Podcasts about drug users

Lester Kiewit speaks to Shaun Shelley, Executive Director of Harm Reduction International to find out if there is any truth to the speculation that drug users are stealing fibre cables, to crush the glass and smoke it as part of a drug cocktail. Experts are not convinced. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should the state be supplying safe places and drugs for users while trying to ease them off of their addiction? That's the topic over the first half of the hour before more lighthearted fare with Jamie Yuccas.

Guest: Jennifer Jackson, a Registered Nurse and an Assistant Professor in the

Guest: Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction of Alberta.

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Opinion Line Producer Paul Byrne talks to drug users he met on the street as debate about an injection/consumption centre for Cork rages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PJ Coogan talks to David Lane of the Drugs & Alcohol Taskforce about why so many experts are calling for an injection/consumption centre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

City of Yarra mayor Stephen Jolly joined Ross and Russ. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PJ chats with Opinion Line Producer Paul Byrne who spoke with drug users after the weekend's tragic news, hears how Winnie The Pooh has Cork roots, talks to Cork Olympian Rob Heffernan And more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PJ hears from Opinion Line Producer Paul Byrne who spoke with users after this weekend's tragic news of the deaths of Shane Grimes and Shane O'Sullivan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amber (not her real name) is among the first people to use Ireland's long-awaited Supervised Injection Facility in Dublin. Speaking to Irish Times social affairs correspondent, Kitty Holland, Amber says up until now her day has been taken up by procuring heroin and crystal meth and then strategising about where she can consume them. Suffering from substance abuse since her teens, she says the new centre at Merchants Quay Ireland will change her life. "I am so tense when I am injecting I have had a needle break in my arm. Being able to relax, there is no price on the peace that would come with that.” The SIF was first proposed in 2015 and hasn't been without controversy. Objections to the centre came from stakeholders like the local primary school, where parents fear it will increase dealing and dangerous behaviour in the area. But those behind the pilot project say it will take intravenous drug use off the streets, encourage addicts to link in with local services and prevent deaths by overdose. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim has questions about why we are not prosecuting drug users.  Eli, as always, applies logic to Tim's outrage.  

Both the BC NDP and the Conservative Party of BC have pledged to expand involuntary care under the Mental Health Act for people who use drugs. More than 17 organizations have condemned forced detention plans, including the BC Civil Liberties Association and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. Meenakshi Mannoe is connected to anti-prison and anti-policing movements and has previously engaged in advocacy related to the expansion of involuntary care. We speak with her about this issue.

Charlie Burrell is the founder and president of the Humanity Project. Debby Warren is the executive director of Ensemble Moncton.

Hosts Tim Carey and Kari Still analayze challenges to the federal prohibition on firearm possession for users of illicit drugs. Beth McGinty, PhD, MS, Chief of the Division of Health Policy and Economics and Livingston Farrand Professor of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medicine shares insights about how substance usage affects the risk of firearm possesion. Matthew Osborne, PhD, MA, associate professor of history at the University of Missouri, Kansas City discusses the history of alcohol and drug regulation in the United States.   ###  0:00 - Introduction and case background 6:00 - How courts are treating the current law and public debate 8:35 - What the research says about the risk of firearms and substance usage 24:00 - Conflicting challenges: United States v Daniels and United States v Beasley 38:00 - The historic of regulating alcohol and controlled substances  54:25 - What happens now?   

Chicago Tribune political reporter Olivia Olander joined Springfield's Morning News to talk about her reporting on "harm reduction" organizations that provide clean needles, Narcan, and fentanyl test kits to drug users and where they are hoping to get more funding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Zivo, executive director of the Centre for Responsible Drug Policy has published a series of op eds in the National Post challenging the 'safer drug' supply policy in British Columbia and Ontario particularly. His latest op ed "Almost as good as giving drug users cash" has been challenged by supporters of the safer drug policy. Guest: Adam Zivo. Addresses challenges of his most recent op ed and continues to make his point about the dangers of the safer drug policy and insist these drugs are being re-directed to teens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 511 - Drug Free Kids Guest: Chantal Vallerand   By Stuart McNish   On Dec 8th, 2022, Jennifer Whiteside was appointed Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. At the time she said, “The Premier has asked me to prioritize accelerating BC's response to the illicit drug toxicity crisis. The Premier has also asked me to expand new complex care, treatment, recovery, detox and after-care facilities across the province.”   Months later, the BC Centre for Disease Control released its report showing that in 2022, overdoses from opioids and illicit drugs were now the leading cause of death for youth 10 to 18 years old.  The Minister issued a statement saying, “The toxic drug crisis continues to have a devastating impact on families and communities in B.C., and the impact on children, youth is heartbreaking,”   These are hollow words to Garth Mullins, an organizer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, who said, “It seems to me that the Minister's job is to be the official mourner – someone who is there to cry publicly about the mass deaths but isn't empowered.”   So where does a family turn when they need help? Chantal Vallerand, the Executive Director at Drug Free Kids Canada, says, “We know how difficult it is for families. Most don't know the boundaries of what they can and cannot say or do. We created Drug Free Kids to help parents facing the life and death reality of drugs where there is no margin for error.”   We invited Chantal Vallerand of Drug Free Kids to join us for a Conversation That Matters about resources and strategies that can and do help families address the growing drug crisis in Canada.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/   Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Garth Mullins from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users returns to the show in celebration of International Albinism Awareness Day. He shares his passion for radio production, podcasting and music in addition to his ongoing efforts for human rights. From the June 13, 2024, episode.

A Clare business is hoping to claim a prestigious national accolade for its efforts to help people suffering from drug addiction. Ennis based Atlantic Clinical Packaging will be representing the county in the finals of the National Enterprise Awards at the Mansion House in Dublin tomorrow evening. The company specialises in one-use harm reduction products which will help drug users to avoid illnesses such as HIV and Hepatitis. Michael Considine, Managing Director of Atlantic Clinical Packaging says their goal is to assist people on the road to recovery.

From Wall Street to Main Street, the latest on the markets and what it means for your money. Updated regularly on weekdays, featuring CNBC expert analysis and sound from top business newsmakers. Anchored and reported by CNBC's Jessica Ettinger.

British Columbia wants to recriminalize drug use in public spaces. Garth Mullins from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users reacts to the news. From the May 1, 2024, episode.

