Ep. 34 – The New Wave of Drug Law Enforcement: Mayor Dan Horrigan, Akron OH

2019-01-10T12:41:31-05:00September 29th, 2016|Legal/Legislation, Podcasts|

It’s no secret that arrest, imprisonment, and conviction don’t break addiction. All over the US, civic officials are waking up to the brokenness of the system. Cops and robbers isn’t working. It isn’t saving our sons and daughters. If addiction is a physical brain disease, why don’t we get to the root of [...]

Ep. 33 – Getting Addicts the Help They Need: Donna Skoda, Public Health Commissioner

2019-01-10T12:40:58-05:00September 27th, 2016|Community Outreach, Harm Reduction, Podcasts|

Greg interviews Donna Skoda, the Public Health Commissioner of Summit County. Donna has been with the Department of Public Health since 2000. She has been working as the Public Health Commissioner of Summit County for a little over a year. The mission of Summit County Public Health is to protect and advance the [...]

Ep. 32 – Getting Sober in Prison and Staying Sober: Nicole Argenio, Recovery Coach

2019-01-10T12:39:52-05:00September 22nd, 2016|Podcasts, Stories, Treatment/Programs|

Greg interviews Nicole Argenio, a former opioid addict. Nicole is an addiction recovery coach at the Oriana House in Akron, OH. The Oriana House is dedicated to assisting people in overcoming their substance dependencies and providing multi-step rehabilitation. As a former addict, Nicole shares her struggle with addiction. She was prescribed opioids as [...]

Ep. 31 – How Arrest Can Lead to Addiction Recovery: Captain Michael Shearer, Akron Police Department

2019-01-10T12:38:32-05:00September 20th, 2016|Legal/Legislation, Podcasts|

Greg interviews Captain Michael Shearer, Captain of the Akron Police Department Narcotics Division. Captain Shearer has spent 25 years on the police force, in various roles. He has been Captain of the Police Department since 2005. Akron has experienced a tragic spike in heroin overdoses this summer. In July, first responder calls went [...]

Ep. 30 – Championing Addiction: Nicole Walmsley, Police Assisted Recovery and Addiction Initiative

2019-01-10T12:33:46-05:00September 15th, 2016|Harm Reduction, Legal/Legislation, Podcasts, Stories|

Greg interviews Nicole Walmsley, State Representative of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative. Through her efforts, the initiative is now active in the city of Lodi’s police department. The initiative works to support the Gloucester Police addiction initiative, to aid other police departments, and to foster a dialogue for police departments to [...]

Ep. 29 – Break the Stigma of Addiction: Travis Bornstein, Founder of Breaking Barriers

2019-01-10T12:28:29-05:00September 13th, 2016|Community Outreach, Podcasts, Stories|

Travis discusses the stigma of addiction and how we can break it through unity and love. He is the founder of Breaking Barriers – Hope is Alive, located in Uniontown, OH. Breaking Barriers – Hope is Alive is a resource for people and families who are struggling with the disease of addiction. Through [...]

Ep. 28 – Good Samaritan Law Follow-up: Robert Sprague, Ohio State Representative

2020-01-28T15:58:51-05:00September 12th, 2016|Harm Reduction, Legal/Legislation, Podcasts|

Greg interviews Robert Sprague, Ohio State Representative. He represents the 83rd District in the Ohio House of Representatives. Since Robert has been in office, he has been associated with the passing of 14 bills for opioid addiction legislation. The Good Samaritan Law goes into effect on September 13, 2016. Greg asks Representative [...]

Ep. 27 – Treating the Opioid Disorder: Dr. Christina Delos Reyes, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction

2019-01-10T12:25:03-05:00September 8th, 2016|Education, Podcasts, Treatment/Programs|

Dr. Christina Delos Reyes discusses how she got into the field of psychiatry and addiction, as well as the severity of opioid addiction from a medical perspective. She is the Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at University Hospital’s Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. As an academic medical center, the hospital is [...]

Ep. 26 -Finding Hope in the Darkness: Ted St. John, Director of Operations First Step Recovery

2019-01-10T12:19:12-05:00September 6th, 2016|Podcasts, Stories, Treatment/Programs|

Greg talks with Ted St. John, the Director of Operations at First Step Recovery. First Step Recovery is substance addiction detox center located in Warren, Ohio. Ted himself is a recovering addict who has struggled with opioid and alcohol addiction. Ted has faced several addictions in his life thus far, one of those [...]

Ep. 25 – Beat the Odds Together: Daniel Meloy, Director of Public Safety Colerain Township

2019-01-10T12:17:40-05:00September 1st, 2016|Harm Reduction, Legal/Legislation, Podcasts|

A recent overdose crisis in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 27, 2016 made headlines after the city dealt with 78 overdoses over a span of 2 days. The USA Today article on the tragedy referenced the outstanding overdose statistics of Hamilton County, located just north of Cincinnati. The county reported having a 35% decrease [...]