OLD TIMERS SECRET – June 16, 2025 – While you’re probably not pouring your morning cup for the long-term health benefits, coffee consumption has been linked to lower risk of mortality. Consumption of 1-2 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes and death from cardiovascular disease. … “Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health,” said Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of…
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – DO SO HARM – June 16, 2025 – Dr. Salvador Plasencia is expected to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine in the coming weeks, the DOJ said. The charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. Plasencia is one of five people charged in the wake of Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose. Plasencia, who operated an urgent care clinic in Malibu, had been set to go on trial in August in the case. His plea agreement comes after Mark Chavez, the other doctor charged in the case, pleaded…
VIDEO – LITTLE PHARMA CAN SUCK TOO – June 17, 2025 – Attorneys say Strickland filled four prescriptions in just seven days. He then died 10 days after his last prescription. Pharmacist Stephen Burklow kept a pill press at home and manufactured his own “Chinese oxy” up to 10 times stronger than federally-approved drug. Pace Pharmacy was known to have more than a dozen daily customers slip through the back door. “The arrest report certainly alleges they were selling pills out the back door and that’s something we’ll be looking into as the case moves forward,” Gaddy said. “We’re watching.…
“To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent responsibility you have as you get older.” – Leonard Cohen, b. 1934 – d. 2016
AUDIO – REBEL YELLED HELP – June 13, 2025 – Punk icon details $75,000 hotel rampage, unexpected family revelation in ‘Billy Idol Should Be Dead’ documentary. “I was coming back in triumph, and I nearly ruined it,” he confessed, according to People. “We flew to London where we met a load of our pals that we knew. They had some of the strongest heroin. Everybody did a line or so … they all nodded out except for me and this mate of mine.” “I was basically dying. I was turning blue,” he said. “So they put me in an ice-cold…
IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD – June 11, 2025 – In the case of addiction, memories of rewarding experiences, like using drugs, are often tightly tied to spatial locations. “Someone who first uses drugs at a concert might always be triggered to seek out drugs when they’re at a concert … And that can be a big problem because it causes people in recovery to relapse when they encounter those triggering environments,” Giocomo said. That could be because the link between the reward map and the spatial map created by the powerful drug is unhealthily strong. Understanding the neural links…
HUMMING IS TOO – June 10, 2024 – If there is a song in your soul, sing it out loud — whether in your car on your morning commute or at karaoke with friends. It’s okay if you are not the next Taylor Swift. Making music — even if we aren’t especially good at it — can still be good for us. Music has the power to soothe the mind, promote brain health and bring people closer together… But even though music can get stuck in our heads or make us want to move and groove, we can find it…
ANOTHER SOBER KNIGHT – June 13, 2025 – Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman was awarded a knighthood in King Charles’ Birthday Honours. In an exclusive interview conducted ahead of the official announcement, the star told Deadline: ”It’s actually sort of mind-boggling. I’m gobsmacked.” Recently, he returned to the stage after a 37-year absence to star in and direct a production of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape at the York Theatre Royal. Many of his greatest screen roles were filmed in the UK, including Sid and Nancy, Prick Up Your Ears, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the Harry Potter movies. In an…
GOLFING AND TENNIS – JUNE 11, 2025 – BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd, who celebrated his 30th year of sobriety last November, was asked if there is a lot of temptation being in a rock band and constantly being around alcohol on the road. He said “There’s always temptation. You don’t have to be in a rock band to find temptation.” You’ve just gotta work at it. It doesn’t go away. In fact, it gets more intense between your ears. The longer you stay sober, the more you have to do to feel good in your own skin without numbing yourself…
ACCEPTANCE is THE KEY? – June 6, 2025 – The transformative or transcendent potential of love has been reported for thousands of years. It’s been suggested as a means of connecting with the infinite, with what lies at the heart of being, with universal consciousness – however you want to call it in spiritual practices from Christian contemplation to Buddhist compassion to Sufi mysticism. Wishing things were different from how they are (I’m going to call it WTWD) is one of the more potentially problematic aspects of being human; no other species seems to bother with it. WTWD, obviously, is…
AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING – The controversy began when a Detroit Tigers sports reporter tweeted on June 8 that Major League Baseball (MLB) teams are advising players to avoid the popular drink. Celsius beverages contain about 1,810 milligrams of taurine, far exceeding the typical daily intake of 40 to 400 milligrams. Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that may promote the growth of bacteria linked to colorectal cancer, which are often more abundant in affected individuals’ guts. ‘Celsius has an ingredient known to flag as cocaine in MLB drug testing, and although it’s not officially banned, it’s strongly…
