https://www.infowars.com/study-opioid-epidemic-costing-us-governments-almost-40-billion/

STUDY: OPIOID EPIDEMIC COSTING US GOVERNMENTS ALMOST $40 BILLION

Gov eyes tax revenue loss amid working-class crisis

Penn State | EurekAlert! - APRIL 11, 2019

IMAGE CREDITS: U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TECH. SGT. MARK R. W. ORDERS-WOEMPNER, CREATIVE COMMONS ZERO - CC0 / MAX PIXEL.

The opioid epidemic may have cost U.S. state and federal governments up to $37.8 billion in lost tax revenue due to opioid-related employment loss, according to Penn State researchers.

Additionally, the researchers found that Pennsylvania was one of the states with the most lost revenue, with approximately $638.2 million lost to income and sales tax. The study looked at data between 2000 and 2016.

Joel Segel, assistant professor of Health Policy and Administration, said that the results — recently published in the journal Medical Care — could help governments that are hoping to make up for lost revenue.

“This is a cost that was maybe not thought about as explicitly before, and a cost that governments could potentially try to recoup,” Segel said. “Instead of focusing on the cost of treating people with opioid use disorder, you could think about it in terms of a potential benefit to getting people healthy, back on their feet, and back in the workforce.”

Previous research estimated that in 2016 there were nearly 2.1 million Americans with an opioid use disorder, and approximately 64,000 deaths were the result of an opioid overdose. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there were 2,235 opioid-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania alone.

Gavin McInnes exposes how 60 Minutes was paid to put blame on the doctors and not on the pharmaceutical company itself.

Segel said that while previous studies have looked at the cost of the opioid epidemic in terms of substance abuse treatment and other medical costs, he and the other researchers were interested in exploring other costs that may not have been captured before.

“We wanted to take a systematic approach to how we could think about some of the tax revenue that is lost if someone is unable to work due to opioid use,” Segel said. “This could be an important consideration for either state or federal budgets.”

The researchers used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, as well as information from a previous study that estimated declines in the labor force due to the opioid epidemic. They used the TAXSIM calculator from the National Bureau of Economic Research to estimate losses in tax revenue.

(Photo by Creative Commons Zero – CC0 /

Max Pixel

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After analyzing the data, the researchers found that from 2000 to 2016, there was an estimated decline of 1.6 million participants in the labor force, with about 68,000 of those in Pennsylvania. There were about 180,000 overdose deaths, with approximately 6,100 occurring in Pennsylvania.

Additionally, the researchers estimated losses of $11.8 billion to state governments and $26 billion to the federal government in tax revenue due to reductions in the labor force. For state governments, this included lost sales tax and income tax revenue. Losses to the federal government were entirely due to lost income tax revenue.

Segel said the results help show the value of treating people with opioid use disorder, and should be considered when treatment programs are being considered and evaluated.

“The state of Pennsylvania has been developing some innovative programs, and our results are something to consider as these programs are being considered for implementation,” Segel said. “Not only are treatment programs beneficial to the individual and to society, but if you’re thinking about the total cost of these treatment programs, future earnings from tax revenue could help offset a piece of that.”

https://www.infowars.com/study-opioid-epidemic-costing-us-governments-almost-40-billion/

//dailycaller.com/2019/01/20/doj-purdue-pharma-opioid-sackler/

TOP DOJ OFFICIAL REPORTEDLY HELPED KEEP OPIOID EXECUTIVES FROM PRISON. SHE’S SINCE DEFENDED PHARMA AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT

8:32 PM 01/20/2019 | INVESTIGATIVE GROUP

Ethan Barton | Senior Editor

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division during the George W. Bush administration reportedly opposed pursuing felony charges against pharmaceutical company executives for downplaying OxyContin’s dangers.
Top DOJ officials similarly rejected a prosecutor’s recommendation to file felony charges after they met with executives from Purdue Pharma and their defense team, according to The New York Times.
Members of the Sackler family, who own Purdue Pharma, sought to mislead the public about abuse surrounding OxyContin, a lawsuit alleges, citing company emails and other documents.

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division under President George W. Bush reportedly opposed levying felony charges against executives of a pharmaceutical company that’s widely blamed for helping start the opioid epidemic.

She has since joined a private law firm and has successfully defended pharmaceutical companies against government investigations.

