“The best way out is through.” – Robert Frost, 1874–1963
Author: Leonard Buschel
MEASLY AMOUNT – May 3, 2024 – Amneal Pharmaceuticals reached an agreement to pay $92.5 million in cash and provide $180 million worth of naloxone nasal spray, an overdose treatment medication, to resolve lawsuits by U.S. states, local governments and Native American tribes. The settlement, which is payable over 10 years, would if finalized resolve nearly all of the more than 900 opioid-related lawsuits against Amneal, the company said. It did not admit wrongdoing as part of the nationwide settlement. “We remain committed to helping those impacted by the opioid crisis by enhancing access to naloxone nasal spray, which…
VIDEO – THE ANGEL WEARS NADA – Mar. 26, 2024 – “I knew deep down it wasn’t for me,” she admitted. “And it just felt so extreme to have to say, ‘But none?’ But none. If you’re allergic to something or have an anaphylactic reaction to something, you don’t argue with it. So I stopped arguing with it.” Anne Hathaway spoke candidly about why she quit drinking in her recent interview with Vanity Fair. While some may continue to drink casually throughout their lives, splitting a bottle of wine at dinner or having a mimosa at brunch, the 41-year-old…
HIGHER POWER BARK – April 29, 2024 – An Arizona-based nonprofit has reached the first federal settlement that will exempt ayahuasca from the United States Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allowing it to import the psychedelic substance and use it for religious purposes. The Church of the Eagle and the Condor (CEC) announced the news on April 22. Ayahuasca contains dimethyltryptamine, commonly known as DMT, which is banned under the CSA Schedule I. CEC’s settlement—which involves the Department of Justice, Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration—will now permit the organization to import…
VIDEO ONLY – ONE WILL GET YOU TEN – May, 2024 – Actor, Tom Holland, reveals he’s been sober for over one year now. Tom quit drinking alcohol in January 2022 as a part of “dry January,” which sparked his sobriety journey of a year and a half. CONTINUE@ET
VIDEO – GOOD MORNING – NOT – May 2, 2024 – A Kentucky boy woke up with a rabid bat attached to his neck. The boy’s family — who lives in Midway — took him to the emergency room for treatment. Public health officials said it can be easy to overlook a bat bite, because their teeth are so tiny. They also said if you think you’ve been bitten by a rabid animal, it’s important to stay calm. “Don’t freak out if you come into contact with a bat,” said Cassie Prather, public health director for Woodford County. “There…
VIDEO – ONE LAST SHOT – May 1, 2024 – His family says he struggled with addiction for years, but they continue to ask why he went unnoticed for so long after his death. “I was supposed to meet him that night at 10:30, and we were gonna go eat and spend some time together. And I never received a text. I never received.”Talton’s wife Stephanie says he would give the shirt off his back if it would help someone else. “He was just a genuine, kind person,” Stephanie says. “If there was a project that needed to be…
AND 4 DEAD – April 30, 2024 – Christa Steadman, ATCEMS public information officer, said officials suspect the “outbreak” is due to “a new batch in town” likely from the same source or same couple of sources due to the similarities of symptoms among patients. Overdose patients range in age from 20s to 50s and across racial/ethnic groups. The surge of calls began around 9:00 a.m. CT Monday morning and were concentrated in the downtown area, Angela Carr, EMS division chief at ATCEMS, said during a Monday evening press conference. Calls later began coming in from around the city,…
IT’S ABOUT TIME – May 1, 2024 -In a move that health experts say may reduce the number of fentanyl deaths, the FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of Narcan nasal spray — a medication that rapidly reverses fentanyl overdose. That means you can get it without a prescription, and there are even some places that distribute it for free. May 1, 2024 -In a move that health experts say may reduce the number of fentanyl deaths, the FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of Narcan nasal spray — a medication that rapidly reverses fentanyl overdose. That means you can get…
MIRACLES HAPPEN – May 3, 2024 – Ravaged by addiction and at rock bottom, mother of two credits long night of prayer in abandoned shack for leading to her recovery. It was a desperate plea crying out from a dark and dreary place. After 20 years of addiction, this is where … “I just hit my knees right there and prayed, ‘God, if you are real, please get me out of here.’” That was on a Wednesday in August of 2019. And ever since that day, Holder says that “things have just been falling in place for me —…
BUYER BEWARE – May 3, 2024 – An influencer revealed that she suffered a diarrhea ‘storm’ and ‘absolute agony’ while taking the blockbuster weight loss drug Ozempic. Jaime French, a 33-year-old internet personality in St Louis, Missouri, started taking a generic form of semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic …Like most overweight people, I have always struggled to lose body fat, and calorie deficits literally don’t work for me, at least not long term,’ she said in a video last year. Ms French noted that though she works out often, ‘nothing makes a measurable difference.’ ‘[Ozempic] seemed like…