VIDEO – NO MORE SAKE – June 11, 2025 – Shino Usui, a pharmacist and organiser of an alcoholism recovery peer group can attest to the fact that the ratio of female drinkers in the country is rising at an alarming rate. As someone who used to hit the bottle daily, she saw that combating alcoholism as a woman in a society where men are normally seen as the heavy drinkers has become a shameful topic. Health experts said that due to hormonal influences, women are more prone to becoming alcoholics in the short term. Alcoholism is socially stigmatised as…
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY – June 13, 2025 – More young people are skipping alcohol—not as a restriction, but as a preference. We explore the sociological and psychological reasons behind this cultural shift. More and more young adults are choosing to skip the booze, not because of strict rules or financial struggles, but simply because “they don’t feel like it”. Unlike previous generations, for whom drinking has been a rite of passage, Gen Z is not just rejecting alcohol; they’re also rewriting social norms. Having said that, sobriety is not about making a bold statement for many of them, but rather…
PARENTS? – June 10, 2025 – They identified 109 genes that were linked in different combinations with eight psychiatric disorders, including autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia. This may explain why these conditions often co-occur – for example up to 70 percent of individuals diagnosed with autism or ADHD have the other too – and why they frequently cluster in families. Each of these eight conditions also has gene differences that are unique to them individually, so Won and team compared the unique genes with those shared between the disorders. CONTINUE@ScienceAlert
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – ALWAYS – The death, at age 82, of Brian Wilson, one of the founding members of the ‘60s group the Beach Boys, was announced on Wed., June 11, 2025. Ten years ago, the singer-songwriter talked with correspondent Anthony Mason about a creative life marred by depression and drugs (dramatized in the film “Love & Mercy), and about his new solo album, “No Pier Pressure.” (Originally broadcast on “Sunday Morning” July 19, 2015.) “CBS News Sunday Morning” features stories on the arts, music, nature, entertainment, sports, history, science and Americana, and highlights unique human accomplishments and…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – FOREVER – “God Only Knows” is the lead track off the “What Love Can Do” collection, which was produced by Phil Ramone and features all new recordings of classic favorites and brand new songs from Brian Wilson, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Kris Kristofferson, Burt Bacharach, Stephen Bishop, Richard Marx, and many others! CONTINUE@YouTube
DEFUNDING HEALING – June 13, 2025 – Michigan health officials fear cuts to drug prevention, treatment and recovery programs could stymie recent success fighting the opioid epidemic. Michigan has lost $93 million in federal grants for substance use disorder programs in recent months… In addition to those losses, some Michigan substance use disorder providers have been notified of cuts to their own federal grants. While there is no tally for those individual losses, Bridge Michigan confirmed a medically assisted treatment program in the Upper Peninsula is endangered by grant cuts and $3 million was stripped from a planned treatment facility…
INTERNATIONAL ISSUE – June 12, 2025 – Many forms of addiction include escapism in significant measure. People search for brief solace from emotional suffering, stress, or discontent with their lives, whether it comes from drugs, digital distractions, or obsessive behaviour. Although these coping strategies could offer a little escape, they often result in more intense problems, therefore perpetuating a dependent cycle. CONTINUE@News24
IT HELPS ABSTINENCE – June 13, 2025 – A new version of Connections, the evidence-based recovery support app for people with substance use disorder, has been specifically designed for individuals with problem gambling. “We have seen how the Connections app brings people in substance use recovery together, so we want to give this opportunity to individuals who are struggling with gambling addiction,” said Sheila Moran, Research shows a high correlation between gambling addiction and substance use disorder, with a significant percentage of individuals with gambling issues also struggling with alcohol use disorder or substance use. The negative emotional and mental…
STIGMA SUCKS – June 13, 2025 – Sober living homes are life-saving for individuals who are in recovery. For some, it’s the first stable and supportive place they may have ever lived. However, a recent change to how these sober homes are regulated here in New Jersey may put many of them out of business, and put the lives and recoveries of hundreds at risk. Unfortunately, effective Jan. 6, 2025, a major change occurred that substantially threatens cooperative sober living residences licensed by New Jersey. This change was made by regulation, not voted on by the legislature, and without input…