Today on NOW with Dave Brown: researchers in New Brunswick are studying the barriers of transportation and the built environment. Kaitlyn Layden and Paul Polley explain why your participation is needed. Doors Open Ontario is back! David Leonard tells you what historical sites are offered this year. Plus, B.C. wants to recriminalize drug use in public spaces. Garth Mullins from Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users reacts to the news. This is the May 1, 2024, episode.

For this special episode recorded live at ASAM's Annual Conference, Kelly Ramsey, MD, MPH, MA, FACP, DFASAM, talks about her journey into the field of addiction medicine and how her early experience dispelled myths she previously heard about people who use drugs. She addresses stigma related to addiction, the prevalence of xylazine in the illicit drug supply*, and the need to recognize and treat appropriately polysubstance drug use and overdoses. Dr. Ramsey also discusses her thoughts about the future of addiction medicine and the importance of harm reduction and meeting patients where they are. She shares what she finds enjoyable about attending ASAM's conference and offers words of wisdom to the new generation of addiction medicine providers. Dr. Ramsey is a board-certified internal medicine and addiction medicine physician who has treated substance use disorder since 2004. She worked as medical director of an academic center-based opioid treatment program (OTP) in the South Bronx before working for nearly a decade for a large FQHC in the Hudson Valley where she created and grew a medication for addiction treatment (MAT) program for opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) to 10 sites and 1500 patients. More recently, Dr. Ramsey worked as the chief of medical services at the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), in a policy, regulatory, and clinical role. Dr. Ramsey currently works as an addiction medicine and harm reduction consultant as well as providing low threshold clinical care and clinical supervision in addiction medicine in three drug user health hubs in New York. She has provided expert advice to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute and their Office of Drug User Health (ODUH), serving on numerous committees for about 15 years, providing expertise in addiction medicine, harm reduction, HIV care, and HCV care. Dr. Ramsey was the recipient of the New York State Commissioner's Special Recognition Award for contributions to drug user health in NYS in December 2018. She was the Distinguished Contributions to Behavioral Medicine Award Recipient, awarded by the American College of Physicians (ACP) in April 2023. Dr. Ramsey was awarded the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Special Medical Alumni Board Award in October 2023. Dr. Ramsey is the immediate past president of the New York Chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (NYSAM) Board of Directors. In addition, she currently serves as Region I Director, representing NYS, on the national American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Board of Directors. Links: ASAM's Annual Conference information Finding Lifesaving Solutions to a Dangerous Trend American Society of Addiction Medicine   If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Treatment is available and recovery is possible. Visit ASAM's Patient Resources page for more information. The information shared in this podcast episode is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.   *The comments in the discussion alluding to 90% of syringes containing xylazine refer to the findings of the following study: The Emerging of Xylazine as a New Drug of Abuse and its Health Consequences among Drug Users in Puerto Rico - PMC (nih.gov).

The Richard Syrett Show, April 9th, 2024 MONOLOGUE Read "The Vibe Shift" by Santiago Pliego https://pliego.substack.com/p/vibe-shift When protesters appear to wear suicide vests, it's a problem https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-when-protesters-appear-to-wear-suicide-vests-its-a-problem Peterborough man (international student from India) facing possible 14-year sentence for defending himself against intruder https://torontosun.com/news/no-right-to-self-defence-will-law-punish-victim-of-violent-crime Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun OPEN LINES THE HOMESCHOOL ADVISOR The importance of small classes and how that homeschool solves the issue  https://www.google.com/url?q=https://currentpub.com/2024/03/20/the-kids-who-get-left-behind-emma-greens-article-on-classical-education-raises-important-questions-about-american-education-as-a-whole/&source=gmail&ust=1712759798857000&usg=AOvVaw1iEnj5hi_FM7vO7r6DLYr8  Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations, which supports classical Christian homeschoolers in all fifty states and in thirty foreign countries. ClassicalConversations.com Keith Gross, author of Dirt Roads to Runways: Defending the American Dream for the Next Generation, is an entrepreneur, a pilot, an attorney, and a conservative activist. Running for the U.S. Senate in Florida, challenging Republican Sen. Rick Scott. KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR MONEY Trudeau: Carbon tax only hurts people with “big mansions and indoor swimming pools” https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/trudeau-carbon-tax-only-hurts-people-with-%E2%80%9Cbig-mansions-and-indoor-swimming-pools%E2%80%9D  Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of The Canadian Taxpayers Federation www.taxpayer.com Adam Zivo: 'We've absolutely lost control' to drug users, desperate B.C. hospital nurses say https://nationalpost.com/opinion/weve-absolutely-lost-control-to-drug-users-desperate-b-c-hospital-nurses-say  Adam Zivo is the director of the Canadian Centre for Responsible Drug Policy and a weekly columnist at National Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A person of interest driving over five days and distributing drugs across the country was finally brought down after a complex sting.  Noel, who's last name has been redacted for operational reasons is one of Victoria's most seasoned detectives, and has seen the state thrashed through a period of uncertainty by Melbourne's high-profile criminal underworld.  He joins Brent Sanders, and talks us through his time in the force and what he's working on post policing.  This episode contains references to child abuse, if this content affected you the number ofr LifeLine is 13 11 14. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The B.C. Coroners Service says there were 2,511 suspected illicit drug deaths last year. Garth Mullins from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users discusses the issues at the core of the overdose crisis. From the January 30, 2024, episode.

Today on NOW with Dave Brown: Garth Mullins from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users discusses the issues at the core of the overdose crisis in B.C. Lawrence Gunther recaps the Toronto International Boat Show. And we have another edition of the news quiz with contestants: Alex Smyth, Karen Magee and Elysia Yardley. This is the January 30, 2024, episode.

