. Here in the U.S. opioid deaths, particularly related to illicit fentanyl, continue to rise. While there have been some efforts to increase access to methadone and buprenorphine in response to this, the major response has been the expansion of “harm reduction services.” These include sites distribution of drug testing strips (for presence of fentanyl), Narcan to reverse acute overdoses, syringe exchange sites, and safe injection sites. Such services continue to be debated here but are expanding. Are any such activities allowed or widely available in Iran? I have not read any referenced in the literature but would be interested in getting your thoughts on such activities. The work I am doing with Dr. David Best is progressing. When I get it into a polished draft I will share it with you and would be delighted with any comments you might have on it. I will also mention to him your continued interest in future collaborations that might be possible and of mutual benefit. As the new year progresses, I look forward to our continued work together and our communications.
Friends and Brothers Forever