IMPORTANT – May 1, 2024 – Timothy Christie, the regional director of ethics services for the Horizon Health Network, said it’s very problematic from an ethics perspective to have a program that could cause harm and not know how to effectively evaluate it since we don’t know what success looks like when there is no cure for addiction. It’s “highly likely” New Brunswick’s plan to force some people with severe addiction into involuntary treatment will cause more harm than good, according to an ethics expert. Timothy Christie, the regional director of ethics services for the Horizon Health Network, says…
PAUSE WHEN AGITATED – May 2, 2024 – The Journal of the American Heart Association, concluded that anger might indeed damage the heart by compromising blood vessel function. “This study offers a biological p plausibility to that theory, that anger is bad for you, that it raises your blood pressure, that we’re seeing impaired vascular health.” Their experiment involved deliberately making the participants of a group throw tantrums of anger. They selected 280 healthy young adults and divided them into four groups: a control group tasked with counting aloud for eight minutes to maintain a neutral emotional state, and…
VIDEO – AND FRESH AIR – April 28, 2024 – “It would be wonderful if we all ate all our fruits and vegetables and our whole grains and our lean proteins and got everything that we needed from the food supply, but unfortunately, our food supply is sometimes not the highest quality either,” she says. “So we could be doing a lot of the good things and not be getting all of the nutrients from the food.” It’s important to remember that supplements are just that: supplemental. While they’re good for giving you a bit of a leg up…
VIDEO – MAKE MONEY – May 2, 2024 – Country music singer Walker Hayes joins Hoda & Jenna to open up about his journey to being 8 years sober as told in his new album “Sober Thoughts.” Hayes also shares his new collaboration with Athletic Brewing Co. for a new non-alcoholic beer called Fancy Like. CONTINUE@Today
IN SPITE OF BIG PHARMA – May 3, 2024 – When I was able to fully grasp the situation I was in, a feeling of overwhelming panic immediately set in. It was not a desperate need for narcotics I felt, but exclusively the fear of not having access to my Lyrica and Zyprexa, the immediate cessation of which I had come to fear more than death itself. It was May 21st, 2019, when I woke up in a strange hotel-like room drenched in sweat, fully clothed with a winter jacket on and feeling absolutely terrible. Next to me on…
TENNESSEE WALTZ – May 3, 2024 – Over the years, I have noticed the need for more drink options steadily rising,” says Selenna Taylor, a bartender at Southside Social. “Southside Social offers several options for people who wish to remain sober. If working as a bartender has taught me anything, it’s that you can have the same genuine experience without the consumption of alcohol.” From non-alcoholic beers to mocktails, we are able to provide our guests with an equally fun social experience without the need for alcohol.” According to Taylor, a bar is much more than simply a place…
I’M FAMOUS – April 29, 2024 – “Impostor syndrome is rooted in a fear of being discovered as inadequate,” explains Dr. Louise Stanger, a renowned interventionist and expert on behavioral health. “Those who experience it often attribute their achievements to luck, timing, or deceiving others, rather than their own abilities. In their own mind, they are an imposter.” Recognizing the Signs So, how do you know if they’re experiencing impostor syndrome? Some common signs include: CONTINUE@WomansWorld
THEY TRIED – May 1, 2024 – DARE was not only ineffective by its own standards, but potentially counterproductive. Young people continued saying yes to drugs, despite the weekly DARE class that taught them to say no. (University of North Carolina Press, 2024) is a much-needed, extensively researched history of DARE. Author Max Felker-Kantor traces its origins and explains its wide-ranging impact on US society. In the process, he removes any remaining doubt that DARE was pure copaganda. The book illustrates just how easy it was for law enforcement to win support from educators and researchers to send uniformed…
AMENDS? – May 1, 2024 – In an interview for Wednesday’s episode of the Our Way With Paul Anka and Skip Bronson podcast, the 66-year-old actor looked back on his struggle with alcoholism and substance abuse, which he previously addressed in his 2017 memoir, Nevertheless. “I discuss it every now and then when it makes sense. I’m 39 years sober. I got sober Feb. 23, 1985.” The Rust star says that his “problem” began when he moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 1983. “I had a white-hot problem every day for two years. I think I…
VIDEO – AND THEN A SHOW BUSINESS GIANT – May 2, 2024 – Ms. Goldberg has admitted cocaine was “kicking my a**” as she hit rock bottom in the 1980s when recreational drug use in Hollywood was at a high. The Oscar-nominated star, who has been open about her past, recalls an awkward incident at a hotel in her new memoir. Whoopi cleaned up in the ‘70s after becoming a heroin addict and her first husband was her drug counselor, Alvin Martin, the father of her daughter, Alex. But after moving from New York to California to further her…