“It's no longer an opioid epidemic – this is an addiction crisis.” That's a quote from Michigan State University associate professor Dr. Cara Poland in the New York Times. It seems that every few months, there's a new drug or substance that drug users find to create a better or more potent high. Dr. Asif Ilyas, President of the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research and Education was on The Spark Thursday and said drug dealers and manufacturers are mixing multiple substances or drugs into what their customers are buying,"They're trying to modify their product to enhance it as best they see it, to increase sales, unfortunately. And the victims are those who are abusing them. And these individuals don't really know necessarily what are the agents that they are abusing. We've already known for quite some time that the common agents that are being mixed are things such as fentanyl, which is one of the most powerful illicit opioids, Xylazine, also known as tranq, which is essentially a veterinary sedative, and then methamphetamines, which is a stimulant. These are often being mixed with various agents, typically opioids, to increase that high." Ilyas indicated those mixing the drugs aren't skilled at knowing what amount of a substance to put into their product,"They're not necessarily being mindful of the dosages, the concentrations and the purity of what they're mixing. And often times what we're seeing when people pass out because of opioid abuse and illicit drug abuse is because of just that, they thought it was one thing and there was more fentanyl in there than they thought or there was more meth in there than they would have it thought or do. They didn't expect it at all." Dr. Ilyas said education is a major part of stopping drug abuse,"It's about helping the public understand the severity of opioid abuse, drug abuse. We've known this for forever, but there's some real significant effects that happen from it, and it can affect everyone around you, your friends, your family. It doesn't take much to get addicted and start to go down this path. So everything we can do to prevent it, to support people that are showing signs of it, and then to help people who have addiction to seek appropriate care so that it doesn't manifest into more severe problems for the individual."Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Karol welcomes Jason Rantz to discuss the rise in crime and radical beliefs in America. Karol explores a robbery case in Brooklyn, where the victims blamed themselves, and the trend of supporting terrorists on TikTok. Rantz shares insights from his book, "What's Killing America: Inside the Radical Left Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," criticizing policies that enable drug users and the lack of pushback from local media. They also discuss the societal problem of narcissism and the importance of hard work. The Karol Markowicz Show is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Monday & Thursday.Follow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Karol welcomes Jason Rantz to discuss the rise in crime and radical beliefs in America. Karol explores a robbery case in Brooklyn, where the victims blamed themselves, and the trend of supporting terrorists on TikTok. Rantz shares insights from his book, "What's Killing America: Inside the Radical Left Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," criticizing policies that enable drug users and the lack of pushback from local media. They also discuss the societal problem of narcissism and the importance of hard work. The Karol Markowicz Show is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Monday & Thursday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be difficult to sort fact from fiction, or anecdotes from data, when it comes to a subject like assisted dying. The topic itself is so emotional. The stories of those who don't qualify or from family left behind, can be heartbreaking. And the terms and conditions used to assess someone's eligibility for the process are complex and opaque.All of that is an environment ripe for misinformation—or for potential disasters to be imagined. Next year, restrictions on the MAiD law will fall away, allowing mental illness to be a sole condition for MAiD applicants. substance use disorders may qualify under mental illness, so ... yes, drug users may be able to apply for MAiD. But that's a long way from saying their application will be granted. Today, a trip through the subtlety often missing in discussions of this controversial policy.GUEST: Jocelyn Downie, Professor Emeritus at the Faculties of Law and Medicine, Dalhousie University; works at the intersection of health care ethics, law, and policy

Oct 26 2023 Vancouver police executed a search warrant on the DULF head office and homes of 2 of it's co-founders resulting in their arrest. We asked Harm Reduction advocate, DULF co-founder and Crackdown Podcast host Garth Mullins to help us make sense of it all.Check out the Crackdown Podcast HERESupport the showWe've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalksStronger Together Canada Peer Led Support Groups by Moms Stop the HarmAre you struggling with the substance use of a loved one? Go to https://www.holdinghopecanada.org/Have you tragically lost someone to drug related harms? Visithttps://www.healingheartscanada.org/Prairie Sky Recovery Centrehttps://www.prairieskyrecovery.ca/Info on the Graduate Certificate Program in Substance Use Health and Wellbeing here https://grad.usask.ca/programs/substance-use-health-and-wellbeing.php#Program The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewanhttps://elizabethfrysask.org/

Despite record high drug-poisoning deaths in Yaletown, the city of Vancouver is closing an overdose prevention site on Seymour Street. So far, there is no guarantee that another site will be opened to replace it. Vince Tao is a community organizer with VANDU, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. He joins us to talk about what led to the decision to close the site.

