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Welcome back to The Census, your biweekly roundup of what matters in behavioral health care.

It’s been a while! Today we have some extra good stuff for you, including:

• How Big Tobacco is trying to help nicotine exit its villain era

• Your latest news headlines in under two minutes

Let’s dive in.

- Shân

P.S. This week, we’ve added a new section highlighting events to help you grow your network and business. It’s near the end :)

What we’re watching this week 

🚭 Punting oral nicotine isn’t — surprise! — as innocuous as it appears

The marketing of nicotine pouches as a ‘vastly better, cognitively beneficial’ alternative to cigarettes is raising alarm. Here’s what you need to know.

Big Tobacco has heard about the cognitive benefits of nicotine and boy, are they leaning in.

Driving the ‘good-for-your-productivity-nicotine’ narrative is Philip Morris International. You know, the firm that conspired to deceive the American public about nicotine addiction back in 1999.

PMI now manufactures Zyn oral nicotine pouches, and US sales are soaring — up ~54% in the first quarter of 2025. In fact, while the firm still gets most of its revenue from smokers, that’s likely to flip soon thanks to Zyn.

• But the ‘safer’ smoke-free pouches’ growing popularity with non-smokers and teens pokes holes in PMI’s harm reduction pitch

And crucially, this is happening just as new leaders at HHS and the FDA weigh how to regulate cigarette alternatives in their push to reduce smoking rates.

• Of course, PMI is “very hopeful” that new leadership will help to reframe the narrative around “misunderstood” nicotine 

Now mind you, eating nicotine is a much better alternative to smoking cigarettes. And yes, nicotine can enhance productivity by improving focus, mood, and cognitive function.

But it’s still a drug. That’s highly addictive. And US searches for “how to quit nicotine” do not paint a pretty picture. 

So with Zyn flying off shelves and kids in the crosshairs, all eyes are on what the FDA does next. 

Let’s get your news headlines. 

Catch up quick

This week’s top stories

Latest news

⚠️ The sedative ‘dex’ (medetomidine) is replacing tranq in illegal drug supply; it causes excruciating withdrawal and damages the heart and brain.

😮 Nearly a quarter of patients on long-acting painkillers become addicted to opioids — far higher numbers than those in drugmakers’ marketing materials.

📈 Talkspace saw a 33% boost in payer revenue in Q1 after ramping up its in-network strategy.

🫠 The proposed Trump budget reveals over $28B in cuts for behavioral health-related spending and health care for FY 2026.

❤️‍🩹 A new policy will allow first responders to forcibly hospitalize mentally ill New Yorkers who cannot meet their own basic needs.

📉 Prescription opioid use fell to the lowest level since 1999, and overdose deaths decreased 29% in 2024, per a new IQVIA report.

🏥 Most hospitalized patients with SUDs miss out on meds and follow-up care, highlighting a big gap in hospital-based treatment.

🎮 US veterans say video games support their mental health by helping them cope with stress and anxiety, and stay connected with others.

🏢 Suburban Community Hospital in East Norriton will close its ER and transition into a behavioral health facility with 15 beds for adults aged 55+.

🤖 Limbic is rolling out a new voice AI agent to help connect patients to behavioral health services.

👏 Lightning Step’s Intelligent Assistant became the first ISO 42001-certified AI in behavioral healthcare.

🚨 Santa Clara County confirmed the first carfentanil (elephant tranquilizer) overdose death.

💔 Parents are canceling autism evaluations over fears about a national registry.

💰 Montana lawmakers approved $124M to revamp the state’s behavioral health system.

🔮 Oura and Google Fitbit will collect data from smartphones and wearable tech to help predict opioid relapse.

🧠 Growing research suggests that neurobiological changes, particularly deviations in tiny protrusions on nerve cells, may be a hallmark of autism.

👀 The Department of Education confirmed $1B in cuts to school mental health grants over DEI discrepancies.

💡 A new study shows more Americans are heading to therapy and fewer are relying on meds for mental health care.

📲 Talkspace and Bark are teaming up to keep an eye on kids’ online activity and offer mental health support when things get concerning.

📖 Interesting reads: Recapping Trump’s first 100 days from a healthcare perspective, per Axios and Fierce Healthcare.

Funding rounds & investor moves

🧠 Noma Therapy landed $4.25M to scale its insurance-covered virtual ketamine therapy.

🎮 Simcoach Games secured $265k to accelerate the development of educational games addressing behavioral health challenges.

💰 PE firm NexPhase Capital acquired autism therapy provider Behavior Frontiers (financial terms of the deal were not disclosed).

🤑 Teladoc Health acquired in-network digital mental health company UpLift for $30M.k

Upcoming events

Next week, Azola Creative is running a webinar on how to write an effective, empathetic value proposition. Our readers can register for free here.

🚨 This is important because we tend to be wary of sales-driven messaging in behavioral health, in case it turns people off and undercuts the empathy we’re known for. But there’s a right way to do it. So when this event caught our eye, we had to share it with you. See you there :)

Studies & opinion pieces

🦠 Gut bacteria imbalances and vitamin B deficits may shape autism symptoms, hinting at future gut-based treatments (study).

🌿 Marijuana is extremely dangerous to the fetus in the womb and appears to lead to a 29% higher risk of infant death (meta-analysis). 

💡 Making value-based care a reality in autism therapy requires meta, if not somewhat circular, functions (opinion).

😔 Many people with autism fear RFK Jr.’s focus on the condition, saying they are being dehumanized and seen as not valued members of society (opinion).Tk

That’s it for this week! See you next time,

- Shân

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help.

• 📈 Grow your healthcare or wellness business on autopilot. Apply to work with Quantum Leads. 

• ✨ Take all the stress out of hosting your perfect behavioral health event. Chat to the Turn Productions team.

• 📣 Promote your brand to 5k+ behavioral healthcare executives. Sponsor The Census.

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