CH-CH-CHANGES – May 1, 2024 – Ozempic has already been linked to a host of bizarre bodily changes — including sagging skin and sunken-in cheeks. But now women are reporting a side effect dubbed ‘Ozempic breasts’ — which is when their boobs either shrink or balloon in size.Doctors say the former is to be expected because as someone loses weight, fat tissue in the breasts also diminish, making them smaller in size. Another theory is that, as people become skinnier, their breasts simply appear bigger. Still, dozens of women have been left feeling disappointed or pleasantly surprised due to…
VIDEO – HALLELUJAH – April 30, 2024 – Since 1971, marijuana has been in the same category as heroin, methamphetamines and LSD. By rescheduling cannabis, the drug would now be studied and researched to identify concrete medical benefits, opening the door for Big Pharma to get involved with sales and distribution. For the $34 billion cannabis industry, the move would also eliminate significant tax burdens for businesses in states where the drug is legal. The Department of Justice’s rescheduling decision could also help shrink the black market which has thrived despite legalization in states like New York and California…
VIDEO – SAINTS CAN BE BALD – May 3, 2024 – “Father Greg Boyle, who has changed countless lives as pastor of a disadvantaged Catholic parish in Los Angeles … through your pioneering gang intervention programs, reminds us the power of redemption and rehabilitation and our obligation to those who have been condemned or counted out,” said President Joe Biden. Homeboy Industries doesn’t just offer employment opportunities for those with nowhere left to go, but it also offers support, love, and hope. Many of those who now work at Homeboy Industries went through the program, including Pamela Herrera, who…
DIFFICULTLY – May 2, 2024 – “Excess sugar has very addictive properties,” says Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist. “It activates opiate receptors, then we experience a surge of dopamine, which lights up the reward and pleasure centers in the brain—these are associated with addictive behavior activated by things like gambling and cocaine.” A feel-good physiological mechanism, when we do get our sugar fix, we are likely to experience feelings of alertness, happiness, and/or comfort. When we don’t, we may experience cravings, the urge to binge and/or feel withdrawal symptoms, such as agitation, anxiety and headaches. “Physically, it can lead to glucose…
BUSINESS AS USUAL – May 1, 2024 – The company announced that it still intends to defend itself amid the ongoing lawsuits, while simultaneously working to garner approval and support for the proposed settlement. In 2021, J&J was ordered to provide a $2.12 billion award to 22 women who claimed their ovarian cancer was caused by asbestos in J&J talc products. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2024, J&J recorded a charge of $2.7 billion, which accounted for recent talc-related settlements, per CNN. J&J also shared in the statement that “none of the talc-related claims against it have merit.”…
VIDEO – LIKE SO MANY OTHERS – May 1, 2024 – They accuse the company of improperly billing taxpayers for phone calls with clients, falsely billing group activities as if they were a series of individual interactions, and overstating the times spent on van rides to and from recovery treatment. “I’ve spent many sleepless nights,” Lea Jondal explained. What’s been keeping Jondal up is a story she’s now driven to tell. “I hate to be labeled as the whistleblower,” she told KARE 11, “but it had to happen.” Jondal is one of the former workers and clients who accuse…
IT REALLY AIN’T THE SAME – May 11, 2024 – Frequency of use was another risk factor for psychosis, such as weekly or daily use, with those using the drug daily at elevated risk for serious psychiatric problems such as psychosis. In addition, individuals who use other addictive substances in addition to marijuana, such as tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs, have a greater risk for psychosis. The United States is confronting a public health crisis of substance use disorders and overdose deaths. We need to refocus and reenergize prevention and educational initiatives and support psychiatric treatment alternatives for youth.…
REBEL YELLS…QUIETLY – May 1, 2024 – “I really started to think, ‘I should try and go forward and not be a drug addict anymore,’ and stuff like that,” Idol, 68, recalled. “It took a long time, but gradually I did achieve some sort of discipline.” He is getting candid about his past struggles with drug addiction and how he’s managed to get clean and “California sober.” The “White Wedding” rocker recently spoke with People about his substance abuse issues, and how a near-death motorcycle accident in 1990 finally convinced him to kick the habit. “I really started to…
AUDIO – NO JUNKIE DOES, MAYBE – May 1, 2024 – Mulaney recalled how Michaels invoked John Belushi, who died in 1982 at 33 after struggling with addiction. While in rehab, Mulaney received a call from Michaels. “He goes, ‘I knew John Belushi for seven years. I’ve been talking about him for 48 years, because that’s the shrapnel that happens when someone goes down like that.’” “And [Michaels] goes, ‘You know, John didn’t want to die. You know, he didn’t plan to. Just because it’s a story, just because it’s sort of set in stone like history, people don’t…