LISTEN BETTER – Aug. 11, 2023 – A recent Johns Hopkins University analysis used preliminary 2022 data to calculate that the nation’s overall gun suicide rate rose last year to an all-time high. For the first time, the gun suicide rate among Black teens surpassed the rate among white teens, the researchers found. “I don’t know if you can talk about suicide without talking about firearms,” Harkavy-Friedman said. U.S. suicides steadily rose from the early 2000s until 2018, when the national rate hit its highest level since 1941. That year saw about 48,300 suicide deaths — or 14.2 for every…
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – WORTH WATCHING – Aug. 10, 2023 – A former heroin addict has opened up about his struggles with addiction and how he got his life back on track. “What people don’t understand about the physical nature of a drug addiction is you have to have it. It’s not a mental thing that you want it, you have to have it or you’re sick as a dog,” David said. In a recent episode of LADbible Australia’s MY SIDE series, David opened up about how being sexually abused as a child led him to his addiction. y the time…
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY – August 9,2023 – The cast is strong. Matthew Broderick might be one of Hollywood’s most likeable characters, but he delivers a standout, chilling turn as hypercapitalist murderous real life villain Richard Sackler.) WATCH@USAToday
“Literature is the axe that breaks up the frozen sea within us.” – Franz Kafka, b. 1883 – d. 1924
THE PAIN NEVER GOES AWAY – August 10, 2023 – We’ve heard this story before. And we’ve heard it better. That’s really the only reaction you might have after watching Netflix’s limited series “Painkiller,” a dramatization of the role of Purdue Pharma drug OxyContin in the opioid epidemic. Streaming Now ★½ out of four) READ@USAToday
AUDIO – AND THE BAND PLAYED ON – Aug. 8, 2023 – Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia was born on August 1, 1942 and died on August 9, 1995 at the age of 53. Each year, the “Days Between” Garcia’s birthday and the anniversary of his death mark a period of time to reflect on and celebrate the beloved musician’s life and career. On January 20, 1970, Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia entered MGM Studios in Los Angeles and according to JerryGarcia.com recorded “his only solo electric guitar performance” that was released as an official track. The purpose of…
THE FAMILY MADE $35 BILLION – July 28, 2023 – Court filings show that Purdue, owned by the Sackler family, earned more than $35 billion from the sales of OxyContin, which was approved by the FDA in 1995. The limited Netflix series, which premieres on Aug. 10, is based on a book written by journalist Barry Meier, titled “Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic.” While working at the New York Times, Meier provided groundbreaking coverage of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family starting in the early 2000s as the opioid epidemic began.…
CHANNELING A QUIET KILLER – Aug. 4, 2023 – Based on work by investigative journalists Barry Meier and Patrick Radden Keefe, Painkiller is a coarse-grained social epic, angry and impassioned, intent on covering all bases. Having introduced us to Sackler in his sterile McMansion, the plot swings out through small-town Appalachia. It spotlights the good-hearted mechanic who’s sliding towards addiction; the “Malibu Barbie” sales reps who target the family GPs; the whole rotten Venn diagram of federal government and big pharma. In the past 20 years an estimated 300,000 Americans have died after overdosing on prescription pain meds. But this…
VIDEO – BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY – Aug. 4, 2023 – CHICAGO – Some of the long lines at Lollapalooza are not for t-shirts or food. They are for naloxone. It’s the first year the overdose reversal drug is being passed out at the festival. In this day and age, that includes someone accidentally ingesting deadly fentanyl. So, Lollapalooza is teaming up with the overdose prevention nonprofit “This Must be the Place” to give out free naloxone. The booth near Buckingham Fountain is also giving out information, warning about the risks of drugs and the danger of fentanyl. WATCH@Fox32
AUDIO – WHATEVER WORKS – July 28, 2023 – When a federal judge declared the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) illegal, suspending applications for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. and were hoping to be shielded from deportation, Luis did a massive bump of ketamine and crawled into bed. The 38-year-old, who uses they/them pronouns, migrated to the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager and has been living in New York since 2017. Their friends had raised money for a lawyer so that they could apply for DACA when the judge’s decision came down in July 2021.…
GRADUATE OF SOBER LIFE – Aug. 2, 2023 – Ethan Laugen, 24, is set to graduate from Augsburg and StepUP next year. When he first started at the nearby University of Minnesota, he said he considered drinking and partying integral to his college experience. “The reason I chose the U of M is that I wanted sports teams to follow,” he said. “I wanted tailgates, I wanted Greek life, I wanted bars and I wanted house parties.” But by his second year on campus, Laugen’s drinking had escalated from weekend partying to finishing cases of beer alone at home every…