A federal prosecutor recommended the felony indictments, which could have resulted in jail time if convictions were secured, but the DOJ officials rejected the notion after meeting with the Purdue Pharma executives and their defense team, according to The New York Times. It’s unclear if the criminal division chief attended that meeting.

Over 12 years later, it’s still unknown which senior officials attended that meeting, who rejected the indictment recommendations, and why they were rejected. Local and state governments have since mounted hundred of lawsuits against Purdue alleging the company downplayed the dangers of its blockbuster opioid, OxyContin.

The DOJ declined to comment on this story.

Purdue representatives lobbied top DOJ officials on multiple occasions during the Bush administration, according to news reports and congressional testimony. Future FBI Director James Comey was involved in one instance, and Rudy Giuliani, who now serves as President Donald Trump’s attorney, was tied to another.

The prosecutor who recommended felony indictments against Purdue executives found he was recommended for termination after a third instance that occurred hours before Purdue accepted a plea deal that was offered in lieu of felony charges.

Opiods in pill, powder and syringe on chalkboard with rolled twenty dollar bills. (Shutterstock/ karenfoleyphotography)

As part of the plea deal, Purdue and three executives conceded they downplayed OxyContin’s addictiveness and collectively paid a historic $635 million in fines in 2007. No one saw jail time.

Meanwhile, more than 200,000 people have died from overdoses involving prescription opioids since OxyContin was launched in 1996, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Purdue is privately owned by the Sackler family, whose wealth skyrocketed after OxyContin sales raked in $35 billion over a 20-year period, giving the family a $13 billion net worth and making them the 19th richest in the U.S. in 2016, according to Forbes. (RELATED: ‘Joy’ And ‘Fury’: Artist And Activist Nan Goldin Reacts To The Met’s Statement About Taking Opioid Money)

Massachusetts was one of the states to file a lawsuit against Purdue in 2018, but it uniquely named eight members of the Sackler family. A recent complaint cites documents indicating the Sacklers headed a campaign to deceive doctors about the dangers of OxyContin and passed blame of negative press onto addicts.

“The launch of OxyContin tablets will be followed by a blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition,” Richard Sackler, the son of a Purdue founder and the company’s president from 1999 to 2003, said while celebrating the drug’s entrance to the market, according to a document cited in the complaint. “The prescription blizzard will be so deep, dense, and white.”

Bush’s Justice Department Rejected Felony Charges After A Four-Year Investigation

Then-U.S. Attorney John Brownlee concluded a four-year investigation and recommended indicting the three Purdue executives on felony charges, including conspiracy to defraud the government, in September 2006, the Times reported in May 2018.

But top DOJ officials didn’t support his recommendation after meeting with Purdue executives and their defense team, according to Times reporter Barry Meier.

One defense lawyer for Purdue was Mary Jo White, a former federal prosecutor, and an adviser to the company’s legal team was former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was also once a U.S. attorney.

The head of DOJ’s criminal division at the time, Alice Fisher, was one of the officials who didn’t support Brownlee’s recommendation, according to the Times. She’s now a partner at the law firm Latham & Watkins.

Her bio page says she recently represented “[g]lobal pharmaceutical companies in [Securities and Exchange Commission] and DOJ [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act] investigations resulting in settlement resolutions and declinations of prosecutions.”

It also says she represented “Several global manufacturing companies about maintaining FCPA compliance and obtaining two declinations of prosecution.”

Fisher did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Brownlee publicly supported the decision not to prosecute the Purdue executives, but, according to Meier, he was privately upset. Brownlee did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment, and he’s previously declined to comment to other publications.

Top DOJ Officials Questioned Purdue Probes After Hearing From Company Representatives

There were additional occasions when top DOJ officials scrutinized Brownlee’s investigation after Purdue representatives contacted them.

After speaking with the company’s defense attorneys in 2005, then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey asked Brownlee why he was pursing Purdue, Brownlee said during a 2007 congressional hearing. Brownlee, who was the federal prosecutor for the western district of Virginia, drove to Washington to explain the situation to Comey, who ultimately gave Brownlee the go-ahead to continue.

Additionally, Brownlee’s name appeared on a list of U.S. prosecutors recommended for termination soon after he ignored a top DOJ aide’s request to delay the plea deal.

Hours before the plea deal was set to expire in October 2006, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty’s chief of staff, Michael Elston, called Brownlee and asked him to extend Purdue’s deadline, the U.S. attorney testified.

“He told me he received a phone call from the defense lawyers about the case and that that the counsel had once again said that we were moving too quickly, that we had needed more time,” Brownlee said.