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by the former Director of Progressive Majority who has now transitioned into public service but remains involved in numerous political efforts across Washington, EJ Juárez! They discuss Mayor Bruce Harrell's business-as-usual budget proposal - how it lacks bold vision, doesn't address the pressing problems we face, and double downs on police as our only public safety solution by ignoring calls for civilian-led alternative response and reviving conversation about failed ShotSpotter technology. Crystal and EJ's conversation then moves to Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison signing onto a pro-encampment sweeps brief, Target trying to blame store closures on crime, Green Jacket Lady schooling a Fox News reporter, and a study showing drug decriminalization didn't lead to increased overdose deaths. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, EJ Juárez at @EliseoJJuarez.   Resources “Joy Hollingsworth, Candidate for Seattle City Council District 3” from Hacks & Wonks   “Alex Hudson, Candidate for Seattle City Council District 3” from Hacks & Wonks   “Harrell's Proposed Budget Brings Back Shotspotter, Funds Human Services Workers, Includes No New Diversion for Drug Users” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola   “Business Bestie Mayor Harrell Ignores Gaping Hole in the Budget” by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger   “Four Problems with the ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection System” by Jay Stanley from the Amercan Civil Liberties Union   “City Attorney Davison Signs Brief Demanding Right to Sweep Encampments Without Offering Shelter” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola   “As Seattle Targets close, shoppers question if crime really is to blame” by Renata Geraldo from The Seattle Times   @DivestSPD on Twitter: “Seattle Times headline: Target closing stores due to crime.  21st paragraph: Shoplifting is down 60% overall, 40% in UDistrict, and 35% downtown.  Next graph: Retailers don't always report, so you can just treat those numbers like they don't matter.”   “Seattleites challenge Fox News' spin on the city's crime” by Melissa Santos from Axios   @abughazalehkat on Twitter: “Fox News tried to do a bunch of scary man-on-the-street interviews about crime. It didn't go well.”   “New study suggests looser WA drug laws do not mean more overdose deaths” by Claire Withycombe from The Seattle Times   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   Listen on your favorite podcast app to all our episodes here   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and Friday week-in-review delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed this week's topical shows, we continued our series of Seattle City Council candidate interviews. All 14 candidates for 7 positions were invited and we had in-depth conversations with many of them. This week, we presented District 3 candidates, Joy Hollingsworth and Alex Hudson. Have a listen to those and stay tuned over the coming weeks. We hope these interviews will help voters better understand who these candidates are and inform their choices for the November 7th general election. Today, we're continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's co-host: the former director of Progressive Majority who's now transitioned into public service and remains involved in numerous political efforts across Washington, EJ Juárez. Hey! [00:01:42] EJ Juárez: Sorry, everybody - I'm back. [00:01:46] Crystal Fincher: We love having you and there are always comments from listeners about how insightful you are when you're on - more than usual - so it's always great to have you on. I want to start talking about Seattle's mayor's budget proposal this week. Mayor Bruce Harrell released his budget that he will be presenting, or did present, to the council and city. The council will also take up the budget - they ultimately have the responsibility for passing a budget. But this is the mayor's recommendation - his take on where we should be moving the city. What were your big takeaways about what were in the budget and where do you see this going? [00:02:28] EJ Juárez: Yeah, thanks. I think, first of all, this is a budget that really lacked a bold vision. And I think that my biggest takeaway was this is very much, in many ways, business as usual. This is the values document from an administration that's, I think, still pretending it's a decade ago and not catching up with the problems of today. There's no huge solutions here to some of the most pressing problems for the region and the city, but ultimately, the big swings that you would expect from a mayor who has a significant amount of political capital in the moment are missing. We don't have big swings for human service workers with large increases in pay and benefits to get them to where they need to be able to stay in this city and serve the people, as well as address the problems that are affecting every other element of City services. I think the other thing that was pretty shocking is the fact that we are still spending as much money as we are on the police alone in this city. This is not an integrated approach to safety or even really improving the conditions of different places around the city. So, again, I was a little dumbfounded. [00:03:41] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I think, overall, this is not a budget that anyone is finding surprising from Mayor Bruce Harrell. I think your point is well taken that it seems to lack the kind of investment and scale to meaningfully address the biggest challenges that the city is facing - in two different directions - one, in the revenue and services direction, certainly more voters are demanding a more comprehensive public safety response. This looks to largely be a traditional public safety response - there is money in there for a co-response program, there doesn't seem to be new revenue for diversion, which was supposed to be part of the safety legislation that gives the city attorney power to prosecute drug possession in the city and public drug use. It doesn't seem to meaningfully invest in the issues that are most pressing for the city. Two glaring omissions in the budget are - there doesn't seem to be any preparation or contention - or at least at this point, it's hard to see - for the major upcoming budget deficit that the City is going to be facing. In the next budget - not this year, but next year - there's predicted to be a $225 million budget deficit. And that's quite a bit of money that's gonna require either significant cuts or a significant increase in revenue. So you would think that some of that preparation would be happening now. City council candidates are talking about it, departments are talking about it. And so it's weird that the chief executive of the City - the mayor - is not contending with that in the budget. I don't know if we're gonna be hearing more about that, but I hope we do because certainly the City needs a plan to get through that while addressing the City workers who are crucial to delivering on the mayor's agenda, on what the City just needs to do to operate and serve its residents. What's gonna be happening with that? They deserve a cost of living increase. I hope they get it. They're gonna be negotiating for that. But where is that going to come from in the budget? And it's going to have to be a bigger number than they're accounting for now. There are just some things that don't seem like they're meaningfully dealt with in the way that residents are demanding, and in a way that will solve the challenges that residents are demanding being solved and that Mayor Harrell says is on his agenda. [00:05:57] EJ Juárez: I think you hit it right on the head in that - when you're faced with what will likely be a $500 million deficit in just two and a half years here, we are going to have to make really difficult and painful choices. That's not a number you can just raise your parking rates to get out of, which is what he's proposing. Maybe there's gonna be a huge influx for FIFA coming up and all of the sporting events and concerts, but there's not enough Taylor Swifts in the world to get us to $500 million with just raising parking rates to get us out of the forthcoming deficit. I really worry that the political courage to actually solve this problem just isn't there. This is a really, I think, high-profile instance of kicking that can down the road - either to the council or to the next mayor - to say, Hey, I'm gonna drive us towards the cliff, but you're gonna be at the steering wheel when it goes over. And it's really unfortunate because I think at that point, the options will have dwindled to fairly unpopular choices. And if those choices don't go forward, we will live with cuts that will both harm the residents of this city, but potentially cripple agencies and public services for up to a decade. I think we all remember what happened in the last recession when deep cuts to manage the forthcoming cuts at the time were ramping up - it took 10 years for agencies to get back to pre-2008 levels - with the inability of leaders to raise revenue quickly and plan accordingly. [00:07:20] Crystal