VIDEO – COMPASSIONATE AND INTELLIGENT – Jan. 16, 2023 – While many European countries are struggling to tackle a rise in drug trafficking and drug use, some are looking to Portugal for inspiration on how to successfully reform their judicial and medical response. In July 2001, Portugal decriminalised the personal use and possession of all illegal drugs. Twenty years later, the country has become an example to the rest of the world, showing that avant-garde reforms can reap results. Drug users are no longer treated as criminals, but rather as patients. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24’s…
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – WALKS TALL – Jan. 11, 2023 – The new documentary comes from filmmaker Max Pugh, who has previously created two additional films about Nhat Hanh’s life and community: Cloud Never Dies and Walk With Me. I Have Arrived, I Am Home showcases footage and commentary on Nhat Hanh’s return to his native Vietnam, where he lived from 2018 until his passing last year on January 22. The film also tells the story of “the funeral ceremonies, the returning of Thay’s ashes to the earth, and some of the highlights of the life of the international Plum Village community…
15 MINUTES A DAY! – Jan. 19, 2023 – Existential tension can be thought of as a resistance to being here on earth, incarnated into lives filled with threats, hostile forces, violence and unexpected and uncontrollable changes. So many of the thoughts we have in our minds originate from this existential tension accumulated within our root chakras. However, meditation – especially root chakra-based meditations like the Walking Meditation or Body Scan – heal and relieve this existential tension, and when they do, voilà! The mind grows quiet. … When your mind isn’t quiet, I fully give you permission to break…
IT’S COMPLICATED – Jan. 21, 2023 – In a similar way, altered states of consciousness, such as those induced by psychedelic drugs or low oxygen levels, involve normal levels of arousal but disorganized sensory experiences. These can include hallucinations of sounds, smells, or sights, but also synesthesia, when there is cross-talk between usually discrete senses, such as sounds that evoke visual experiences. People in a coma, or under anesthesia, can have levels of wakefulness and awareness that are even lower than during non-REM sleep. Meanwhile, in a strange hybrid state of consciousness known as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, or a…
ABOUT TIME? – Jan. 17, 2023 – “We’re expected to raise children like we don’t work and work like we don’t have children,” Phelps says. “We’re in this mindset of, ‘I’ve got to do this all by myself.’ If you go to any 12-step meeting, you’ll hear women talking about the shame they feel for needing help.” In May 2022, Phelps let go of that shame. Inspired by brother Michael Phelps’ advocacy in the mental health space, she decided she was done hiding. The Washington, D.C.-based public relations guru sat down and typed out a press release of sorts about…
GETTING BACK TO READING! – Jan. 19, 2023 – These confessionals about alcohol dependence share a common theme: explaining in vivid detail the author’s battle with the bottle, and the ways in which society has duped us into thinking that alcohol is a cool way to deal with life’s ups and downs, rather than a toxic substance with addictive properties, which increases anxiety and depressive symptoms over time. The Quit Lit warnings are important. A hard-hitting article in the Lancetstated: “Our results show that the safest level of drinking is none.” Alcohol may not be beneficial for anyone, but it’s…
GOING TO THE DRIVE THROUGH…AGAIN – Jan. 24, 2022 – It’s a typical Instagram reel: Overwhelming kids, raucous noise. It’s been a long day. A mom locks herself in the bathroom as The Spice Girls sing in the background, “I’ve given you everything…” And this mom has given everything — her kids have worn her down. But instead of sneaking a bottle of chardonnay out of the linen closet, this frazzled mom lights up a bong. Melissa Ludwig, an influencer and mom of two in Pennsylvania, is open about her struggle with alcohol, her ADHD diagnosis, and how cannabis…
VIDEO ONLY – F**KING MADNESS – Jan. 14, 2023 – Kenner’s mother, 34-year-old Alexis Callero, was arrested earlier this week for second-degree murder, cruelty to a juvenile and various drug charges. Click@WWLTV
YOU SHOULD NEVER DIE FROM DOING COKE – Jan. 18, 2023 – Grabbing fentanyl test strips near the dance floor speaks to the way fentanyl has permeated so many corners of America. No longer just a threat to chronic drug users, fentanyl is increasingly a danger to occasional drug users and even teenagers—those who may be less familiar with how dangerous the drugs have become or what tools might protect them as fentanyl is showing up in drugs that don’t usually contain opioids. Now people like Ms. Shorr, local business owners, elected officials and grassroots organizations are eyeing nightlife hot…