“Through his questions of me, I sensed that he was inquiring almost on their behalf,” he continued, noting Elston said he wasn’t calling at McNulty’s request.

Oxycodone is the generic name for a range of opoid pain killing tablets. Prescription bottle for Oxycodone tablets and pills on metal table for opioid epidemic illustration. (Shutterstock/Steve Heap)

Elston’s lawyer later said McNulty, who had replaced Comey, had asked Elston to call Brownlee, according to The Washington Post.

Elston told TheDCNF on Friday he called Brownlee on behalf of McNulty after the deputy attorney general noticed the deadline for the plea agreement was unusually tight. Elston said he was asking the prosecutor for information and not to tell Brownlee to give Purdue more time.

McNulty did not respond to a request for comment.

Regardless, Brownlee stuck with the original deadline and Purdue agreed to it hours later, Brownlee testified.

Eight days later, Brownlee’s name was included on a list Elston compiled of prosecutors recommended for termination, though he ultimately was not fired, the Post reported in 2007.

Elston told TheDCNF he did not recall any connection between Brownlee being included on the list and the Purdue case.

Also during the course of the government’s investigation into Purdue, Giuliani met with Asa Hutchinson in 2005, who was then the Drug Enforcement Administration’s chief, Vanity Fair reported in 2007. The meeting came after the DEA found OxyContin could be responsible for 464 deaths over a two-year period.

Following his meeting with Giuliani, Hutchinson began asking DEA officials why they were still looking into Purdue.

Hutchinson is now the governor of Arkansas. He did not return a request for comment.

Legal Battles Against Purdue And The Sacklers Intensify

Deaths related to opioids have skyrocketed since the 2007 plea agreement, and the Sackler family, Purdue’s owners, largely kept its name separate from the epidemic, until recently.

TheDCNF began its “American Cartel” series in 2017, which tied the Sackler name to Purdue and investigated the family’s charitable givings. The Sacklers, until then, were known for their philanthropy, with famous institutions like New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art naming entire sections after the family.

Meanwhile, lawsuits against Purdue from across the country have racked up. Evidence has trickled out showing the Sacklers knew about OxyContin’s dangers earlier than they said and showing they kept that information from the public. (RELATED: Purdue Pharma Looks To ‘Turnaround Kid’ As Opioid Lawsuits Pile Up)

Federal prosecutors discovered that Purdue Pharma knew OxyContin was being abused soon after the drug’s 1996 launch, a confidential DOJ report shows, the Times reported in May 2018. The report also found members of the Sackler family were aware that OxyContin and its morphine-based predecessor were being abused.

And a Tuesday court filing alleged that the Sacklers knew that Purdue knew OxyContin was being illegally dealt and abused, but failed to report it to authorities.

“This is not too bad,” Richard Sackler said in 2001 while serving as Purdue’s president and after a federal prosecutor reported that there were 59 deaths involving OxyContin in just one state, according to a document cited in the complaint. “It could have been far worse.”

Purdue, at the direction of the Sacklers, pushed for doctors to prescribe higher doses of OxyContin and for longer periods, resulting in massive profits for the company and the family, the lawsuit claims.

The Massachusetts complaint “irresponsibly and counterproductively casts every prescription of OxyContin as dangerous and illegitimate,” Purdue spokesman Bob Josephson said in a statement, calling the allegations “sensational” and “misleading.”

He accused the state of trying to “vilify” the company.

Josephson did not comment on Purdue’s communications with the DOJ.

He also said the Food and Drug Administration has ruled OxyContin continues to be “safe and effective for their intended use” and that the government determined in 2013 Purdue had fulfilled its obligations related to the marketing of its medications.

“The complaint is littered with biased and inaccurate characterizations,” Josephson said.

The only known instance where a Sackler was deposed was sealed as part of a $24 million settlement with Kentucky in December 2015.

Purdue recently lost an appeal to keep Richard Sackler’s deposition secret, but the company is continuing to contest the ruling. The testimony remains sealed while legal battles persist.

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TAGS : DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OXYCONTIN PURDUE PHARMA SACKLER FAMILY

//dailycaller.com/2019/01/20/doj-purdue-pharma-opioid-sackler/

//www.infowars.com/top-doj-official-reportedly-helped-keep-opioid-executives-from-prison-shes-since-defended-pharma-against-the-government/

TOP DOJ OFFICIAL REPORTEDLY HELPED KEEP OPIOID EXECUTIVES FROM PRISON. SHE’S SINCE DEFENDED PHARMA AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT

The DOJ declined to comment on this story.

