WARNING FROM FADING STAR – Nov. 16, 2021 – “It was so sad because he’d transformed into this big man with no eyes – they’d sunken into the back of his head.” It was pitiful.” Elton continued, “The similarities between myself and Elvis Presley at the end of his days were too close for comfort.” “In the end, there are pictures of me … when I look at them, I think, oh my god, you turned into Elvis! You closed your door, gained weight, did this, did that, and you didn’t care how you looked!” he continued. That is…
Author: Leonard Buschel
TO DUMB US DOWN EVEN MORE? – Nov. 15, 2021 – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation on Monday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and eliminate legal hazards facing many cannabis-related businesses while regulating its use like alcohol. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is spear-heading the legislative effort, described the bill as a “compromise” with less onerous regulations than measures proposed earlier by other lawmakers including Democrats. The legislation’s path in the Democratic-controlled House was uncertain. Mace, a first-term lawmaker, said the measure has five Republican co-sponsors. more@Reuters
LISTEN – IT HAD TO BE 100,000 TO FINALLY GET INTO THE HEADLINES – Nov. 17, 2021 – This translates to an American perishing from a drug overdose death every five minutes. This is unacceptable, and it requires an unprecedented response. The amount of fentanyl in our country has risen to an unprecedented level. more@NPR
12 STEPS LATER… – Nov. 8, 2021 – “This book is one of the best (if not THE BEST!) addiction memoir I’ve read – and I have read a ton of them! The addiction memoir is a rather diluted space, but this book really sets itself apart and brings something new to the table. I couldn’t put it down and read it cover-to-cover in 4 days (the last time I read a book that fast was in 2008 when the final Harry Potter book came out). This book is raw, vulnerable, and hilarious. It will change the way that…
LIKE DRINKING A DIET COKE? – Nov. 18, 2021 – With nearly 25 percent of the population in the US taking acetaminophen each week, reduced risk perceptions and increased risk-taking could have important effects on society.” The findings add to a recent body of research suggesting that acetaminophen’s effects on pain reduction also extend to various psychological processes, lowering people’s receptivity to hurt feelings, experiencing reduced empathy, and even blunting cognitive functions. Similarly, Way’s study suggests people’s affective ability to perceive and evaluate risks can be impaired when they take acetaminophen. While the effects might be slight, they’re definitely…
LISTEN – HUMANITY ON THE SKIDS – Nov. 19, 2021 – Quinones tells Press Play that this book is about how the “underworld,” particularly the Mexican trafficking world, became the lead driver of pain pills and pushed America’s epidemic of drug addiction into the “synthetic era,” meaning the drugs are now made entirely with chemicals in laboratories (and no longer require plants like cocoa in cocaine or poppies in heroin). They’re also more potent and dangerous than anything that’s been on the streets before. Fentanyl: from a chemist’s lab to the streets Quinones explains that a Mexican-born and San…
ENJOY – Nov. 20, 2021 – While the mounting deaths show the devastating consequence of fentanyl’s seep, it is less widely understood why the drug has mushroomed. And why so many illicit products — from fentanyl-laced cocaine and crystal methamphetamines, to marijuana sprayed with fentanyl, to faux prescription pills that are in fact fentanyl, colored and stamped to resemble a brand-name drug — now contain it. The spread of fentanyl has been stealthy, steady and deadly, according to interviews with nine people involved in the sale of illegal drugs in New York, where much of the country’s fentanyl enters…
WATCH – SAFE FOR NOW – Nov. 19, 2021 – Megan Cohen says it’s a miracle she’s alive after spending most of her early to mid 20’s on the streets in Kensington under the grip of drugs. She spoke with NBC10’s Jacqueline London about how she overcame her addiction… more@NBCPhiladelphia
“If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” —Joseph Campbell
J’ACCUSE! – by Christopher Dale Nov. 1, 2021 – A two-decade review shows decisions too poor – and Big Pharma influence too clear – to be explained away by sheer incompetence. This is a story 20 years in the making, and one dragging on – in boardrooms, courtrooms and cemeteries – day by deadly day. To connect the timeline’s dots, we must trace them in reverse. We start at today. Last year, a record 93,000 Americans perished from drug overdoses – more than car accidents and gun deaths combined. While no formal breakdown by drug is yet available for…
WINTER IN AMERICA – Nov. 17, 2021 – The vast majority of these deaths, about 70 percent, were among men between the ages of 25 and 54. And while the opioid crisis has been characterized as one primarily impacting white Americans, a growing number of Black Americans have been affected as well. There were regional variations in the death counts, with the largest year-over-year increases — exceeding 50 percent — in California, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky. Vermont’s toll was small, but increased by 85 percent during the reporting period. Increases of about 40 percent or greater…
