Join host Erin DeLullo as she interviews Utah state Rep. Tyler Clancy, a Provo police officer, about his innovative approach to the fentanyl crisis through House Bill 199. In this episode, Rep. Clancy discusses his collaboration with a social worker and founder of the Utah Harm Reduction Coalition.

Learn how his law enforcement background shapes his policies, the impact of fentanyl as Utah’s #1 overdose killer, and the importance of community collaboration in saving lives. From naloxone distribution to reducing stigma, this conversation dives deep into the opioid crisis, drug policy reform, and hope for recovery.

The Salt Lake Tribune: A Provo cop and a social worker are teaming up to end overdoses in Utah: https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/02/11/needle-exhange-these-unlikely/

Subscribe for more discussions on the opioid epidemic, public health innovations, and recovery stories. Share your thoughts in the comments below! #FentanylCrisis#HarmReduction#OpioidEpidemic#UtahNews#recoveryjourney

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In this eye-opening episode of "The Poisoning," host Erin DeLullo sits down with David Ovalle, a reporter for The Washington Post's Health & Science team who covers opioids and addiction, to discuss the ongoing fentanyl crisis in America.

This conversation centers around the remarkable strategies employed by Hamilton County, Ohio, which has seen a significant decline in overdose deaths.

David shares his firsthand experiences from the Brookings Institute Fentanyl Symposium, highlighting the proactive measures like flooding neighborhoods with Narcan and enhancing addiction treatment programs. We explore how these initiatives have worked on both the supply and demand sides of the drug epidemic, offering a potential model for other communities nationwide.

Key topics include:

-- The evolution of Hamilton County's response to the opioid crisis, from dealing with prescription pills to managing the influx of heroin and then Fentanyl.

-- The impact of public health policies and grassroots efforts in reducing overdose fatalities.

-- Challenges with new synthetic drugs like nitazines and the unpredictability of drug potency.

-- The role of naloxone (Narcan) in reversing overdoses and the barriers to its accessibility in different states.

-- Political influences on drug policy under the new administration and what it might mean for public health funding and harm reduction initiatives.

-- David also discusses the broader implications of addiction, including intergenerational trauma and the societal costs like funeral expenses for those who've lost loved ones to overdoses.

Stay tuned for more insights, and make sure to follow David Ovalle on Blue Sky (https://bsky.app/profile/davidovalle.bsky.social) and at the Washington Post's Health and Science section for further updates on this critical issue.

Read David's reports...

-- On the streets, opioids sometimes more potent than fentanyl: Nitazenes https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/12/10/nitazenes-opioid-stronger-than-fentanyl/

-- Drug deaths are down in one Ohio county and much of the U.S. Why is complex. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/02/03/opioid-overdose-deaths-declining/

#FentanylCrisis #OpioidEpidemic #HarmReduction #PublicHealth #AddictionRecovery #HamiltonCounty #Narcan #DrugPolicy #DavidOvalle #ThePoisoning

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On today's episode, Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President at SAM & Co-Founder at the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, joins the podcast.

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Dive into the critical conversation about opioid settlement funds with expert Aneri Pattani on "The Poisoning." This episode unpacks how billions from major opioid settlements are being used to combat the opioid epidemic across states like Arizona and West Virginia. Discover where the money is going—addiction treatment, harm reduction, prevention efforts, and controversial allocations like state corrections.

In this powerful and emotional video, we sit down with Carole Trottere, an advocate and communicator working with law enforcement on Narcan training and supporting families devastated by the opioid epidemic. Carole’s personal connection to this crisis is deeply moving—her only child, Gabriel, tragically passed away at the age of 30 due to fentanyl poisoning.

Follow her on the Purple Rock Project on Facebook for more information on her initiatives: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Purple-Rock-Project-61552503092645/

Consider supporting Gabriel’s Giving Tree (https://licadd.org/psbggt2024?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email) one of the non-profits that Carole works with. After her grandson Gabriel died of an overdose in 2010, Grandmother Paulette Phillippe remembers how her family had the additional struggle to pay for funeral expenses. That’s why in 2020, to mark Gabriel’s 10th anniversary in heaven, she formed Gabriel’s Giving Tree (GGT) to help families in need on Long Island pay for funeral and burial services after a loved one dies from an opioid poisoning or substance use disorder. In 2021, GGT joined forces with the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD), together they have raised more than $100,000, assisting nearly 38 families to date to provide their loved ones one final gift.Please help us continue the conversation Carole has started!

The only way to truly stop fentanyl poisoning is to reduce the DEMAND for the drug, yet most of our time and energy are spent on reducing the supply. On today's podcast, writer, speaker, and nationally recognized policy advocate for addiction and mental health recovery, Ryan Hampton, discusses his book, 'Fentanyl Nation: Toxic Politics and America's Failed War on Drugs.'

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and passionate global citizen. He is the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, MSNBC’s What’s Eating America, the Emmy-nominated Family Dinner, Outdoor Channel’s Wild Game Kitchen and Field to Fire, and the Emmy-winning The Zimmern List.

Freelance journalist Philip Eil talks with Erin about his debut book, "Prescription for Pain: How A Once Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer.'" During their conversation, Eil discusses his years-long investigation into his father’s old classmate, Paul Volkman, a man who once seemed destined for greatness, but is now serving four consecutive life sentences at a federal prison for his involvement in a massive “pill mill” scheme in southern Ohio.

Drazen Jorgic is a Reuters senior correspondent based in Mexico City, focused on investigating journalism and enterprise stories at the intersection of crime, politics and business in Mexico and Central America.

During this conversation with Erin DeLullo, Jorgic discusses Reuters' excellent investigative series, "The Fentanyl Express," including their first two reports:- "We bought everything needed to make $3 million worth of fentanyl.All it took was $3,600 and a web browser"

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/drugs-fentanyl-supplychain/- "How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law to kill Americans

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/drugs-fentanyl-shipping/

Follow Drazen Jorgic on X: https://x.com/draz_dj

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On Tuesday, voters in several states rejected measures to broaden the legalization of recreational marijuana, while progressive prosecutors in several jurisdictions also lost. Charles Fain Lehman, a crime and drug policy researcher at the Manhattan Institute, joins Erin to unpack the election results — and help us digest what it all means.