VIDEO – URGENT ACTION – March 3, 2023 – Mi Ok Bruining, 62, of Warwick, the company’s former supervisory counselor, was charged with health care fraud, Cunha said. She is alleged to have hired and trained counselors on how to fraudulently bill insurers. “The allegations set forth, in this case, represent one of the most brazen and egregious examples of health care fraud the FBI has seen here in Rhode Island in recent history, “ Boston FBI Special Agent In Charge Joseph Bonavolonta said at a news conference Thursday. Authorities say, since 2018, up to 1800 patients have sought help…
Author: Leonard Buschel
AIN’T SO SMART AFTER-ALL – March 1, 2023 – I spent some of the summer after my first year at Harvard Law School working on the case against Purdue Pharma, the company that infamously produced and marketed opioids to horrific ends. That case, which has now been settled, opened my eyes to the awful truth of how the Sackler-owned Purdue Pharma manufactured not just opioids, but the opioid overdose crisis we now find ourselves in. A staggering 107,600 Americans died in 2021 because of the crisis, 15 percent more than the year prior. And so, when I came to campus…
DREAMY INTERVIEW – As the beloved 2,000-year-old Jeannie, Barbara Eden, had the power to grant wishes when she starred in her iconic NBC Series, I Dream of Jeannie. Sadly, Barbara can’t make her number one wish come true, but she has lived 91 glorious years and is keeping that wish from vanishing by sharing Matthew Ansara’s story. Matthew is Barbara’s late son, who died of a drug overdose, over two decades ago. Click@AddictionRecoveryeBulletin
VIDEO – WHO NEEDS ZOOS – Feb. 27, 2023 – The Asylum announced that Attack of the Meth Gator had been added to the company’s schedule of upcoming releases via Twitter. “Hold our bear … I mean, beer. Coming for your life this summer,” declared the tweet, accompanied by a poster for the film, which you can see above. A subsequent tweet clarified that the movie is definitely happening. “We’re pumping the meth into Florida’s fresh water reserves as we speak!” Cocaine Bear was released Friday and exceeded expectations by earning $23 million at the domestic box office over the…
VIDEO – SONGS OF INNOCENCE – Feb. 24, 2023 – Combs spoke about the subject of drinking in country music and said those who are sober or those who are currently battling addiction might be affected by that theme. “Our genre has so many songs about drinking and partying, hell, I’m probably one of the worst culprits of it,” he wrote. “There’s nothing wrong with that I don’t think, but sometimes I wonder what someone in the crowd who doesn’t drink, or struggles with addiction is thinking or feeling when there’s thousands of people around them screaming ‘Beer Never Broke…
AND SHE HAS USED IT WISELY – March 1, 2023 – Christina has been open about her sobriety journey and celebrates each anniversary on March 1. Last year marked a decade since she chose a sober lifestyle. She wrote at the time, “i was worthy of healing.” However, in one anniversary post she revealed she came close to relapsing. In an emotional Facebook post in 2019, she explained, “this year was hard. this year was actually the hardest one yet. the truth is i almost didn’t make it. i almost lost my sobriety, my sanity, my faith, my marriage, and…
VIDEO – HE CAN’T SELL THE PRISON HIS MIND LIVES IN – Feb. 24, 2023 – Sackler — a member of the billionaire family whose Purdue Pharma was accused of sparking the deadly drug epidemicby aggressively marketing the painkiller OxyContin and allegedly directing efforts to mislead the public about its risks and addictive power (claims that Purdue itself has denied) — has cleared out a number of homes in recent years amid a slew of lawsuits. In 2022, for instance, Sackler, 77, quietly sold his eight-bedroom, 10-bathroom Boca Raton, Florida estate for $4.88 million, records obtained by The Post show.…
BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOVES IT – Feb. 28, 2023 – One reason why the hospitality industry has a drug problem is the nature of the work. Many jobs in this industry involve long hours, high levels of stress, and low pay. This can lead to feelings of burnout, fatigue, and depression, which in turn can make individuals more susceptible to drug use. The late hours and party culture associated with many jobs in hospitality can also contribute to the prevalence of drug use, with employees often socializing after work and using drugs as a way to relax or unwind. Then there’s…
INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO – FROM CRUMBS TO ICING – Feb. 23, 2023 – “When I was getting sober, I found that my life was so out of control, but baking was … just this beautiful, meditative, very controlled, artistic outlet for me,” Deegan told CBS News. “And I was 25 and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I just found that baking helped me reconnect with people.” At first, Deegan was just baking as a hobby – but her friends showed her she could do more with it. “The baked good that changed my life…
VIDEO – THE BEST HIGH/LOW EVER – Feb. 24, 2023 – Frank Rodriguez, a former drug addict and dealer, tours Philadelphia’s open-air drug market and details the ins and outs of Narcan, an overdose reversal drug. Click@YahooNews