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD? – Nov. 8, 2021 – The investigation also took a look at more than 100 “questionable” disbursements totaling at least $4,645 while Armstrong had control of Phases. “These included cash withdrawals and purchases made at liquor stores, lottery stores, tobacco stores, restaurants, car washes, and retail stores. Many purchases were made in Kentucky and Florida,” The comptroller’s office said. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office administratively dissolved Phases in April 2018. “Comptroller’s Office investigators attempted to contact Armstrong during the course of this investigation, but they were unsuccessful. Investigators were also unable to obtain records from the…
WILL YOUR BABY COME OUT WITH DREADS? – Nov 09, 2021 – Researchers reported an increase in prenatal hospitalizations involving cannabis use disorder between 2010 and 2018, according to study results published in JAMA Psychiatry. “A recent study documented increased prevalence of anxiety, depression and trauma in 11,681 patients who used cannabis prenatally,” Angélica Meinhofer, PhD, of the department of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, and colleagues wrote. “However, most studies have been limited by relying on self-reported cannabis use and mood-related disorders, by examining cannabis use and not [cannabis use disorder (CUD)] or…
OFF THE STREETS AND INTO OUR HEARTS – Nov. 6, 2021 – There is very little difference between any of us regardless of who we are or where we come from. One thing that I think about is that we will survive, and we will do this by any means possible. I remember getting a cheeseburger out of a dumpster that had mold on it. I removed the tomatoes and lettuce and ate it regardless. When you’re starving, all bets are off. I think that goes across the board with all of us. Another thing is that we all…
A NEW WAY TO UNWINED – Oct. 19, 2021 – “We were watching the boom in no-alcohol drinks, and low-alcohol drinks, as well as the rise in popularity of seltzers,” Zanganas says, “yet there was nothing – anywhere – available for people who love the incredible flavors of varietal wine grapes but don’t want the inherent issues of alcohol. We listened, and delivered an exciting, delicious new refreshment. We are receiving requests from around the world, from Europe to Asia. Moreover, since H2O contains zero alcohol, we can export literally everywhere – and have already received distribution inquiries from…
TIME TO BE KIND – Nov. 2021 – The study found dealing with any degree of discrimination was associated with a 26% higher risk for having poor overall health. Experiencing frequent discrimination was linked with greater use of substances such as amphetamines, marijuana, tranquilizers, barbiturates or cocaine in the last year without a doctor’s prescription. The study included a decade of health data from 1,834 Americans who were ages 18 to 28 when the research began. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront new mental health challenges—particularly for vulnerable populations,” researcher Yvonne Lei said in a university news…
ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN O’DOULS – Nov. 11, 2021 – According to Itzkovitz, the variety pack allows the brewery to showcase its growing non-alcoholic lineup while it “feeds the customer’s desire to sample and figure out what they like in their own time”. The packs will be available in select markets throughout the autumn before rolling out more widely across the US from in January 2022 and will also be available to buy directly through the Brooklyn Brewery website as well as the brewer’s distribution partnership with Whole Foods. more@TheDrinksBusiness
WATCH – AL-ANON TOO? – Nov. 10, 2021 – She may only be 24, but Hailey Bieber has seen it all. The supermodel recently opened up about her Christian faith, juggling the good and bad of being in the public eye with husband Justin Bieber and how dealing with her own father’s addiction helped her navigate Justin’s own recovery. more@YahooNews
ALL BETTER NOW? – Nov. 10, 2021 – At Manchester Crown Court, Ramsden was sentenced to 16 months as the judge told her a spell in jail might help her get clean and reconnect with her family. The court heard how she had developed her drug addiction during her relationship with her children’s father. During Christmas 2018, the couple were about to find themselves homeless but were offered food and shelter by his elderly mother, whose bank and post office accounts they then drained to feed their drug habits. Prosecutor Miss Claire Brocklebank said: “On October 5 2021, at…
A BINDLE? – Nov. 12, 2021 – His journey began when he turned to the Matthew Project Next Steps recovery centre in Oak Street at the start of 2020. And now he is hoping to embark on a career in street photography and light painting – a skill he did not have before 2020. Richard, now known as Street Shots, hopes to exhibit his many pictures of the city. more@EveningNews24