Fincher: There are lots of people who have said before that budgets are moral documents. They reflect your priorities. You put your money where your mouth is. And once again, we see residents of the city absolutely saying - I think by and large, it's fair to characterize where people are at the city saying - they don't mind funding extra police, but they also want to fund better alternative response programs, more comprehensive solutions to public safety and meeting people's basic needs - that helps keep people out of paths that lead to crime, or poverty, or homelessness, or all of those things. We know that investing in education, basic needs, making sure people do have their basic needs met does positively impact all of those other areas. Investment in police again this year - after lots of prior investments - $392 million. Alternatives to police - $5 million. And when you look at what that really means in the budget after years and years of this being asked for, demanded, actually funded by the council - this just seems like paying weak lip service to something the city's desperately in need of. So we'll continue to see. Another item in there - that I was surprised to see back this year - was a proposal for ShotSpotter, which is infamous at this point in time. About a decade ago, it was viewed as this revolutionary new tech that could help automatically detect where gunshots are coming from, and help better deploy police, anticipate where people are coming from. It was supposed to be a positive new tool. What actually resulted was that it was very bad at detecting gunshots - it detected a lot of things that were not gunshots as gunshots, provoking police responses where they were not needed, where they were harmful or dangerous, and really just ended up not being an effective way to address gun violence at all. And cities regretting the money that they spent on that. That had all happened. This is not new news. This is 5 and 10 years ago news. But for some reason, not only was it proposed in the mayor's budget last year and was widely panned, but it's back this year for some reason. Bruce really likes ShotSpotter, despite the fact that there's so much evidence against it. And it just seems like there is so much on the plate to do, to knock out, to try - when it comes to the suite of public safety and community safety initiatives that we could be launching, why are we still talking about this? [00:09:47] EJ Juárez: It is - the question I think that's on a lot of people's mind right now is when you have such a loud chorus from folks across the city who typically are not aligned on issues, who typically are not singing the same song, you have everybody largely lined up saying - This is a bad program. This is proven to not work. And here's a decade's worth of evidence. This is really Bruce against the world on this one. And Bruce is the loudest cheerleader for this program, which has huge consequences for communities of color, low-income communities, and just the general public. It is mind-blowing that again - the singular focus on implementing this program from the mayor's office is just devoid of any input or any, I think, actual critical thinking about what is this doing for the city. Yeah, I'm still stunned. [00:10:36] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, so we will continue to follow that process. This is going to be important. It's gonna be important for you to talk to your councilmembers, council candidates, let the mayor and the mayor's office know how you feel about this. It's a document for how the City is going to be run, managed, and should reflect your priorities - and not just those of moneyed interests in the city. So I hope people do engage. We will certainly stay tuned on that. I also wanna talk about this week news that City Attorney Ann Davison signed onto a brief demanding the right to sweep encampments without shelter as a prior Supreme Court decision - Martin v. Boise - what was that decision called - where it was ruled by the Ninth Circuit Court that it is unconstitutional to sweep people from encampments without offering shelter. Basically, if you have nowhere else for them to go - if they have nowhere to go - you can't sweep them. That's cruel, it's unusual, it's inhumane, it's unconstitutional - currently. And so that's why sometimes we've seen legitimate, good faith offers to try and get people into shelter. Unfortunately, we are operating in a time where we know we have inadequate shelter space - number one. And even that shelter sometimes is so inadequate - maybe just one night's worth of shelter - and there are lots of times restrictions and conditions placed on it. There are curfews. If it's a congregate shelter situation, that is - one, no longer viewed as a best practice, but an area that understandably has lots of concerns and fear attached to it. And if you think about - hey, you're going somewhere and you're just gonna be shoved into a room with people who you may not know, people who may be experiencing some of the hardest times in their life, may not be as stable as ideal. And that's a challenge for anyone to be in, and it's hard to stabilize in that kind of situation. And so it's understandable to say - hey, if we're forcing you to go somewhere, there should be somewhere else to go. Otherwise, you're literally just moving the problem around and doing nothing to solve it - probably, definitely destabilizing people further. But this lawsuit is basically saying - Hey, cities should have more autonomy, this is infringing upon cities' ability to make their own decisions. How do you view this lawsuit? [00:12:56] EJ Juárez: I'll start by saying - when you start punishing humans for doing human things, it's a really awful situation you're in. People cannot go without rest. People cannot go without sleep. People must sleep to survive. And people that are already in crisis, who are doing the bare minimum needed to survive as a person, right - getting themselves rest and sleep - I think criminalizing that and making it more difficult for people to do what they need to do, is a really sad state of what we are spending our time legislating and monitoring. I do think that we have obligations to keep sidewalks clear, encampments both safe for the people that are there and I think for the people that are around them. It's obviously a super contentious issue with people on all sides. What I find interesting about this is that the city attorney is essentially joining the - I don't know - progressive, compassionate bastions of North Dakota cities and Colorado Springs to make this argument for a city that clearly has very different values than those places, but that is saying - We wanna do this, but we don't want the responsibility of caring for our residents after we take action on their bodies. We are going to physically move a person and force them out of a place of their choosing and throw our hands up and say - We don't wanna deal with it after that. That's a new thing - and that is a very bold step towards, I think, the opposite of a compassionate response around how we would wanna treat our neighbors, right? And how many times do we hear from the city, the county, or the state about our neighbors? Be kind to your neighbor, love thy neighbor, whatever the phrase that comes out and whatever fluffy PR piece that we get from a government agency - but ultimately it's hollow because we're saying - We will love them until they inconvenience us. And that inconvenience and that discomfort I'm feeling by either seeing or experiencing - tangentially - homelessness is larger and more important than actually caring for the person experiencing a crisis. I find it odd that this is the stake that the city attorney is joining in on with an amicus brief that doesn't involve us, but that is her prerogative. [00:15:06] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and it is her prerogative as an independently elected City official. Different cities have different systems. Some cities appoint their chief prosecutorial official in the city, Seattle elects it, and it's elected separately than the mayor, than councilmembers, and so there is latitude for the city attorney to act in this way - this is within their jurisdiction. I'm curious to know what councilmembers, what council candidates think about this - but also what the mayor's office thinks about this, which is really interesting. We haven't heard condemnation of it, I don't think. So it seems like this isn't too troublesome to him - and that's not surprising to the office, given what seems to be their current predisposition towards sweeps. But it is - one, interesting that this could happen in this situation because of the way Seattle's government is set up. [00:15:55] EJ Juárez: People will continue to sleep - and that, at the end of the day, this is a lot of effort that our city attorney is spending on a problem where people will continue to sleep and exist. And it is beyond my absolute wildest imagination that a person can spend so much of our City resources and tax money on this problem without it being a signal to political donors, to folks who are furthest from crisis about the disdain that they have for people