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On October 24, 2018, President Trump signed The Support for Patients and Communities Act or H.R.6. into law. This podcast is the second part of our series on this historic piece of legislation.

H.R.6 includes support for three successful programs we have featured on earlier podcasts in our series. On today’s show, we’ll revisit our ALTO, Lily’s Place and AnchorED programs to highlight how each of these successful programs got started and how they are making a difference in the opioid epidemic.

On today’s podcast, you’ll hear how H.R.6 promotes the ALTO program, that’s alternatives to opioids, a program developed at St. Joseph Healthcare in Patterson New Jersey. 75% of patients at St. Joseph Healthcare have said their pain has been managed effectively without the use of opioids. Listen to excerpts from that episode on today’s podcast or go to the original podcast on ALTO with Dr. Rosenberg from December 2016 to hear more.

We will also revisit our show on neonatal abstinence syndrome and Lily’s Place , an organization dedicated to treating babies that are born with NAS by providing medical care for these newborns suffering from NAS and instruction on their specialized care requirements for mothers . You can also hear more information from the original Lily’s Place podcast from December 2017.

Also featured in this episode is a program called AnchorED which connects overdose victims in the ED to certified recovery coaches. These coaches provide encouragement and connect patients to the help they need for their recovery. Tune into today’s episode to hear excerpts from our AnchorED episode or listen to our entire AnchorED program from April 2017.

On Tuesday, November 6th Ohio voters will decide State Issue 1, a ballot initiative that would reduce drug possession offenses to misdemeanors, so they’re no longer classified as felonies with harsher penalties. By most accounts, proponents and opponents are locked in a dead heat on this important issue. So, we decided to revisit our Issue 1 podcast (Ep. 211), stay tuned to the end of this podcast as Senator Portman weighs in on this important issue.

One of the many issues that voters will be deciding on this fall is Ohio Issue 1. This issue reduces drug possession to a misdemeanor. Currently classified as a felony, this would significantly reduce sentencing and eliminate jail time in some instances. Some say this could keep 10,000 people out of Ohio prisons but opponents of Issue 1 say it would actually be close to half of that. Out-of-state billionaires are actually backing Issue 1, including Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

If Issue 1 passes, it will convert felony 4 and felony 5 drug possession and drug use crimes to only misdemeanors. No jail time will be served for first and second offenders within a 24-month period. It will put the money saved from the lower prison numbers into treatment programs and crime victim programs as well.

To help us unpack the many controversies behind Issue 1, we welcome Judge David Matia, Common Pleas Judge from Cleveland, Tom Stuber, CEO of the LCADA Wellness & Recovery Way and Bishara Addison, Senior Manager of Policy and Strategic Initiatives from Towards Employment. Hear all sides of the issue and how your vote can help make an impact this fall.

Ohio continues to have one of the largest death rates due to overdoses in all the US. Just last year, Franklin County had a 47% increase due to opioid abuse. This caused community leaders to come together and form the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance. Their research uncovered some shocking results. It concluded that most people are aware of the opioid epidemic but underestimate the risk to their families. Many parents have the “not my kid” mentality. Only 19% believe it can impact their family directly. This is one of the main reasons that people overlook preventative measures.

Today Greg is joined by Chad Jester, President of Nationwide Insurance Foundation and Shawn Holt, President & CEO of Maryhaven, who together with other members of the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance developed a public awareness campaign to expose a common “not in my town” mindset that can devastate a community. By making people aware of how they can take action to make a difference in the opioid epidemic, these powerful PSAs created by the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance, are helping to prevent opioid addiction in the next generation.

Recently, President Trump signed an opioid package into law called H.R.6. Today’s podcast will discuss what this means and will be the first episode of a two-part series that will break down H.R.6. Greg met with Jay Ruais, Chief of Staff and VP of Federal and National Initiatives for the Addiction Policy Forum and Braeden Kelly, Director of External Affairs. The two discuss what H.R.6 will do and how this can help combat the opioid crisis.

One of the key points that H.R.6 will do is expand treatment capacity. Roughly 20 million people suffer from substance use disorders and about 10% of them will receive treatment. H.R.6 will help to establish evidence-based treatment centers to help those suffering. In addition to treatment capacity expansion, this bill will also allow Medicaid to cover up to 30 days of treatment as well as expand telehealth services. Listen for more initiatives this legislation will add and how it can help curb the opioid epidemic and ensure victims of the disease get the support and treatment they need.

The lifestyle of the music industry has proven deadly for so many people over the years. Wikipedia lists the names of over 100 pop artists who have lost their lives to overdose since the 60s. Greg’s guest today knows the story all too well having been the lead guitarist for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts during their hey-day. Ricky Byrd was living the life of a rock star until he almost lost his life and decided it was time to get clean. Today, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inductee Ricky Byrd has been clean and sober for thirty one years. Over the last few years Ricky realized he could combine his music and recovery to create songs that are useful to people struggling with addiction.