“There are colors we can’t see, but they’re connected to the ones we can. There’s a connection between everything.” – Wayne Shorter, Newark, NJ, Aug. 25, 1933, – Los Angeles, March 2, 2023
ONE DUMB LINE AFTER ANOTHER – Feb. 23, 2023 – Loosely (very loosely) based on news reports of a black bear whose skeletal remains were discovered in 1985 by narcotics investigators in rural Georgia, along with 40 torn-open packets of cocaine thought to have been dropped from an airplane by a smuggler who died before he was able to retrieve them, the film is a wild extrapolation — part low-budget horror film, part five-minute comedy sketch padded out to the length of a Disneynature documentary — about what might have happened between the bear’s ingestion of the drugs and its death. Whenever the…
BLOOD MONEY = CRIME MONEY – Feb. 21, 2023 – The public outcry over the opioid crisis has provoked most arts and academic institutions previously patronised by the Sacklers to cut ties. The first wave of organisations to refuse donations or remove the family name from buildings — including the Louvre Museum in Paris and the National Portrait Gallery in London — came in 2019 after protests led by US artist Nan Goldin. They were joined over the course of 2021 and 2022 by institutions including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and Imperial College London in the…
VIDEO – DADDY ADORABLE – Feb. 21, 2023 – “I’m a little bit nervous asking this, if I’m being honest,” Macklemore says in the clip, noting that he’s taken notice of Sloane’s creative eye. “I love your visual aesthetic. I absolutely love your style.” “I’ve been trying to think of a music video for ‘No Bad Days,’” he continued. “Crazy idea, and if you don’t like it we don’t have to do it. ‘No Bad Days’ music video, I need a director. And I was thinking, what if you directed the music video?” Click@ABCNews
VIDEO – USA USA USA – Feb. 20, 2023 – In the U.S., the chemical compound is used by some food makers, usually in the form of fine crystals or powder, to strengthen dough. It is estimated to be present in more than 100 products. “There is evidence that it may be toxic to human consumers, that it may even either initiate or promote the development of tumors,” professor Erik Millstone, an expert on food additives at England’s University of Sussex, told CBS News. He said European regulators take a much more cautious approach to food safety than their U.S.…
BETTER THAN DOPE—HOPE – Feb. 21, 2023 – Jones now has more than 135,000 followers who have invested in her journey. “I took this as an opportunity to make people aware of her situation and what also happens to the family when they take care of that child and how they come together as a village,” Jones said. “I liked to show on my TikTok that even though my sister wasn’t in the picture, he still had a whole family behind him that would make sure he knew who his mom was.” Jones’ sister, Cecilia Palmer, came back into Jaxton’s…
IT’S NOT COMPLICATED – Feb. 20, 2023 – “It presents sort of a problem because in an overdose situation, the Narcan isn’t going to work. It’s not an opiate, so Narcan is not going to reverse it,” Kalfas said. Since many people are unaware that xylazine is being added, they’re unprepared if there’s an overdose. “It’s really important that you get medical attention,” said Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan. “This is not just a matter of giving Narcan and walking away. You may have to give Narcan, you may have to give CPR, but always call 911.” …Addiction experts warn…
WORSE THAN WORSE – Feb. 18, 2023 – In San Francisco, four people who died between December and January were found to have low levels of xylazine in their systems, prompting the city’s Department of Public Health to issue a warning on Thursday about the drug, noting that it could be mixed with other drugs like fentanyl and heroin, unbeknownst to the user. Dr. Gary Tsai, director of substance abuse prevention and control for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said traces of the drug were found in the system of one fatal overdose victim in the county…
SWEETENED TO DEATH – Feb. 22, 2023 – The PHC is calling ‘upon the public, healthcare professionals and the Government to get behind efforts to recognise the harms of ultra-processed foods’, she said. Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, told MailOnline: ‘I trust the Collaboration will succeed in its demand. ‘If the WHO was to compare food addiction to substance abuse it might just frighten the UK Government into action on obesity.’ He added: ‘Ever since 1992, when the Conservative government launched the UK’s first public health policy, each successive government has fuelled the nation’s food addiction by…
ARTIFICIALLY – Feb. 20, 2023 – Kappa-opioid receptors are known to mediate brain rewards. “If you’re addicted and you’re trying to quit, at some point you will get withdrawal symptoms, and those can be really hard to overcome,” Salas Estrada explained, “after a lot of opioid exposure, your brain gets rewired to need more drugs. Blocking the activity of the kappa opioid receptor has been shown in animal models to reduce this need to use drugs in the withdrawal period.” However, discovering drugs that can block the activity of a protein, such as the kappa-opioid receptor, can be a long…
