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Google, Facebook and Twitter have partnered with the nonprofit Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) to launch Tech Together (TechTogether.co), an online platform to offer support to individuals with substance use disorders. The site is a collection of resources to help those experiencing substance use disorder or battling addiction and the associated stigma. Many of these people have lost their 12-step meetings and other in-person resources during coronavirus social distancing practices. Tim Ryan, star of the 2017 A&E documentary "Dope Man" and recovery advocate for the treatment resource Rehab.com, said that the resulting isolation from shelter-in-place orders has created conditions that are ripe for substance abuse. "Covid-19 has cultivated an environment that lacks accountability and visibility, which allows people to engage in drug and alcohol abuse while in isolation," Ryan said. Given that Alcoholics Anonymous alone has over 66,345 groups in the U.S., totaling more than 1,361,800 members, the closure of most groups will leave large numbers of people in recovery looking for resources. Prior to Covid-19, a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins and Harvard, showed 2.5 million U.S. adults already using online technology to aid in their recovery, and report that interventions incorporating online technologies led to further recovery success. Now is the time where there is an urgent need to help those struggling with addiction. The data already bears this out. According to an Earnest Research study published in The New York Times, alcohol sales are up 25% nationally. Meanwhile, officials in Florida, Ohio and New York have all reported upticks in overdose emergency calls and overdose deaths since March. "We know Americans are consuming more alcohol alone," said Marjorie Clifton, executive director of CSIP. "Additional stress and a lack of support community is disastrous for people in recovery." By partnering with Facebook, Google and Twitter for Tech Together, the nonprofit CSIP is now part of a group that provides a single online destination for those suffering from addiction.

Resources for addiction recovery

"This platform offers a one-stop location for families or individuals looking for support or resources they need at any stage of substance use disorder," Clifton said. "This site is in partnership with numerous national non-profits who are involved in recovery efforts and includes a collection of technology tools and resources provided by Twitter, Google and Facebook – to help share information and put tools and communities in front of people looking for support." Clifton said that the site will be promoted on Twitter, Facebook and Google, and once users find it through those services, they'll discover a large number of resources to help them or their loved ones find treatment options. "There are screening tools by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of the National Institutes of Health and health treatment locator tools by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration," she said. "The Twitter community has also partnered with Unity Recovery, WEconnect Health, Alano Club of Portland and SOS Recovery Association to provide community support and recovery meetings."

We know Americans are consuming more alcohol alone. Additional stress and a lack of support community is disastrous for people in recovery. Marjorie Clifton Executive Director of CSIP

Each company makes its unique contribution to Tech Together. Twitter offers such hashtags as #RecoveryMovement, #OpenRecovery, and #RecoveryWorks, so those suffering from addiction can join discussions with others in similar straits. "Twitter is a powerful tool for connecting people in recovery to online resources and to each other, especially during this pandemic," said Lauren Culbertson, Twitter's senior public policy manager. "It also facilitates, in real-time, a global, public conversation around this vital topic." Facebook, meanwhile, offers crisis support over its Messenger tool and through Facebook Live sessions. It also hosts Facebook Groups for those with substance use disorder. Liza Heyman, Policy Programs Manager at Facebook, said that Facebook Messenger is being used to share resources with those who need them, such as the Center on Addiction. "The Center on Addiction is using Facebook Messenger as one of their main methods to take incoming from people looking for support," Heyman said. "They have trained social workers interacting with live people through Messenger in the same way they take incoming through text and phone." Facebook said that use of the Messenger platform increased by more than 50% between February and March in countries that had been most affected by the virus. As for Google, CNBC spoke with an employee named Shawna who is in recovery and asked to have her last name omitted to preserve her anonymity. She said that Tech Together is using Google's relationships with such nonprofits as Transforming Youth Recovery, Young People in Recovery, and the Center on Addiction, to aggregate recovery meeting locations, thereby providing clear pathways to treatment. "There are people finding recovery during this time, and it is inspiring," she said. "Any barrier removed from people seeking help is a good thing."

Tech tools in times of crisis