that are in crisis. [00:16:28] Crystal Fincher: And it is disdain, and really - part of this lawsuit or brief trying to get these rulings really overturned, there were two, Martin v. Boise and then Johnson v. Grant Pass - where the City is essentially, and this group of people bringing this, is essentially arguing that homelessness is a choice. PubliCola did a really informative article on this, and reading from here - they're arguing that calling unsheltered people involuntarily homeless grants a special status on people who, in their view, in reality, engaging in a voluntary behavior by sleeping outdoors, much as an alcoholic who is caught being drunk in public has chosen to drink of his own volition. That's from a Supreme Court case from 1968, whose conclusions are contradicted by modern addiction experts - addiction is not a choice. Once someone is at the point where they're addicted, choice and logic no longer is in that conversation - that's just a biological reality. But it's really insidious, saying, as we do with so many things - Oh, they find themselves in this situation. And how many articles have come out in the past month just talking about the amount of elderly and seniors who are increasingly homeless, that we've seen inflation skyrocket - housing price skyrocket, transportation costs increase, eldercare, childcare, food, everything is increasing. There are lots of people on fixed incomes. If we have a health crisis, that can throw someone into bankruptcy and homelessness. But right now, as we hear in rhetoric and debates and conversations, we're seeing this reflected in this brief - basically saying it's their fault. They're there because it's their fault. It's a moral failing on their behalf. And that gives us license to not have to deal with it. That absolves us of responsibility from having to be responsible for our making sure people have a place to sleep, to live, to not die and languish on the streets. This is really a moral argument at the center of this, which is really insidious. [00:18:33] EJ Juárez: It is, and I can feel my blood boiling as we talk about this now more and more, because we are never allowed to talk about homelessness without having to talk about addiction. We know - study after study and time after time - addiction is not the number one driver of homelessness in this country, nor is it the number one driver of homelessness in any city in this country. The conflation between addiction of any kind and the inability to be stably housed is so often presented to us in every argument about solving this problem, that it is the largest shiny object of distraction - because then it gets into the moral policing, it gets into the individual choices, right? The circumstances that a person may find themselves by choice, which in and of itself, as you just said, is not a true choice - because addiction doesn't work like that. But even in all the articles that we've seen coming out around this and the city attorney's language and our elected leaders, I would love for somebody to do a true study on how many times we can talk about homelessness without talking about addiction - and how often that conflation has ruined otherwise very good solutions to affordability, to making sure that people are able to earn wages that can pay for houses within a reasonable distance from the place of their employment. 'Cause even as we're talking about this - in these sweeps, the articles from the Supreme Court, the things that we're reading in terms of legal precedent - are all focused on this idea that folks are just drunk, folks are high, and therefore they don't wanna be housed. I think both the media needs to do better and our elected officials need to do better 'cause it's played out and it's tiring. [00:20:11] Crystal Fincher: I completely agree. And I feel very similarly about conversations where homelessness is conflated with crime. Homeless people are much more likely to be a victim of crime than almost anyone else - they're victimized to the greatest degree. When it comes to the public safety discussion, everyone deserves to be safe. And that seems to make sense to start with people who are the most in danger, who need the most help - to help them become safe. And unfortunately, the toxicity of this conversation is putting homeless people in more danger - we've seen attacks. And just disgustingly, what's being normalized - was having this conversation with someone yesterday - is how often we see, particularly from right-wing elements, but we also see it from so-called moderates and progressives on campaign mailers in attack ads - is this viewing homelessness as the spectacle. And the very dehumanizing way in which people are shown who are having some of the toughest times in their lives - they're in various stages of crisis and just the exploitation of their likeness, of their images, sharing their locations, their details - that's just dehumanizing. And you're not showing that person with any intent to help, with any engagement with why they're there, with any engagement with who they are as a person. You're simply using that as a tool to degrade and dehumanize them and to really make it seem like this is a choice. But a lot of the language we hear from that is just really dehumanizing. And we hear it in places like Burien who passed a camping ban this week, while still not engaging with any of the free resources offered to them to help solve their problem. It's just really disappointing. And we're engaged in these tropes and this rhetoric that is not tied to the reality of the problem. And it is a problem. There absolutely needs to be effective interventions to help this. I don't think anyone wants anyone sleeping on a sidewalk, I don't think anyone wants encampments there - but those are signals of a greater failure and of policies that we keep doubling down on that don't work. And it's time to stop doing that so we can finally do something that does work to help improve this problem. Also wanna talk about news this week that a couple Targets are closing. And what was notable about this is, as we've seen with some prior press releases and announcements, Target blamed this on crime. But after so many other instances of seeing companies blame some of their store closures on crime and then follow up months after - okay, actually it wasn't the crime, it was some mismanagement, it was just us trying to save money, offload some assets - and that being really disingenuous, or in some other cases, just ways to do some union busting, like in Starbucks's case. But here, these are not in downtown Seattle - these are in two other locations. These are mid-format stores. And a lot of people in the neighborhood say - These stores were not meeting anyone's needs. It's not surprising that they're closing. And it just seems like crime may not be the real reason here, but one that corporations seem to be able to get away with. And then have people in the media basically dictate what they say as a story without any critical examination of their central statement there - that it is because of crime. How do you view this? [00:23:29] EJ Juárez: It's such a troubling trend to watch - particularly retail over the last few years here - throw up their hands in the face of engaging in capitalism. It is - Oh, we want to expand. We're gonna open these stores. We're gonna try new models. But oh, we're actually - it got hard. We're not gonna adapt. We're not gonna try and survive. We're gonna close these stores and blame it on our customers. We're gonna blame it on the neighborhood. We're gonna blame it on the city. We're gonna blame it on X, Y, and Z. And there's this dissidence that's happening amongst these large retailers, I think. But also, I don't know - having gone into the U District Target myself, maybe they shouldn't have had two full racks of unicorn onesies available in a store that was tiny to begin with. So it's okay for business and enterprise to experiment with store formats and changing up what they do, but to then blame - and be, I think, fairly disingenuous about - store closings on crime and creating this really amped up sense of crisis that might not match reality. And I think we saw that come to fruition with The Seattle Times reporting on this, because for the first time, I think, in the face of these closures, we actually have a media outlet that said - Let's check. Let's actually show the truth here. And it showed that the reports don't match what Target is saying around where the incidents of crime and calls to police actually happened, where particularly the Ballard location was the lowest rate of incidents amongst all the Targets in the region. So it is odd to me. I just have to laugh, 'cause I can't get those onesies out of my head. I'm like - Your business didn't work. Adapt. [00:25:04] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. These are not the traditional, full-service, big box Target stores. These are smaller versions that, according to lots of people - myself included - had tons of stuff like those onesies that were not needs. But the stuff that a lot of times you run to the store for - regular household items, food items - were not regularly available, but there were plenty