The result is Clean Getaway, both the name of a 501(c)(3) non-profit Ricky founded to reach addicts through the connective power of music, AND a brand new album of songs related to his experience with addiction and recovery. Ricky talks with Greg about his brush with death, recovery and using his platform to give back and help others find sobriety.

One of the many issues that voters will be deciding on this fall is Ohio Issue 1. This issue reduces drug possession to a misdemeanor. Currently classified as a felony, this would significantly reduce sentencing and eliminate jail time in some instances. Some say this could keep 10,000 people out of Ohio prisons but opponents of Issue 1 say it would actually be close to half of that. Out-of-state billionaires are actually backing Issue 1, including Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

If Issue 1 passes, it will convert felony 4 and felony 5 drug possession and drug use crimes to only misdemeanors. No jail time will be served for first and second offenders within a 24-month period. It will put the money saved from the lower prison numbers into treatment programs and crime victim programs as well.

To help us unpack the many controversies behind Issue 1, we welcome Judge David Matia, Common Pleas Judge from Cleveland, Tom Stuber, CEO of the LCADA Wellness & Recovery Way and Bishara Addison, Senior Manager of Policy and Strategic Initiatives from Towards Employment. Hear all sides of the issue and how your vote can help make an impact this fall.

There have now been over 1,300 opioid lawsuits filed by states, cities, countries, Native American tribes and labor unions throughout our country. The New York Times said resolving these lawsuits could be the most daunting legal challenge our nation has faced. Last December all the opioid cases filed in federal court across the country were consolidated into what’s called multidistrict litigation or an MDL, to be presided over by a single judge in Cleveland, Ohio and his name is Judge Dan Polster.

Today’s podcast features excerpts of community forum where Judge Polster spoke at the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program. He discusses the challenges of assigning responsibility and calculating damages. If cases are not settled under the MDL, they go back to their districts of origin. If a settlement is reached, the money goes towards funding recovery and to help communities offset the millions of dollars expended fighting the opioid crisis across our country. Tune in to this podcast to learn how settlement in these historic proceedings could fund America’s recovery for years to come.

Stanford University researchers developed a mathematical model that could help public health officials and policymakers decrease the effects of the opioid epidemic, which took the lives of roughly 49,000 Americans in 2017.

The model includes data about addictions, prescriptions and overdoses in the United States which can be used for “what if” scenarios similar to those that business leaders run through to project how changing product features or prices affect sales and profits, said Margaret Brandeau, PhD, the Coleman F. Fung Professor in the School of Engineering and a professor of management science and engineering who worked on the study.

The paper cites the hard facts of the opioid crisis: Between 1990 and 2010, there was a 400 percent spike in prescriptions for opioid painkillers. Today, roughly 3.5 million Americans suffer from an addiction to opioids as a result of being exposed to opioid pills. Yet, as doctors have begun responding to the crisis by reducing prescriptions, overdose deaths have increased because those addicted to pills and unable to obtain prescription medication, are buying heroin as an alternative. And much of the heroin supply found in the US is now laced with fentanyl, making it 50 times more potent.

Unfortunately, the model indicates the interventions studied can only make a small dent in the death toll which just goes to show the magnitude of the crisis. Researchers hope this model can aid policymakers in selecting the best mix of interventions to fight the epidemic.

Today Greg is joined today by Allison Pitt, one of the research team members from Stanford University to discuss this innovative study. Listen as they discuss how it can be used by policy makers and community leaders to help ease the opioid crisis in our country.

Treatment for addiction and rehabilitation is currently a $35 billion dollar industry and continues to climb. There are many honest and reputable organizations out there, but some are unfortunately often seeking personal gain from individuals who are in crisis. They exploit those seeking treatment with addiction treatment scams and those suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) when people are most vulnerable.

For today’s podcast, Greg met with Dan Sevigny, Mental Health Coach, and Co-Founder of Recovery X. This is an organization dedicated to providing people reliable treatment options and connecting them to the appropriate facilities based on their own specific needs. Recovery X is actually a growing movement of experts, thought leaders and even those in recovery themselves. These individuals are dedicated to providing high-quality resources to those who are fighting addiction and paving the way for a model organization.

The opioid epidemic has devastated our country claiming many loved ones along the way. Back in November of 2017, Bill Sternberg, USA Today editorial page Editor, lost his son Scott to an overdose. Through his grief, Bill decided to share Scott’s story in an attempt to help spread awareness and possibly help others struggling with this disease.

Scott was prescribed a 30-day prescription for opioids coming off an emergency surgical procedure. Although it was considered common practice, this is, unfortunately many people’s introduction to opioids and can often start them down the path of addiction. Scott, like many others, lost his battle with opioids shortly after.

Greg joins Bill as the two of them discuss many of the obstacles that people face when battling this disease. One of the largest hurdles is to break the stigma behind addiction and avoiding dangerous clichés, such as “hitting rock bottom.” Hear Greg and Bill discuss how the epidemic has evolved and various steps our country has taken to combat the crisis.