LUCKY 13 – Jan. 10, 2023 – Justice for hoodie-and-shorts guys: Congressional elections are all about representation. And while I am a Californian, at no other point in history have I felt more represented than when John Fetterman, the blue-collar giant known for appearing on the campaign trail in shorts and a hoodie, was sworn in as a senator from Pennsylvania. As a longtime hoodie-and-shorts guy, I greatly appreciate Mr. Fetterman’s dedication to the bit; neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night has deterred him from wearing his preferred outfit in public. My hope is that…
AUDIO – GIVE A LISTEN – Jan. 17, 2023 – A look at drug issues facing the country today and how they’ve changed. We discuss the issues of drug addiction, the distribution of fentanyl, and the rising number of overdose deaths from the opioid crisis with Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Click@NPR
LENNY BRUCE WOULD HAVE APPROVED – Jan. 17, 2023 – “You don’t have the same feeling—no rush, [the high is not] the same high as you get from injecting,” Dr. Vogel told Filter. And some people who don’t want to inject nonetheless “need this high in order to stabilize.” To meet this need, Vogel and colleagues across Switzerland developed a new way of providing heroin-assisted treatment (HAT): a nasal spray. Vogel, along with his colleagues and their associated out-patient clinics, recently released a paper, published in the Harm Reduction Journal, showing the results of a four-week observational study in which…
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THEY’RE LOVING IT – Jan. 9, 2023 – “The goal is to help patients make changes in lifestyle, behaviors or environment in a way that is sustainable and involves families in decision-making at every step of the way,” Dr. Sandra Hassink, an author of the new guidance and vice chair of the AAP’s Clinical Practice Guideline Subcommittee on Obesity, said in a news release. The most effective interventions require upwards of 26 hours over three to 12 months of intense, in-person behavior and lifestyle treatment from health care providers. Such treatment includes coaching on nutrition, physical activity and changes…
VIDEO – BETTER LESSON THAN A LECTURE – Jan. 9, 2023 – In an announcement released on Friday, Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro said the teacher, Frank Thompson, was initially “observed in distress” by students before an administrator called the school resource officer, Fortunato Riga, to the classroom. Riga, who later reported the situation to police, recalled finding Thompson “unconscious and unresponsive” on the floor, with the school nurse actively treating him. Riga told police that he noticed Thompson exhibiting signs of an opioid overdose and administered the medication naxolone hydrochloride, sold under the brand name Narcan, which is used…
VIDEO – A-HOLES – Jan. 6, 2023 – On Wednesday, police arrested 29-year-old Jessica Sternisha of Constable, 29-year-old Alex Hammond of Constable and 26-year-old Melissa Martin of Moira for endangering the welfare of a mentally incompetent or physically disabled person. On Thursday, police arrested 49-year-old Donnan Jarvis of Brushton on the same charge. All four were released on an appearance ticket to appear at Malone Town Court later this month. Click@MyNBC5
THAT’S A LOT OF URINE – Jan. 9, 2023 – “For nearly a decade, Michael Ligotti exploited vulnerable patients seeking addiction treatment, a reprehensible abuse of trust by a physician,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a news release. “This defendant will now serve many years in federal prison for using his medical license to authorize fraudulent tests and treatments for addicted patients at treatment centers and sober homes throughout South Florida.’ On Oct. 4, Ligotti accepted a plea agreement of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud. It was multi-year…
TEENAGE WASTED LAND – Jan. 9, 2023 – A 15-year-old girl from Green Bay is charged with being party to first-degree reckless homicide. Prosecutors say the girl provided fentanyl to a teenager before his death in December. The criminal complaint describes the teen’s grandmother calling first responders on the morning of December 3 because her grandson locked himself in his room and wasn’t responding. The grandparents say he used to have a drug problem and spent time at a treatment center in Minnesota, and they took him in recently. A paramedic forced their way into the room and found the…
NPR AUDIO – ALL THINGS CONSIDERED – Jan. 11, 2023 – A small study shows pharmacists could play a key role in getting addiction medication directly into the hands of more people who need it, but there are a lot of barriers to expanding the project. Medications can help people quit opioids, but fewer than 15% of patients who could benefit from those medications actually receive them. Researchers based at Rhode Island Hospital tested one possible remedy – offering addiction treatment in pharmacies. From member station WBUR, Martha Bebinger reports. Click@NPR
WHY WAIT? – Jan. 7, 2023 – Neuropsychological assessments tested verbal episodic memory, verbal working memory, executive functioning, and visuospatial abilities. Participants who had alcohol use disorder were tested at 8 days and 18 days after alcohol cessation. Results showed that nearly 60% of patients with alcohol use disorder showed cognitive impairments 8 days after cessation of alcohol. Among those who showed impairments, 63% showed improvement in their deficits such that they reached normal levels of functioning after 18 days of discontinuing alcohol usage. Promising recovery rates were shown for working memory and episodic memory at 60 and 63%. 67%…