Daily Caller - JANUARY 21, 2019

She has since joined a private law firm and has successfully defended pharmaceutical companies against government investigations.

The DOJ declined to comment on this story.

//dailycaller.com/2019/01/20/doj-purdue-pharma-opioid-sackler/

Dope Sick Love, ili Heroinska Ljubav, HBO film iz 2005, 1h. 29 min. opisuje 2 para narkomana koji tumaraju gradom New Yorkom sa svakodnevnom i jedinom idejom, da se "urade" za potrebe tog dana, i izbegavanja "bolnog" psihicko fizickog abstinencionalnog sindroma, koji nastaje naglim prestankom upotrebe droge usled neimanja para i "droge". Dokumentarac pokazje kako se narko zavisnici sluze homosexualnom i heterosexualnom prostitucijom, prevarantskim kriminalnim radnjama radi ostvarenja dohodka, i koji tog istog dana nestaje u dzepovima narko dilera. Tv ekipa ih prati u stopu, snima njihova intra-venozna ufiksavanja, pusenje "Dope -Heroina" , "Crack" Kokaina i kristalnog methamfetamina. Strasna istina koja moze da zadesi svakog naivnog deteta i lakovernog roditelja, koji nije uspeo da ih pripremi protiv ove kuge koja odnosi na hiljade ljudi u preranu bolest i smrt. Film takodje pokazuje ne higijensko ispiranje spriceve klozetskom vodom, prljave ruke, zajednicko koriscenje i lizanje prljavih igala sa WC patosa, spavanje po voznim stanicama, haustorima, zgradnim hodnicima, propale pokusaje zalecenja u bolnickim centrima, i nadanjima da se "skinu" tj. "ociste" i da nastave sa "normalnim" zivotom. Film takodje prikazuje "izgorele" roditelje, koji su prepustili tu decu sudbini koju su sami sebi kreirali. Vidi se jedan svet koji postoji u nasoj svakodnevnoj okolini, a neprimetan za haotican i brzinski okupiran radni svet koji se bori za svakodnevnu zivotnu egzistenciju. Ovo su izgubljene generacije koje se svakodnevno prevarantski usisavaju u nove narko regrute medju naivnom populacijom naseg naroda. Recept: provodite dosta vremena sa svojom decom, ucite ih i upozoravajte ih na klopke savremeng i otudjenog sveta koji ekspermentise sa hemijskom srecom, a postanu taoci i zrtve te zablude i rabote. Bolje spreciti nego leciti! Retko ko se spasao iz celjusti ove bolesti i recidivi su skoro pravilo a ne slucajnost. Srecno i pametno vam bilo, Doktor!

A day in the life of a heroin addict; 5:37 min.

Published on May 16, 2016
Jason Amaral is a 30-year-old addict living in the Boston area who is determined to get clean. Jason allowed CBS News cameras to follow him as he tries to get his life back on track. DeMarco Morgan reports in part one of a "CBS Evening News" series "In the Shadow of Death: Jason's Journey."

Category
News & Politics
- Mark Cuckerberg7 months ago
Was on heroin for 7 years. Total waste of time and life. Went from smoking to shooting. Told myself i was loyal to the foil. But it is only a matter of time before the needle gets you. Its not worth it kids. Been clean since Oct 5 2014 and my life has been blessed since then. Have a great woman, a great job, a nice stack in the bank, my family trusts me again, and the skies the limit. If i can do it, anyone can.
- Evan Fields8 months ago
I'm 4 years clean. Its possible. Stay strong people.
- daniel mayer6 months ago
There was some scientist who did A study about addiction with mice. They started by putting one Mouse in a cage with Heroin water or regular water. The mouse would always choose the heroin water over regular water until it overdosed and died. Well another scientist took a look at this and said there's nothing for the mouse to do. It's isolated in a cage with the only thing to connect with is heroin.
So they made what they call mice Park. They made the cage bigger then put toys and a lot of other mice to play with. After that none of the nice over dosed on the heroin water. A lot of the mice wouldn't even drink the heroin water after that. the ones that did only did it once in awhile and never died off it.
The conclusion is addiction has to do a lot with your environment and the people you surround yourself with. also has to do with isolation so you are connecting with anything you can. that could be drugs, gambling, sex you name it. A lot of it has to do with trying to fill emptiness inside of us when we feel lonely and disconnected from everything.
then also like you said they become the only thing that makes us feel good at the time when we are isolated from everything.
- Traci H11 months ago
I was addicted to heroin 4 years. I cried out to God! He took my druggie bf, away, flew me 600 miles to a church group and I've been clean from heroin 3 years.
What a nightmare. But I didn't die...
- Alexander Liberis3 months ago (edited)
Got hooked for 9 years until one day i got mad with my self, flushed everything to the toilet and went full on cold turkey (WORST 2 MONTHS OF MY LIFE!!!!!) now i'm clean 5+ years, got my own job (IT) and have never looked back!!! now i only do weed (lots of weed) and i am a happy man!!! it all comes to a decision, i know it's hard but if i did it so can you. Just like Evan said below STAY STRONG!!!
- Ridjy Michel11 months ago
Kids don't do things that can damage your future
- Donald Trump4 months ago
Single mother. Not a surprise
- David Bradford8 months ago
A dying world needs the hope of Christ to give those who are weak strength and hope to break those chains of addiction. I was an addict but the Lord gave me a gift, the ability to remove the need that drove me to abuse all of the vicea in my life.