of really nearby stores that had them more available, that were more convenient to get in and out of, at a lower cost - so it's not like there was no competition in this area. It does seem like this was an issue where maybe just the format of the store, like you said, the experimentation didn't work. I do think it is a positive sign that The Seattle Times - after receiving some criticism from prior coverage where - Hey, they reported what the company said. Later on, after actual scrutiny, those claims about closing because of crime didn't hold up. That's not to say that that's not at all a concern. I'm sure everyone has the concern. We need to do a better job of doing the things that we know have a chance at reducing retail theft, those kinds of things - doesn't seem like we're meaningfully investing in the things that have shown to successfully help that. But it looks like, especially amidst so many reports of record profits from some of these same corporations, that maybe this is just a really convenient way to avoid saying our idea didn't work. [00:26:28] EJ Juárez: I think a lot about what has Target, the corporation, done to advocate to make those areas around their stores more livable, more walkable, safe, right? It's a little bit like - I'm gonna grab my toys and go because I don't like the situation I'm in - but I'm not gonna do anything to voice that concern and I'm not actually gonna advocate for policies that improve the conditions around my enterprise's footprint. And had we had a robust response from Target getting involved in those neighborhoods - saying we are here to advocate for our neighborhoods - then I think the lament around closing these stores could be more genuine, but we just didn't see that, and that's a shame. [00:27:07] Crystal Fincher: I do wanna give a shout out real quick to Seattle's Green Jacket Queen, who - we'll link the story in our show notes - but a few people did an excellent job, but one woman in particular went viral after Fox News was doing some Seattle man-on-the-street interviews, trying to basically engage in the "Seattle is Dying" discourse, saying that there are addicts all over the place and rampant crime and carjacking and people shooting up and blah, blah, blah. And she had time that day and she took full advantage of it and basically just was ready - mocked the interviewer - it was just absolutely hilarious. And did not play into the incorrect framing, the incorrect facts, and just plainly stated - No, most people are not walking around scared or worried for their safety. Someone else talked about - The way to address crime is by addressing basic needs, and that helps people get their way out of that is a much more effective way of dealing with that as a community and as a society. And also Green Jacket Lady called out just the fearmongering - the reporter tried to say, I saw people shooting up. Were they bothering you? Oh no, I was in my car. Oh no, in your car. It gave me so much life. I was just so happy to see that - it seems like the city was - because we are starved for pushbacks on these narratives that don't match the reality of what people are living on the ground in the city. [00:28:33] EJ Juárez: I think we're also starved for people that aren't giving us the political speak, that aren't talking in big meta-level stuff. We saw a star born in real time on Fox News and this woman was basically just the embodiment of that meme from a couple of years ago with - Oh, you don't like me? Oh, whatever, you don't care. This is Fox News and it was treated with the exact seriousness that Fox News deserved in the heart of Seattle, which was - You are playing in my face, get out of here. You are not representing our values, get out of here. And I think the fact that she called him out so beautifully - and kindly - with humor, You were in your car. You felt harm in your car driving by? That is the most, I think, Seattle thing ever. And also, how we get painted in the national media by some of these more conservative outlets. So I want this woman to run for mayor. I want her to run for governor. I think I'm ready to go knock on some doors. [00:29:31] Crystal Fincher: Shoot, if she's ready, I will volunteer my services. Let's go. But I will say - she went viral nationally, basically - that's a situation that can have a few pros, but also several cons. And you don't always volunteer to be thrust into the spotlight. I will say I'm impressed - like I saw a few people who chimed in and were like, Oh, that's my friend, I know her. But that I still don't know her name is just a credit to the quality of her friends - not putting all her business out there, maintaining her privacy - which she deserves. If she ever wants to co-host a Friday show, invitation is open. But I also love that her friends are protective of her in that way and not putting her business out there. I saw Melissa Santos with Axios wrote an article, wound up getting in contact with her - and she said she wanted to stay anonymous. We absolutely respect that. And I respect that her friends have made that possible for her. [00:30:25] EJ Juárez: Love it. I'll still buy the merch. Make it happen, Green Jacket Lady - I'm ready. [00:30:30] Crystal Fincher: But I am down. I am ready to ride, Green Jacket Lady. If you ever want to, hit me up. And I just want to close the day talking about a study that says what many of us know, but that if you follow a lot of the legislation being passed - the state level and in many cities - you would wonder why they're doing it. A study finding that decriminalization did not increase overdose deaths at all in Washington or Oregon, which is what many people have been saying - taking a public health approach to drug use is the most effective way to deal with both addiction and just all of the issues surrounding that. And we heard a lot of misinformation, whether it's from the Legislature passing the Blake legislation and increasing criminalization of drug use to conversations in the city of Seattle and elsewhere - talking about the importance of cracking down on drug use, because that's the only way that they'll see. And once again, basically the opposite is the case. And the premise for cracking down being that going soft doesn't work, and people are using drugs more than ever, and ODing more than ever, and we need to crack down to get people safe - just doesn't track with reality. [00:31:45] EJ Juárez: Yeah, I think this was a fairly limited study of only about a year since these things have been passed recently. I think that the critical piece of this is that study needs to continue so that we can see year after year that this first set of data holds. And the fact that it did not show a demonstrable increase in these types of crimes or deaths - this is what anecdotally advocates have been saying, this is what they know from first-hand experience working with those communities. And it's nice to see science looking at policy and it getting the attention it deserves to cut through the noise. And I wanna commend the fact that this study was done. I wanna commend the fact that like they found the grant funding to do this because - especially in the polarizing time that we're in and the really punitive time that we're in, I think researchers and academics who are engaging in this type of work for the public good are often under attack and this is what we need more of. Also, I appreciate the fact that they're looking at two very concrete areas - Washington and Oregon - which are pointed out by national media and others as these places where it's all out of control. But yet it doesn't really match the data, so we know this is getting spun up by people who have different goals than actually helping people. [00:32:58] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And it is good to see this data that's directly applicable to our state in Washington and in Oregon. This does align with several other studies and trials that have been done elsewhere - across the world, really. The War on Drugs is a failure, it's ineffective. And we see alternative paths that get better results and we just refuse to do that. Again, it's not that drugs aren't a problem, it's not that nothing needs to be done - but doing what we know won't work time after time is getting really tiring, it's getting really expensive, and we're losing the opportunity to do so much other good because we're determined to keep following this path which has not been fruitful at all. So with that, I think we will conclude the news of the day. Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, September 29th, 2023. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host today is the former director of Progressive Majority, who's transitioned into public service and remains involved in numerous political efforts across Washington, EJ Juárez. You can find EJ on Twitter @EliseoJJuarez. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter. You can find me on Twitter, on Blue Sky, on wherever you wanna find me - I'm pretty much @finchfrii everywhere. You can also get Hacks & Wonks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical shows delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - we'll talk to you next time.

