#1170 Understanding the causes and cures of the opioid crisis
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 9 March 2018
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 3/9/2018
Today we take a look at Trump's half-hearted and misguided attempt to address the opioid crisis as well as give some understanding to the history of opioids in the US, the multifaceted reasons why they're being abused at record levels and some ideas as to how to address the problem both humanely and effectively
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Show Notes
Ch. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
Ch. 2: Act 1: Trump's Opioid Response Ignores Real Solutions - @TheRealNews - Air Date 10-26-17
Ch. 3: Song 1: These Times - The Pine Barrens
Ch. 4: Act 2: Opioid addiction in America - BackStory - Air Date 5-12-17
Ch. 5: Song 2: Our Fingers Cold - K2
Ch. 7: Song 3: Vibrant Canopy - Origami
Ch. 8: Act 4: The missing context of the escalating potency of opioid drugs - The Dig - Air Date 10-23-17
Ch. 9: Song 4: Waterbourne - Algea Fields
Ch. 10: Act 5: How Trump's opioid emergency measures come up short - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 11-3-17
Ch. 11: Song 5: Moon Bicycle Theme - American Moon Bicycle
Ch. 12: Act 6: The psychology and ideology of addiction and treatment - Economic Update - Air Date 1-12-18
Voicemails
Ch. 13: Understanding multi-layered fears - Steve from Tampa, FL
Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
Ch. 14: Final comments on Steve’s homework and a tease for a bonus clip on the other opioid crisis
BONUS CLIP: Are We Missing a Bigger Opioid Crisis? - The Inquiry - Air Date 12-7-17
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Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
(Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This program is made possible by the members and donors to the show. |
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| 0:09.4 | get commercial free versions of every episode, plus members only bonus content, sign up at patreon.com slash best of left or visit the contribute tab at bestofalough.com. |
| 0:20.5 | Now welcome to this episode of the award-winning best of left podcast in which we shall learn about some of the causes and potential cures of the opioid crisis. |
| 0:29.7 | The real news, backstory, democracy now, the dig from Jackman Magazine, counter spin and economic update. |
| 0:49.7 | Two months after saying he would take action, President Trump has declared the opioid overdose crisis a public health emergency. |
| 0:59.7 | Beyond the shocking death toll, the terrible measure of the opioid crisis includes the families ripped apart and for many communities a generation of lost potential and opportunity. |
| 1:12.7 | This epidemic is a national health emergency. We cannot allow this to continue. |
| 1:20.7 | It is time to liberate our communities from the scourge of drug addiction. |
| 1:26.7 | Trump's decision falls short of what his own commission recommended in August. |
| 1:31.7 | The commission said a national emergency should be called which would have freed up new federal resources. |
| 1:38.7 | Instead, Trump's designation only authorizes the use of existing resources. |
| 1:44.7 | Over 59,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses in 2016 and this year is on pace to top that record. |
| 1:52.7 | Johan Hari is author of the best selling book chasing the scream the first and last days of the war on drugs. |
| 1:58.7 | Johan, welcome. I guess my first question is if Trump is not allocating new resources for this crisis, then is he really doing anything at all? |
| 2:08.7 | If you want to understand Donald Trump's approach towards addiction, look at what he did to his own brother. |
| 2:13.7 | He taught today about his brother, Fred Trump Jr. who had it with such a severe alcoholic. |
| 2:17.7 | He tried to give himself to deaf in his 30s. It's a tragic and awful case. |
| 2:22.7 | Donald Trump's response to his brother's severe addiction was to take his brother's widow and disabled baby to court to cut them out of the family estate. |
| 2:31.7 | And Trump's response to the nation's addiction crisis is quite similar. |
| 2:36.7 | It's very disturbing. If you look through what he said, it's really a catalog of errors, things that have been tried, things that I report don't ingredit up for chasing the scream. |
| 2:46.7 | And we know the results. So just say no is one of his approaches. |
... |
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