God is good for the soul. The faster you see him the better off you will be. If anyone has questions about Jesus Christ, please send me a message. God bless!
- ανεμοδαρμένο γατί1 month ago
Drugs are for weak people.
- Mattes Global Machinery Trading Inc.11 months ago
The fact that there is a 3 year old child in the “next room” is entirely unacceptable and disturbing. I hope someone called child protective services to save that toddler from his drug addicted parent/s. Absolutely disgusting.
- drugs and addiction is for weak minded individuals, make good choices and you dont have to end up battling demons in your life
-David Monterosso5 months ago
I just came off of a 10 year addiction to benzodiazepines. I almost died going through detox. Stay away people. Dont even take um of prescribed
- Gregor Novak2 years ago
I'm not ashame to admit that I'm currently on Methadone, no heroin for a year. First baby step., but I'm 43...I'M TIRED & I HATE MYSELF! Those Brian's tears is the most genuine sadness you can imagine. I KNOW THAT & EVERY ADDICT ALSO! It's not the first try for me. .2 times in the treatment center in Italy (I'm from Slovenia) & 9 months of prison for stealing. In all situations I cleaned myself, without lasting success. Only when you're sick, you have the money and if you say NO in those 4-5 days of "cold turkey" (I'm so afraid of it. Like 99.99% of all addicts), then you have good chances to escape. All ex users that I know did it in Hell (streets) itself and they are all good today.I was clean outside after the return 3 months max.. Alone, without real friends,...situation was hopeless . 18 years I lost (and some still to finish it off or die). All what is left from the shell of mine is such a pain, depression, but mostly, like my favorite band Metallica said, I'm hating myself, I'm wasting myself. And that's my reality, my "life". PLEASE, DO NOT, NEVER, NEVER, EVER even consider to take it! ONLY 14 days of easy use in the beginning & I was hooked. Before that a student with strait A's from day 1 in little school 'till the last year in the college. Excellent sportsman I was also, But in the final year of college (just 4 exams before graduation!), with a girlfriend & bunch of friends, was playing in national soccer team (Under 18 & 21), loving family,...I had everything. BUT JUST ONE "taste" blown this all away (in 1998). 90% of users don't relapse just out of boring, but 'cause it's perfect, but deadly & so destructive. For the end, after 2 overdoses with H & one with pills, 1 year ago I started with a Methadone program after I was seriously thinking for the first time to kill myself with sleeping pills. I was already sitting on the bed, ready to do it. Even a farewell letter I wrote to my father, mother & younger sister. But I didn't do it. I don't know why, but I guess 'cause I didn't want to hurt anyone else but only me. That would devastate my family & I thought to myself: YOU SELFISH PIECE OF SHIT! After all they gave you, all the help (they paid 2 years of treatment in Italy - DIANOVA community. Very good, liberal, with excellent help. All therapists are ex.addicts, who have chosen to stay & help newcomers) they paid, all the love they are showing to me and I treat them like a garbage. But today, after watching a freight train coming my way for 18 years, the faint light I see in my tunnel. After entering the Methadone program they (my family & some good, never addicted to anything old friends ) all persons I love stay with me now, giving me all support I need. It's first baby step, Small, but in the right direction! I'm following the program to the letter, giving pee 2x per week for testing (I'm allowed to use cannabis due to my conical headache, depression & sleepiness. I smoke 1-2 easy joints per day & I'm OK. Before I ate 2 years all sorts of heavy pills prescribed by doctors, for mentioned problems, but without any effect. In fact, it was worse!). All good for now. BUT REMEMBER, ALL EX ADDICTS & their families. ONE MOMENT OF WEAKNESS, ONE USE (it never stays with one or two!) & YOU ARE DEAD OR YOU WILL BE DEAD SOON! Families, help your love ones, but be careful. Detox is just a baby step. To be clean outside isn't too difficult, but the problems come after a week, month. All alone, if you are, and depression will get you and that DEMON INSIDE WILL WAKE UP. It happened to me, it happened to anyone I know with addiction. Sorry for being so long with a comment, but addiction is a very, very serious issue! I DO NOT WISH WHAT I AM STILL GOING TROUGH TO MY WORST ENEMY!!! I wish you all clean & healthy life! P.S.: I had to put out all this. And I'm not ashamed to admit that my eyes are very wet this moment...
-
- ismael aden1 week ago

