Anatomy Of Addiction: How Heroin And Opioids Hijack The Brain
Jack Rodolico From Jack O’Connor became addicted to opioids when he was a teenager. Greta Rybus for NPR When Jack O’Connor was 19, he was so desperate to beat his addictions to alcohol and opioids that he took a really rash step. He joined the Marines. “This will fix me,” O’Connor thought as he went…
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Turning grief into action
Public officials don’t often bear the anguish they’ve endured in their private lives unless it somehow advances their political career. So it was both extraordinary and commendable and oh so heart-rendering when at public meeting this week, Pennsbury school board President Jacquelyn Redner spoke of her son’s recent death. Josh Redner was 28 when he…
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As heroin deaths pile up, one Bucks school district weighs unusual step
Updated: September 18, 2017 — 6:58 PM Kathy Boccella Luke Johnson’s family started a foundation, Luke’s HEROin ME Foundation, after the 22-year-old Pennsbury graduate was found dead over an overdose in Florida on May 17. From left: his mother, Maureen Johnson; his cousin, Nicole McDonald; and his sister, Alex Johnson. by Kathy Boccella, Staff…
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Pennsbury forms task force to explore ways to better fight drug abuse
Aug 24, 2017 In The News Bucks Co. Courier Times The Pennsbury School District has formed an opioid and mental health task force to explore ways the district can better fight the abuse of opioids and other drugs. School district officials announced the group’s formation during a press conference Wednesday night in front of Pennsbury’s…
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Study: Doctors received more than $46 million from drug companies marketing opioids
By Katie Zezima August 9 at 5:13 PM Bottles of medications line the shelves at a pharmacy in Portsmouth, Ohio. (Bryan Woolston/Reuters) One in 12 doctors has received money from drug companies marketing prescription opioid medications, according to a study released Wednesday afternoon. Researchers at Boston Medical Center found that from 2013 to 2015, 68,177 doctors received…
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Our discussion with Mayor Chris Harding on WBCB 1490 Radio
On June 21, 2017, WBCB 1490 and Mayor Chris Harding were kind enough to have us on his weekly radio show to discuss Luke’s story and the Luke’s HERO in Me Foundation.
Our presentation at the Pennsbury Board Meeting
Listen to our presentation to the PHS Board – it has been shortened to just our presentation and the following discussion. Again, thank you for being a part of our movement. Together, we are going to stop this epidemic.
Genes and Addiction
Susceptibility Does Not Mean Inevitability When scientists look for “addiction genes,” what they are really looking for are biological differences that may make someone more or less vulnerable to addiction. It may be harder for people with certain genes to quit once they start. Or they may experience more severe withdrawal symptoms if they try…
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Drug Deaths in America Are Rising Faster Than Ever
Early data from 2017 suggests that drug overdose deaths will continue to rise this year. It’s the only aspect of American health, said Dr. Tom Frieden, the former director of the C.D.C., that is getting significantly worse. Over two million Americans are estimated to be dependent on opioids, and an additional 95 million used prescription…
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