BAD BARTENDER – Feb. 21, 2023 – The drink is comprised of vodka, water, Liquid I.V., and caffeine all mixed inside a gallon jug. “I was a Liquid I.V. ambassador so, in terms of hydrating, I would have to say that I would think that it was a good idea,” Northeastern student, Daphne Peterson, said. However, doctors disagree, stating that the gallon jug invites people to drink more. “It actually makes it more dangerous. Rather than having a cup of alcohol and someone saying, “Finish your beer,” you have a gallon jug. And now, someone’s saying to you, you got…
IT CAN’T HURT. OR CAN IT? – Feb. 21, 2023 – The medication, naltrexone, has been prescribed since the 1980s to treat people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). It works by blocking endorphins — “feel-good” chemicals in the brain that help produce a happy buzz. The drug is usually taken daily to reduce cravings and make drinking less pleasurable, so it’s easier for people to cut back or stop altogether. Now, a new study suggests that a single dose of naltrexone, taken right before a night out or just as the urge to drink hits, might help people avoid binges…
MOURNING EVERY MORNING – Feb. 22, 2023 – Our hearts are incredibly heavy as we process the loss of Everleigh’s dad, Tommy. He loved Everleigh immensely,’ Savannah wrote back in September, alongside a touching photo of the pair. ‘As we navigate through this difficult time we kindly ask for privacy so that our family may continue to love on Ev, pray, and grieve with her. Your prayers for Everleigh are so very appreciated.’ Savannah went on to wed YouTube star Cole LaBrant in July 2017, and together, they have welcomed three more kids – Posie, four, Zealand, two, and Sunday,…
VIDEO – WE ALL CAN USE SOME GUIDANCE – Feb. 22, 2023 – “You really want to think about those situations in my life when I’m reaching for the drink, is it a long day at work? Is it a fight with my partner, or my friends?” Sexton said. “When we can recognize those triggers, we can maybe realize that I’m reaching for the drink right now, instead, I’m going to go for a run.” Sexton said “rewriting the script” on how to handle one’s sobriety can help create a positive habit. Another revelation in sobriety, Sexton was learning how…
KEROUAC WOULD APPROVE – Feb. 23, 2023 – Bouchard also noted it’s the first mobile unit in Massachusetts to offer all three medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) — methadone, suboxone and vivitrol. Drug overdose deaths are on the rise in Worcester and the van will provide access to medication and mental health support that officials believe is desperately needed. Worcester experienced a dramatic rise in fatal drug overdoses: 79 in 2022 compared to 34 in 2021, a 132% jump. Those numbers are from the Worcester Police Department, according by Dr. Matilde Castiel, the city’s commissioner of Health and Human…
VIDEO – HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS – Feb. 23, 2023 – An estimated 77% of the total overdose deaths in 2021 involved illegally manufactured fentanyl, which was often mixed with other substances. This is similar to what’s been seen on a macro level across the United. States. In 2021, a record 107,622 Americans died from drug poisoning or overdose, with 66% linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the Department of Justice said in a press release last year. During his State of the Union address earlier this month, President Joe Biden said he wanted to address the fentanyl…
COMPASSION MATTERS – Feb. 23, 2023 – The 29-year-old was in and out of prison, as he dabbled in crime to fund his addiction. He is now determined to help others who have been in a similar situation and feel like they have nowhere to turn. Ryan has been sober for five months and sought help at a charity in Grimsby called Harbour Place. It was here that his interest in fitness inspired staff to deliver educational courses to service users. He completed a distance learning course in Health, Exercise and Nutrition and is now volunteering at a local gym…
VIDEO – CASH TALKS NOBODY WALKS – Feb. 22, 2023 – Murdaugh clearly had a problem. How bad was it? How much was he spending? Can someone even consume $50K worth of opioids in a week? Experts weigh in. Click@CourtTV
A SURVIVOR IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE – Feb. 22, 2023 – As a teenager and young adult, Wiger struggled with addiction. Often, addiction starts as a result of a rough childhood or past trauma—Wiger noted that this was far from true in her case. Her family was always loving and supportive but, nevertheless, things started going downhill as early as middle school. She recalled experimenting with drugs and beginning to fail classes, to the point that a teacher took her aside to warn her that her life might be going down the wrong path. Things escalated when she left…
COMMANDING HIS CAREER – Feb. 21, 2023 – His love for connection even saw him working at the Big Beach Cafe, in Hove, during lockdown. Fans looking to experience the “irresponsible lunatic” that is Fatboy Slim are in luck, with 20 shows across the UK announced between February and April. Tickets and full details can be found here. For those seeking additional Fatboy Slim content, Norman features in new documentary Right Here, Right Now looking back on Brighton’s The Big Beach Boutique concert. Out now on Sky Documentaries and NOW. Speaking about the launch of the podcast series, host Sophie…