This is the world the Atheists and Pagans want you to live under....fancy vehicles, beautiful skyscrapers but a decedent society where drugs, alcohol, prostitution, Homosexuality and crime is as normal as the air we breath smh What is this young man doing with this precious life given to him by the almighty? Dear God
-
BEN NILSSON1 month ago
What's really wrong with all this people: Americans-south, central and north?! Whether is legal or illegal it's something wrong in this people's behavior when so many are stuck and addicted to drugs. I mean, it's not a human life. USA, you just vanish your humanity! Go to JESUS and He will set you free! Praise the Lord! Ben, Sweden
-
Bankroll Lloyd1 month ago
I used to take e daily for about 3 months followed by 20 grams of coke in two months. I already cold turkey for 3 months and still think about them everyday…hard drugs are so easy to get hook.

The Rise of Fentanyl: Drug Addiction On The I-95 – Two Years On; 57:02 min

Published on Oct 24, 2018
Drug overdose is now the main cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, they are more likely to die from a drug overdose than a car accident or gun.

More than 70,000 people died from overdoses last year as opioids and illegal fentanyl – which is up to 50 times stronger than heroin – unleashed the worst public health crisis in American history.

Two years ago, BBC News reported on the growing problem of opioid addiction in the US, now we return to find out what happened to the people we met along our journey down the notorious I-95, the interstate that runs from Florida to Maine, and to see what has become of their struggle against addiction.
-Danny Johnson1 month ago
That clip with the baby in the supermarket breaks my heart.
-Tammy Shuttleworth1 month ago
OMGNESS....@ 27:07 My heart 💔 completely shattered into a million pieces watching that precious little baby girl crying, trying to wake her MOMMY up whom has obviously OD laying on the floor in the store. I hope the Mom got help & her BEAUTIFUL daughter has her HEALTHY M❤MMY BACK!! I wish nothing but the best for them & EVERY ADDICT OR ALCOHOLIC THAT SUFFERS. Always remember U ARE NOT ALONE!!!! LOT'S OF WARM HUGS COMING YOUR WAY FROM 🇨🇦CANADA🇨🇦
to u in 🇺🇸AMERICA🇺🇸 😇😉🦋💞🇨🇦🇺🇸
-Amy1 month ago
Who in the heck was taking the video of the baby with the mom passed out on the grocery store floor?? How could you not immediately rush to that poor baby??