ICYMI: Later, with Mo'Kelly Presents – Thoughts on Califor4nia's plans to “pay drug users to stay sober” AND fans rushing the field and confronting Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr…PLUS – LA Metro wants YOU to take public transit to see Beyoncé at SoFi Stadium - on KFI AM 640 – Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app

Both drug users and Christians feel ups and downs. But the parallels end there. Pastor John gives five reasons why the experiences are different.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3279340/advertisement

Both drug users and Christians feel ups and downs. But the parallels end there. Pastor John gives five reasons why the experiences are different.

In today's podcast, we explore the urgent issue of substance misuse and addiction, focusing on the heartrending loss of Leonardo De Niro Rodriguez. We consider the criminal allegations against Sophia Marks and why some individuals seek substances like fentanyl. We also offer a comparative analysis of drug charges and sentencing in the USA vs Canada. We delve into the narrative of a former drug trafficker and clarify common misconceptions about fentanyl contamination in the drug supply, sharing anecdotes from our own experiences. Reflecting on the 'War on Drugs,' we propose potential solutions to the ongoing drug crisis. Please find our references in the description below. Our discussion aims to educate, not exploit, sparking conversations to prevent further tragedies like Leonardo's. Table of Contents 0:00 Introduction 1:02 Discussion on the Criminal Allegations Against Sophia Marks 2:10 Examining Why Some Individuals Seek Fentanyl 3:56 Case Studies of Medical Practitioners Charged for Overprescribing 4:50 USA vs Canada: A Comparative Analysis of Drug Charges and Sentencing 6:35 Drug Traffickers or Drug Users? A Closer Look 7:01 Insight into a Former Drug Trafficker's Story and Dr. Wip's Ethical Concerns 13:35 Why Addiction Medicine is not a Participant in the ‘War on Drugs' 14:25 Debunking Misconceptions about Fentanyl Contamination in Drug Supply 15:59 Dr. Wip's Anecdote from a 2014 Medical Conference 19:20 Is Heroin a Thing of the Past? 20:10 Evaluating the ‘War on Drugs': Has it Been Lost? 24:00 Proposed Solutions to the Current Drug Crisis: Our Perspectives References More Than 80% of People Who Inject Drugs Test Positive for Fentanyl—But Only 18% Intend to Take It (https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2023/may/fentanyl-new-york-city.html) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7252037/ A Summary from the charging document. https://www.justice.gov/media/1305851/dl?inline ‘Detective Joseph Aliberti from the NYPD has charged Sophia Marks for knowingly distributing and possessing narcotics in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841. The narcotics included fentanyl and alprazolam. Aliberti's knowledge comes from personal investigation, examination of reports and records, and conversations with other law enforcement officers. The main evidence is a text conversation between Marks and a victim, in which Marks discusses selling counterfeit oxycodone pills and Xanax. After purchasing these drugs, the victim was found dead of a suspected overdose. Further evidence includes surveillance video of the drug delivery, and lab tests confirming the presence of fentanyl and alprazolam in the drugs found at the victim's death scene. The victim's toxicology screen was positive for cocaine, fentanyl, and benzodiazepines. Another sale of fentanyl to an undercover officer was also documented.' Featuring addiction psychiatrist Dr. Wiplove (Wip) Lamba, addictions case manager and former addict Jean-Paul (JP) Michael, along with their guests discuss all things related to substance use, addiction, addiction medicine, psychotherapy, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. Wip and JP share their motivation, curiosity, and passion for their craft. JP works on a daily basis in a renown inner city hospital in Canada's largest city. This work is separate from Wiplove's clinical and academic work. The content should not be taken as direct medical advice or clinical instruction. #Drug Decriminalization #Ethical Questions #Addiction Treatment #Addiction Debate #Addiction Is Treatable #Hope In Recovery #Substance Use #Harm Reduction #Drug Policy #Addiction Treatment #Robert De Niro #Leonardo De Niro Rodriguez #Sophie Marks #Drug Trafficking #War On Drugs

According to a recent public hearing, almost 95% of people arrested for drug use in San Francisco aren't from the Bay Area, but are out-of-towners. For more, Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

GUEST: Pierce Co. Prosecutor, Mary Robnett, tells KVI the new statewide drug possession standard is "far, far preferable" to no new drug law. Robnett explains why the old law was "unworkable" but the new law "encourages" but doesn't "require" referrals to drug treatment. Robnett concludes: "we're gonna find out if gross misdemeanor is enough to incentivize people into treatment". KVI's John Carlson asks "are woke prosecutors the problem" undermining and sabotaging the criminal process?

Darryl Lee shifts in his seat and stares down at his lap as he unearths some distant memories of childhood. This isn't nostalgia. His dad was a “chronic alcoholic,” and “abusive.” To escape, his mom moved the family to Seattle from Dallas. Eventually, Lee fell in with the wrong crowd, he said. “I got addicted to drugs and started going to jail and started being a criminal, and it just snowballed after that,” he said.

Brigitte Quinn has the top local stories from the WCBS newsroom.

Some of our favourite moments from the week that was for Hughesy, Ed & Erin.Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/hughesy-ed-and-erinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As of this week, possession of 2.5 grams of some drugs in B.C. is decriminalized. The B.C. government says it is trying to reduce the number of people who die from overdoses in the province. Around six people die every day in B.C. from drugs – but many advocates don't believe this decriminalization program will actually prevent people from dying.Garth Mullins is an organizer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, and host of the podcast Crackdown. He'll tell us about B.C.'s plan, about the impact criminalization has had on him and people he knows, and what he thinks would lead to fewer people dying from drugs.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Infectious complications of IVDU are very heavily tested on all the USMLE exams. In this episode, I thoroughly discuss a host of these complications and try to show you ways they love to test these ideas on the USMLEs. Audio Download

"As someone who was caught in a cycle of abuse with someone who had an ICE addiction who lost the plot at one point and things became life-threatening for myself and for my children, so I am no stranger to this topic. Three things I advocate for on my podcast are for women to put their safety, sanity and well-being first by tapping into the right support to remind them that everything can be figure-out-able no matter how complex the challenges are that they are going through. Although my wake-up call came that I possessed the keys I needed to be free from a domestic violence situation, people fall victim to all sorts of destructive cycles that ultimately hold them back and stop them from moving forward and achieving their hopes and dreams. It is easy for us to become victims to all sorts... victims of circumstance, victims to oppression, victims to abuse, victims to substance abuse, victims to self-sabotage. For me what I discovered is that under the layers of being a victim, whether it was to someone else, something else or by my own limiting beliefs, I ultimately held the keys that I needed to be set free." - Sandy Johnston Website: https://www.sandyj.com.au/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tiarastearsandtriumphs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandyjohnstonlifetransformationcoach #domesticviolence #relationships #parenting #healing #mental health Hosted by Felipe Blue, LCAS, CSI of The More Than Therapy Podcast located at 201 W Main Street Suite 316, Durham, NC 27701. www.morethantherapy.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/morethantherapy/message

As record numbers of people in the U.S. die from drug overdoses, communities are searching for tools to prevent them. A new program in Canada could serve as a model.Over the past few years, government-approved clinics have opened across the country, where people can use street drugs under medical supervision. If they overdose, they can get life-saving care immediately. Some doctors are even prescribing powerful opioids to patients to keep them from using street drugs that may be laced with deadly chemicals.It's a controversial program, and some in the medical community argue that it could encourage drug use.NPR's addiction correspondent Brian Mann visited some of those supervised injection sites in Ottawa, to see how the program is working.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.