HOW HIGH TEXAS? – June 11, 2025 – Ibogaine is an illegal drug that has found itself in a unique position where Republicans champion it. This comes as some of them, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have made it a mission this session to ban recreational use of THC. Texas has picked up the effort under the leadership of a familiar statewide figure-turned psychedelics cheerleader — former Gov. Rick Perry. As Texas sets to crack down on the recreational use of cannabis, state leaders are opting to invest $50 million in another plant with purported medicinal benefits – a…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – June 17, 2024 – Judy Crane, author of The Trauma Heart, has over three decades of clinical experience in the field of trauma and substance use disorders. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of Guest House Ocala. Prior to that she founded and developed one of the nation’s leading treatment centers specializing in trauma and substance use disorders, as well as the development of Spirit 2 Spirit, a trauma certification program for clinical therapists. She currently serves as a consultant for many of the country’s leading treatment centers. Q. If you are in recovery, what…
ANYTHING THE BRAIN CAN DO – June 12, 2025 – Superintelligence is a futuristic goal of A.I. development. OpenAI, Google and others have said their immediate aim is to build artificial general intelligence, or A.G.I., a machine that can do anything the human brain can do! The move to invest billions in Scale AI, an amount equal to about 10 percent of Meta’s revenue in 2024, would be Meta’s first major minority investment in an outside company. It is Meta’s second-largest deal, after the $19 billion acquisition of the messaging app WhatsApp about 11 years ago. Meta is scrambling to…
MEMORY MATTERS – June 13, 2025 – “Today marks 3 years since my last drink,” McBryde writes. “My last time being ‘that guy’ in my social and professional circles. The last panicked phone call for help. The final slip up that caused the intervention from those that love me and the shift in me allowing me to say ‘that’s enough.’ The details are known by those who are deserving of such painful information.” “1,000 days, 1,000 moons,” McBryde writes. “ 1,000 hangovers skipped, 1,000 drunk ‘I’m sorrys’ I didn’t have to say …I see the woman I am now and…
AMANDA FEILDING PASSES – June 12, 2025 – Amanda Claire Feilding Countess of Wemyss, was a pivotal and central figure in the movement to legitimize the study of psychedelic drugs for therapeutic purposes, died at 82. Only a few would take her seriously. She talked openly about her long-term relationship with a pigeon. CONTINUE@NYTimes
VIDEO – SHE CARES DEEPLY – June 10, 2025 – “For five months, I had stopped drinking because I felt like I needed clarity, I needed to get rid of some negative energy that was in my life that I couldn’t see.” She continued, “Not to say I have a drinking problem or anything like that, I just think like you fast sometimes because you need to reset your system.” Henson added that she has to promote her wine brand Seven Daughters and does drink it sometimes, especially as it’s low in calories and not as high in alcohol by…
L’CHAIM – June 12, 2025 – Mortality rates from alcohol-associated liver disease surged from 6.7 to 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people during the studied period, with a higher annual increase among women and concerning trends among young people. The findings indicate an urgent need for enhanced screening, improved addiction treatment access, and targeted interventions for high-risk groups… Looking at 436,814 alcohol-associated liver disease deaths recorded during that period, they found that the mortality rate had surged from 6.7 to 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people. The annual increase was higher among women than men, and young people showed “concerning trends.” CONTINUE@Independent
ONLY SKIN DEEP? – June 9, 2925 – “As she’s applying the products, she begins to express discomfort and burning, and in the final few minutes, she develops a visible skin reaction,” said senior study author Dr. Tara Lagu, an adjunct lecturer of medicine and medical social sciences at Feinberg. Hales noted that the irritation stems from using products with clashing active ingredients, as well as applying the same active ingredient over and over again, not knowing it’s in several products. Girls also face the risk of sun sensitivity and a skin allergy known as allergic contact dermatitis, which causes…
VIDEO – GOOD NEWS – June 12, 2025 – The number of overdoses and overdose deaths in Laredo has gone down compared to past years. At the city’s Drug and Alcohol Commission meeting, staff said that public vending machines offering Narcan and other supplies are being used more by the public. The machines are located at the Cigarroa Recreation Center, and Fasken Recreation Center. CONTINUE@KGNS
THE ONENESS – June 9, 2025 – In Wim Wenders’ recent film Perfect Days, the main character, a Tokyo toilet cleaner, spends many of his hours in solitude; watering plants, contemplating, listening to music and reading. Thoughtful and positive outlooks on solitude have been taking up more and more space on our screens, bookshelves and smartphones… In the past couple of years, several titles on the topic have been released, with a few more in the works. Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone, and Solo: Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own hit the shelves in 2024, and…