-Karen Carney1 week ago (edited)
That baby girl in a pink one-sie.. Trying to wake up her mommy on the store floor..shattered my heart into 10000pieces!!! Omfg!!!----
- VAC21 month ago (edited)
They need to stop focusing on the uneducated and homeless crowed and start showing the successful educated people who are abusing these drugs. A lot of people who are trapped in this addiction are not homeless and are not uneducated by only showing the homeless and uneducated people abusing this drug it makes it seems like its only a lower class drug or that you have to be stupid to be addicted to this stuff. I work in the technology field mostly with deep learning and database management and you would not believe the amount of people who are abusing opiates, most people in this field make well over 200k a year so this is not just a low income or education problem. *EDIT* This is in no way saying that these people do not matter but focusing only on them makes it seem like if your making a good living and have a nice house and family that your addiction is not a real addiction or harmful.
- Raven Star1 month ago
But let's PUNISH CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS taking other Opioid Pain Meds RESPONSIBLY and take their medically necessary meds away.
Good job.
WHERES THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT CHRONUC PAIN PATIENTS KILLING THEMSLEVES?!?!?!?
- Dede Vaughn1 month ago
It's such a catch 22. Fentanyl gave me my life back! While it's taking lives! The thing is I know about tolerances I've been on pain medication for 20 years and not one time have I ever taken more than it says on the label not one time have I ran out before the end of the month. I didn't want to go one day hurting more than I had to. I work hard not to get too tolerant and have to go up on my prescriptions. But I hear them say all the time that those of us who suffer from diseases who leave us in a lot of pain will be the necessary casualties. It really makes me sad that those of us who work really hard to do the right thing and our living a life of constant pain will have to be the casualties. I know addiction is a disease but the beginning of addiction is a choice. I know getting clean and sober as hard as hell but there is a choice element to it. I don't have a choice. I was misdiagnosed for 30 years and now my body is in unrepairable condition. It cannot be fixed and I will be in this pain the rest of my life. So if they keep taking it away taking it away taking away I will be confined to bed for the next 30 Years, I've worked so hard to get my life back and now I do. And now they want to take it away because there's too many addicts on the street. I feel for these people deeply, but not more deeply than I want to live my life. That might sound selfish as hell, but I remember how bad it was to be 25 years old and not be able to do what everybody else took did because I hurt so badly. I remember what it was like to have people think you're a hypochondriac because you had that much pain in your twenties and they couldn't see it. I have 2 autoimmune arthritis AZ called Ankylosing Spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. I didn't even show that I had psoriasis till I was 45. The ankylosing spondylitis sciatica the first 20 years before it jumped to my neck and started growing new bone and curving my spine forward my spine is fused and curved forward from the T12 vertebrae up to the C1 vertebra. I look like the Bride of Quasimodo and have no movement in my neck at all. My muscles in my upper back or continually trying to correct my posture so I have muscle spasms 24/7 365 but I can't have muscle relaxers if I have painkillers because the DEA knows more than my doctors do. Because somebody took too much fentanyl died. I've been doing painkillers and muscle relaxers for 20 years but I can't anymore. I can't take anti-anxiety medicine anymore if I continue to take my pain medicine because the DEA knows more. I used to get 30 of the lowest dose per month and I would fill them about every 3 months. I only took them when I really needed them and now I can't get them at all. I did not abused them at all obviously. They will not look at the individual or let the doctor look at the individual. I'm going to get off my soapbox put it up for another day. This is really hard to write because I just lost my cousin who is like a brother less than 2 years ago two addiction and lost my brother to what was probably an addiction issue 5 years ago, but... we're individuals there has to be an answer for all of us I don't need to be a casualty to help those on the streets.

The Truth About Ecstasy; 18:18 min.

Published on Oct 3, 2016
High Society is a new VICE documentary series about drugs in the UK.

British people statistically take more MDMA in one session than any other country on the planet. And not just a little bit more: on average, Brits take 420 milligrams per session. To put that in perspective, Germans, the same people who invented minimal techno and nightclubs that stay open for 60 hours – take only 200 milligrams.

It’s still one of the safest drugs to take, but last year, ecstasy-related deaths reached their highest level in a decade, and now it’s back in the headlines. Some people say it’s drug dealers’ responsibility for selling pills that are dangerously strong and cut with adulterants. Other people point to the government, who have failed to reduce the supply of ecstasy and are refusing to embrace harm reduction strategies that have worked in Europe.

In this episode of High Society, we find out what’s making ecstasy so dangerous again, and how that danger can be reduced.
- Published on Oct 3, 2016
High Society is a new VICE documentary series about drugs in the UK.

British people statistically take more MDMA in one session than any other country on the planet. And not just a little bit more: on average, Brits take 420 milligrams per session. To put that in perspective, Germans, the same people who invented minimal techno and nightclubs that stay open for 60 hours – take only 200 milligrams.

It’s still one of the safest drugs to take, but last year, ecstasy-related deaths reached their highest level in a decade, and now it’s back in the headlines. Some people say it’s drug dealers’ responsibility for selling pills that are dangerously strong and cut with adulterants. Other people point to the government, who have failed to reduce the supply of ecstasy and are refusing to embrace harm reduction strategies that have worked in Europe.