SO WILL STRESS – July 31, 2023 – Even in adults without hypertension, blood pressure readings may climb more steeply over the years as the number of daily alcoholic drinks rise, according to an analysis of seven international research studies published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. With the statistical power of seven international research studies, this analysis confirms for the first time there was a continuous increase in blood pressure measures in both participants with low and high alcohol intake. Even low levels of alcohol consumption were associated with detectable increases in blood pressure levels that…
GAIA FOREVER! – July 24, 2023 – According to Obstetrics and Gynecology: February 2022, pregnancy-associated drug-related deaths increased by 190% between 2010 and 2019. Additionally, data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) show, as of September 30, 2021, there were 7,468 children in foster care in Oklahoma, and over half of these out of home placements were related to circumstances associated with a parent’s drug or alcohol use. “Substance use disorder is a treatable, chronic, medical disease that can impact the whole family when one person is struggling. Reducing stigma and providing a connection…
VIDEO – ALL CAN BE FORGIVEN – July 28, 2023 – Otis revealed that she always suspected Hehner was “hiding something.” “I didn’t know exactly what though,” she admitted. “I remember a time during the holidays that I was with his family and they said, ‘when Doug’s ready to tell you, he will.’” It hurt to know there was some sort of secret that no one wanted to tell me.” In hindsight, Otis said Hehner was only hiding his addiction from her because “he was ashamed, he felt guilty, he felt embarrassed and his family was protecting him.” After…
LOVE AND HARD WORK – July 31, 2023 – Ana Carr has also called the streets home for three years. She said, “I feel like everyone could be one step away from where we’re at.” Rubio knows this life all too well. He spent decades in prison, struggled with addiction, and slept on the street. “You’d be amazed at how many doors open for you. I love my life today,” he said. He now proudly has seven years sober and shares his success story to inspire others. “For this fiscal year, I’ve gotten 250 people off the streets,” Rubio said.…
GOING TO ANY LENGTH – Aug. 4, 2023 – Bolos traveled 20 hours from Upstate New York with her best friend and two dogs. Every month she celebrates her sobriety by treating herself to something. One time it was a new purse and another time it was a rescue dog. This time, it’s WE Fest. “Everyone was so nice when I called to book the hotel. I knew this was going to be the best place to celebrate my sobriety,” Bolos said. Since becoming sober she hasn’t done anything big and thought that WE Fest would be a blast.…
AT WHAT RISK? – Aug. 4, 2023 – If you snort ketamine often, you might damage your nostrils – which can also be permanent. This looks like nose bleeds, a reduced sense of smell, difficulty swallowing, a hoarse voice and, in more extreme cases, a hole in the nasal septum. It’s vital you look out for this and take breaks when necessary. Another thing to be aware of with ketamine is that your tolerance increases pretty quickly. If you take ketamine recreationally, it’s likely you’ll have to take more to get the same effects. While there aren’t any physical…
LEGALIZE IT – Aug. 4, 2023 – Etowah County arrests and jails more moms for drug use during pregnancy than any other county in the state. Critics say the policy has gone too far, entrapping women who sued before they even knew they were expecting and one woman who wasn’t even pregnant. Daisy Daughtry, 32, spent almost a year in jail and rehab facilities while she awaited court action on a chemical endangerment charge that happened after she tested positive for marijuana. She lost custody of three of her kids because she couldn’t fight the case from jail, she…
AUDIO – BRAVE NEW WORLD – Aug. 3, 2023 – Before entering recovery last year, Jennie cycled in and out of substance use from the time she was in her late teens. When she first started, she had just left her husband, a man she married at 19 years old because of pressure from family after getting pregnant in high school. “I tried to become what they wanted me to be. I was the mom, I was the wife,” she said. “He was abusive. He was an alcoholic. He worked night shifts, and I didn’t have help.” After leaving, Jennie…
WHERE THE STATUE OF LIBERTY BELONGS – Aug. 4, 2023 – This partnership is funded through New York State’s Opioid Settlement Fund, and will allow individuals to receive naloxone by mail, free of charge. To compliment these efforts, OASAS is also premiering a new educational podcast series, entitled “Addiction: The Next Step.” The podcast will educate the public about all aspects of addiction and the work of OASAS and highlight stories of individuals in recovery. “The impact of fentanyl and the ongoing opioid and overdose crisis continues to be felt by New Yorkers in every community across the state,…