VIDEO – FILM MATTERS – Jan. 8, 2023 – From the mayor’s office to the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, ABC7 News meets those trying to solve the drug overdose crisis and those caught in addiction. We hit the streets, speaking with drug users in alleys and parks, including a former mechanic who was prescribed oxycodone for a work-related injury – now addicted to fentanyl. We also talk to a young man helping a friend shoot up, who shares his own challenges in trying to get off street drugs and a gang member who’s been on the streets since…
AUDIO – PEOPLEPEOPLEMEDIA.COM – Dec. 2022 – Jared Callahan, director of Clean Slate, the documentary, joins us to discuss the film. Clean Slate is a documentary based on two men who try to create a short film while in a Georgia, US, faith-based recovery center. We talk about his motivations for making the Clean Slate and his experiences as an observer of the deep South recovery world. To watch Clean Slate at https://www.peoplepeoplemedia.com/films/cleanslate Click@Spotify
KEEPING IT REAL – Jan. 9, 2023 – Radke, 37, reshared Hubbard’s loving tribute and a supportive message from costar Luke Gulbranson. “Some people say they need to make changes in their lives and others actually put it in motion,” Gulbranson, 39, wrote on his Instagram Story alongside a photo of the pair. “Your discipline, love for those who love you and yourself shine every day brother,” he said. “Happy two years of sobriety!! Love you amigo!” Click@People
EACH ONE TEACH ONE – Jan. 9, 2023 – These developments drew new attention to a worsening situation, yet concrete strategies for improving youth mental health are often missing from the discussion, notes Assistant Professor of School Counseling (M.S.) Cameka Hazel, Ed.D. “One of those strategies should be expanded access to school counseling,” she writes in an op-ed in Salon. School counselors are trained to help K-12 students reach their goals by addressing academic, career development, emotional, and social challenges. Their skillset goes beyond assisting students with navigating classroom conflicts and college readiness; they also are trained to recognize mental…
VIDEO ONLY – JOEY IS ANGELIC – Jan. 10, 2023 – After spending 35 years in prison, Joey Rubio is offering a second chance to others. Click@CBS8
VIDEO – LIFE IMITATING ART? – Jan. 10, 2023 – Of all the unexpected things a viewer might find as they journey through the various editions of the ABC Movie of the Week, the sight of Dick Van Dyke vomiting blood might just be the most shocking. During the 1960s, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang had cemented his status as lovable icon: Always smiling, bursting with energy, liable to bust out a pratfall or a dance routine at the drop of a hat. Van Dyke’s decade ended with The Comic, a dark…
ABSTINENCE ISN’T FOR EVERYONE – Jan. 2023 – “There are a lot of barriers for people who use drugs or do sex work and are living in certain situations,” says Orisha Bowers, the Executive Director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition. Syringe exchange programs, for example, are a form of harm reduction that allow people to swap used needles for clean ones, which prevents the spread of bloodborne diseases. Moreover, the safe disposal of dirty needles keeps community members safe, says Bowers. Many harm reduction efforts focus on reducing the spread of bloodborne illnesses, preventing overdose deaths, and improving…
VIDEO – DR. JEKYLL OR MR. HYDE – Jan. 10, 2023 – “I am an alcoholic. I have been for a long time,” he said. “I remember when I was probably 24, I was so mesmerised by Ville Valo from HIM … he would just walk down the street in Finland and girls would literally faint, sometimes guys too. So I would just follow his lead. I’m like, ‘He’s buying a pack of cigarettes, I’m buying a pack of cigarettes. He’s getting a beer, I’m getting a beer. He’s doing a shot of Sambuca, I’m doing a shot of Sambuca.’”…
MADE IN CHINA – Jan. 13, 2023 – Fentanyl, an opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, was detected in 80% of drug overdose deaths in 2021, health officials said. It was also the most common substance involved in such deaths in the city for the fifth consecutive year. Much of the fentanyl making its way into the United States comes from Mexico with chemicals sourced from China, border officials have said. Across the five boroughs, the Bronx had the highest rates of overdose death in 2021. Residents in the neighborhoods of Hunts Point-Mott Haven, Crotona-Tremont, and Highbridge-Morrisania…
A STITCH IN TIME SAVES LIVES – Jan. 9, 2023 – People with substance use disorders who participate in syringe services programs are five times more likely to enter treatment and about three times more likely to stop using substances than those who don’t use the programs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The IDOH program also provides new hats, scarves and notes of encouragement to recipients. Since the program’s launch in August, the health department has received more than 200 bags and other items. “The Indiana Department of Health has held three stitching events…