In this episode of High Society, we find out what’s making ecstasy so dangerous again, and how that danger can be reduced.
- Dan B8 months ago
Here in Australia, pills got worse and worse in the short time I was a part of the night life between 2008-12. In that time I had quite a few amazing rolls, but probably equal amount of duds that I fear to know the contents of. I always exercised, drank plenty of green tea and ate plenty of fresh vegetables and fish between events that were spaced about a month or more apart, this was a means of re-uptaking serotonin etc, but toward the end of my time using the quality of the pills were only getting to be worse and worse. The nail in the coffin for me was ironically an experience that felt irreversibly damaging almost to the point I thought I might die ..all motor control was completely and utterly compromised as was my vision, depth perception and speech, there wasn't a single positive feeling affiliated with the experience, the after effects of which lasted for another few days.. after this point I knew not to subject my body and mind and even friends to this kind of behavior since the risks where profoundly high. It has been 6yrs since I've eaten a single pill although I have had about 3-4 mdma caps from reputable sources in that time, each of which had the desired effect on a much much lower scale to the before-mentioned 'amazing rolls' due to there purposefully being barely anything in the caps I've purchased as to reduce potential harm. All that being said, I do get nostalgic sometimes of rolling my tits off along with all the unique beauty of closeness and lucidity that goes along with the experience.. shame the sober must be so guarded and its even more of a shame that the young and adventurous can't express the 'closeness and lucidity' upon the world that they so desire without some degree of shaded exclusivity and inherent danger.

Why do young women keep dying after taking ecstasy? 9:35 min.

Published on Nov 4, 2016
The number of young women dying from taking ecstasy is on the rise. Even though more than twice the number of males take the drug than females, this year the death rate for young women is substantially higher. After the death of Stephanie Shevlin, 22, on a night out in Crewe, Leah Green investigates what role hormones and super-strength tablets play in the trend.
- Sandor M2 years ago
They are NOT dying simply after taking ecstasy. They are dying after taking substances made in unknown ways containing unknown quantities of unknown chemicals.
- Drugs Bunny2 years ago
Drug Dealer A : "This is 500mg of pure MDMA" - it actually contains 50mg MDMA and 450mg filler
Drug Dealer B : "This is 500mg of pure MDMA" - it actually is 500mg and effectively 10x the dosage
it's not the increase in strength, it's the inconsistency of potency in the black market

MDMA Therapy and Healing; 9:21 min.

Published on Feb 15, 2015
Veterans, a rape survivor and others testify to the healing power of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Learn more about the full documentary: http://www.mdmathemovie.com
- bamse fet1 year ago
MDMA cured my depression, opened up my emotional barrier and allowed me to become the person I've always wanted to be. I didn't expect that to happen, I took it recreationally at a rave to get a buzz for a few hours. Some of my friends believe that I'm still rolling till this day.
- Mason Dixon1 year ago (edited)
Thanks to the MAPS teams & all researchers clearing a way for better effective therapies. MDMA is magical in combo with intent & psychotherapy. Yet it's the spiritual growth that seems to be so central to these experiences. ❤
- vince m7 months ago
The comedown is hell.
- Thewhole World2 months ago (edited)
I am traumatized since being abused as a Little boy. My whole life is a Living hell. Iam so traumatized i cant even breathe. I cry because of the most Little things.
I Never did MDMA, but it seems like it would help. I have so much hate in myself.
- karmalevel3 years ago
WARNING, WARNING, WARNING - pure MDMA is great, but how often can u find that? now. "molly" is cut with speed and recently bathsalts
- yasin rug2 years ago
For me Mdma brought me in hard Depressions. Maybe it wasnt the Mdma itself. I used it every weekend to partying in the i was a broken human unable to feel anything. I stopped it a while i go and now i rly feel better.
- Philipp E3 years ago (edited)
interesting treatment but I'd shy away from comparing MDMA with love... it's not the same! AND... Viewers should be aware that the treatment subjects are in a controlled environment.
- Viking Excavating7 months ago
If this truly does cure these disorders do you really think big pharma will allow this to become legal ? They only want to sell drugs that mask the symptoms of these disorders but never cure them. There's no money to be made in curing an illness.
-Sugar Moucha2 years ago (edited)
indeed mdma and other amphetamines improves the symptoms of anxiety and trauma, but what about the other effects that we don't know? More investigation is required.Also generally i believe that drugs are necessary but i think the aim of the therapists is to help the person understand his problem, deal with it and find a way to keep going independed of a drug. However, mdma should be approval only for clinical purposes.

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