WORKS BEST WITHOUT A DEVIATED SEPTUM – Nov. 12, 2021 – The scientists began by working with GLP-2, a neuropeptide that has shown anti-depressant effects even in treatment-resistant depression. Considering many drugs entering the body lose their therapeutic effectiveness due to endosomal degradation within the cells, the scientists added a peptide-derived sequence to GLP-2, known as a penetration accelerating sequence (PAS), to help evade this degradation. They also enhanced the permeability of the drug to the respiratory epithelium by the addition of another membrane-permeability promoting peptide-derived sequence called cell penetrating peptides (CPP). They then proceeded to test this modified…
SOBRIETY MANDATE NEXT? – Nov. 11, 2021 – The News&Guide was the first Wyoming media outlet to report on potentially unconstitutional elements of the 24/7 program; stories have since been published and republished in several outlets across the state. “The Wyoming 24/7 Sobriety Program also, in its application to pretrial participants, violates the Fourth and Fifth Amendments,” the letter states. “Most concerning are the constitutional violations that occur through the practices and policies adopted by the Teton County and Campbell County Sheriffs who arrest pretrial participants for merely being late to testing.” Amiotte wrote in the demand letter that…
WATCH – WE ALL SHOULD HAVE – Nov. 11, 2021 – Friday night, Ford will work to raise awareness as the Sunshine From Darkness event takes place. It’s a fundraiser started by the Lee and Bob Peterson Foundation. Over the last 15 years, they’ve helped raise $6 million for research and programs like First Step. “That’s a big part of it, having the community support the event, and really addressing stigma which we do at the event,” said Jeffrey Peterson the president & CEO of the Lee and Bob Peterson Foundation. The CORT program hopes to break those stigmas.…
TIME TO LIGHTEN UP? – Nov. 13, 2021 – “Our addictive behaviors don’t just center around one thing — we need to begin to stop with this hierarchy of drugs, so to speak,” said the department’s deputy commissioner, Roland Lamb, in a 2019 interview with WHYY News. “If you’re telling me that you don’t want to stop smoking, you’re telling me that you’re willing to jeopardize any success that we have at treatment.” Now, the department is changing its tune. more@WHYY
LISTEN – A RHYME IN TIME – Nov. 10, 2021 – Jordan: Do you mean you truly couldn’t, or you felt like you shouldn’t? Greg: I think both, and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a distinction there. Because it wasn’t the first time I attempted to get sober. Previous times that I tried to get sober, when I imagined a life post rock bottom, that process of imagining my life would cause me to drink again because I didn’t like the life that I was imagining. I didn’t want that life. I wanted a life in which…
LISTEN – TIME TO GET hulu – Nov. 12, 2021 – The opioid epidemic has affected millions of people across the country—and more than 800,000 people are estimated to have died from an opioid overdose. At the root of this crisis is the painkiller Oxycontin, manufactured by Purdue Pharma. The company has made billions of dollars from the drug; but has also spent the better part of the last two decades fighting legal battles over its impacts, falsely arguing the drug is non-addictive and completely safe. Meanwhile, people from all walks of life, particularly in small towns across America,…
DOESN’T WANT TO – Nov. 14, 2021 – Betty Buzz mixers, as promoted on the company’s website, are lower in calories than traditional mixers and feature a “light, refreshing taste.” Flavors include Tonic Water, Sparkling Grapefruit, Sparkling Lemon Lime, Ginger Beer, and Meyer Lemon Club Soda. They can be mixed with alcohol or even enjoyed straight out of the bottle. more@CheatSheet
DOORS OF ELATION – Nov. 13, 2021 – About 29.1% of patients who received the highest dose of psilocybin — the compound found in magic mushrooms — were in remission three weeks after treatment compared with 7.6% of those in the control group, according to Compass Pathways. The patients that received 25-milligram — the highest dose of the drug in the study — also experienced a “highly statistically significant and clinically relevant reduction in depressive symptom severity after three weeks,” per Compass Pathways. Patients who received the lower 10-milligram dose did not experience a statistically significant difference after three…
AREN’T YOU GLAD YOU GAVE UP DRINKING NOW? – Nov. 12, 2021 – LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — It has the meats, and soon, it’ll have the drinks. Arby’s is releasing two limited edition alcoholic drinks: “Arby’s Curly Fry Vodka” and “Arby’s Crinkle Fry Vodka.” Officials said both vodkas taste just like their namesake fries. The curly fry vodka has cayenne, onion and garlic. The crinkle fry vodka has kosher salt and sugar. The potato-based liquor will debut in November but will only be available in a handful of states. Each bottle costs $60 and will be available to purchase…
LISTEN – GOING TO ANY LENGTHS – Nov. 9, 2021 – Campside Media co-founder Josh Dean details Hathaway’s life in “Hooked,” a podcast series based on Dean’s original reporting for Bloomberg Businessweek. Dean found a news article about Hathaway’s arrest when looking for a story about a “specially prolific bank robber.” Only after reading an email from Hathaway in prison did Dean realize Hathaway’s story was about much more than the crime spree. The Seattle Times spoke with Dean about his desire to create a podcast, his experience learning Hathaway’s emotional story and what “Hooked” can teach listeners —…