AUDIO – UNBELIEVABLE LYING DOG – Feb. 2023 – Elsevier included the same explanation in 23 of the 24 retractions, saying the papers were being retracted because they “did not include a declaration of a conflict of interest of one author in relation to diagnostic tools which the paper endorses.” The statement also says that the same author was editor-in-chief of the journal at the time of publication, and that there was no evidence of independent peer review by external reviewers. One paper was not cited for a conflict of interest but instead was retracted for “lack of original…
THE TREE OF LIFE – August 3, 2023 – Brad Pitt quit drinking and found a support system in Alcoholics Anonymous, a group he attended for a year and a half post his divorce. “You had all these men sitting around being open and honest in a way I have never heard.” In a 2022 GQ interview, the Oscar winner revealed that he wasn’t initially on board with the idea of a support group because of the videos he saw online. The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star also acknowledged that he quit smoking cigarettes when he realized he couldn’t strike…
IN A BETTER PLACE – Aug. 4, 2023 – The Grammy-nominated artist is not only known for her uniquely recognizable tone, but also her explosive personality. For years her Instagram Lives were filled with edgy yet hilarious skits, tongue-in-cheek jokes, and music previews that would all get reposted by fans and turned into memes. On the flip side, she wasn’t known for having a filter on social media, posting content that offended many people. One of her posts on then-called Twitter, now X, caused such an uproar with Ghanaian fans, that she announced her departure from social media in January…
VIDEO – TIMELESS SOBRIETY – August 1, 2023 – “There have been many, many, many points when I said ‘I don’t think I’ll ever make another movie again’ … I’ve said it for a long time, because I watched my parents who both were monster stars…I watched them no longer get to do the work that made them stars. I watched them just be famous people who used to work. And it killed them. And it’s heartbreaking,” said Curtis. “And so, I always felt I better get out before they no longer ask me.” Yet Curtis said every time…
VIDEO – DEALING FOR DOLLARS – Aug. 3, 2023 – Now, police say they’ve charged 54-year-old Aubra Ferguson in connection with the case, after beginning their investigation into Ferguson in November 2022. Investigators say they were told by informants that Ferguson was getting his drug supply from Hagedorn. When authorities looked into Ferguson’s history, they say they learned he was also a former employee at NOW Counseling. WATCH@WEVV
VERY SAD STORY – July 31, 2023 – On a white board at the end of the room, across from the sofas, the names of former clients who have died of overdoses in the past few years are listed. Though the town has a population of just 5,000, there are at least 20 names. James Colwell, a 33-year-old former heroin addict, who has been clean for eight years, and who now works at the centre, says that the toll keeps growing. Heroin addiction is actually less common than it used to be, he says, thanks in part to the proliferation…
YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK – Aug. 4, 2023 – A growing body of scientific evidence draws attention to the connections between our brain, hormones, and emotional well-being. To deepen an understanding of the relationship between ovarian hormones and depression, a recently published animal study turned its lens on a small yet highly influential area of the brain, known as the medial preoptic area (mPOA). This study [1] presents a compelling case for the role of this region as a focus of action for reproductive hormones regulating depression. Evidence gathered from a variety of sources, such as epidemiological studies, has…
ORGANIC RELIEF – July 30, 2023 – Chronic pain has been my daily companion for more than half my life. It started at age 14, and the pain still thrives 16 years later. Within a few months, I could no longer remember what it felt to not be in pain. A constant ache lived in my lower back, my joints stung with the slightest movement, and stabbing pains shot through every limb, rib and vertebrae up to 100 times a day. It interfered with everything from sleep and food to studying and socializing. I sleep-walked through daily life, unable to…
SOBRIETY IS GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT – July 30, 2023 – She told PEOPLE: “I was ahead of the curve of the opiate epidemic. I had a 10-year run, stealing, conniving. No one knew. No one. “My sobriety has been the key to freedom, the freedom to be me, to not be looking in the mirror in the reflection and trying to see somebody else. I look in the mirror. I see myself. I accept myself. And I move on because you know what? The world is filled with things we need to do. “I’m breaking the cycle that has basically destroyed…
VIDEO – SCARY TIMES – July 31, 2023 – “We’ve seen an increase in street-level distribution of cocaine-xylazine mixture[s],” Frank Tarentino, the special agent in charge of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, told The Post. “It’s widespread. And it’s getting worse.” The agency has found that about 15% of all drugs tested in its Northeast regional laboratory include xylazine, Tarentino said. And more than 85% of the drugs with xylazine also contain fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid, Tarentino added. That means the cocaine, heroin, meth or fake painkillers that people buy on the street could easily…