When Keeping Secrets Costs Lives [To protect her privacy Elaine asked us to withhold her last name.] On May 14th Greg received an email from Elaine, a Montgomery County Maryland Resident. She shared the story of her brother Alan who had struggled with addiction, recovery, and relapse for much of his [...]
The Mastermind Behind the World’s Largest Online Drug Cartel Since 1995, when the FDA approved OxyContin, igniting an opioid crisis, many bad actors have emerged willing to do almost anything to make a buck off the insatiable demand for opioids in our country. But none less known, and more destructive than [...]
In Pain – When No One Knows How to Taper Pain Pills In 1996, pain became the 5th vital sign in medicine, prompting doctors to rely on opioids for pain treatment. As a result, opioid prescriptions spiked over the next 15 years, causing hundreds of thousands of opioid addictions. While many [...]
New MLB Drug Testing Policy Could Be a Game Changer Last July, Major League Baseball fans were shocked when Tyler Skaggs, a rising star pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, was found dead in his hotel room. The toxicology report indicated Skaggs had oxycodone, fentanyl and alcohol in his system, causing [...]
Earlier this year, Greg interviewed bestselling author Beth Macy in a series on her book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America. It’s a compelling account of the opioid epidemic in our country and profiles the twenty-plus year history of the opioid crisis as it emerged in the state of Virginia. Recently, [...]
It’s difficult for a non-addicted person to rationalize the addicted mind, and the societal stigmatism around addiction doesn’t make that any easier. How can they keep making these decisions if they know they’re wrong, and why won’t they make choices that lead to recovery? The truth is, an addict isn’t in complete [...]
Four years ago, actor, writer, and Akron Ohio native, Jeremie Campbell, was unaware that the opioid crisis was continuing to ravage his hometown. Following his high school graduation, the former all-state football player left Akron for Hollywood. Doing so, in part to pursue his acting career, landing roles in Spartan, Bicycle Dreams, [...]
About Johann Hari Johann Hari is a British journalist. He has written for many of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, [...]
About Johann Hari Johann Hari is a British journalist. He has written for many of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, [...]
Greg interviews Emelia Sherin, a sophomore public relations student at Kent State University. Emelia recently wrote a play covering the perspective and daily struggle of those suffering from substance abuse disorder. Greg asks Emelia about her own experiences and what inspired the play. She explains that outside of what she’s seen and [...]
Greg interviews Greg Vovos, a playwright and director who has worked in Cleveland theater since 1998. While Greg has written a myriad of plays, he’s also worked consistently for the Theatre of Healthy Living at the Fine Arts Association; crafting plays for high schools, detention centers, and youth prisons about issues like [...]
Greg interviews Wendy Komac, the CEO and Founding Partner of Luna Living, and Justin, who is currently a patient in recovery. Luna Living is an accredited partial hospitalization and outpatient facility for substance abuse disorders and outpatient mental health care. They aim to treat substance abuse disorders by addressing chronic brain diseases in [...]
Greg interviews Joel Mowrey, the Executive Director of The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County. Kelly Hart, a recovering addict, also joins the duo. Located in Portage County, Ohio, The Mental Health and Recovery Board is primarily a funding, monitoring and planning agency. By contracting with outside agencies, the board provides [...]
Greg interviews Ken Hawkins, the Founder of Really Recovered and a recovering alcoholic and addict. Really Recovered is a recovery church rooted in Christian faith and the firm belief that total transformation is gained through a relationship with Christ. Ken himself has struggled with substance abuse since the age of 11. He shares [...]
Greg interviews Rob Brandt, the Founder of Robby’s Voice. Rob lost his son Robby to opioids in 2011. In the wake of Robby’s death, a notebook of his was found containing plans to help those suffering from substance abuse. Robby’s Voice was created to bring life to that vision. Rob discusses his son’s [...]
Greg interviews Lisa Roberts, a Health Department Nurse for the city of Portsmouth, Ohio. She’s been working as a Portsmouth nurse for the past 29 years. She also worked with Sam Quinones on his highly-acclaimed book Dreamland. This episode is Part One in a series of podcasts that will explore life after Dreamland [...]
Greg makes a return visit to the Cuyahoga County Needle Exchange truck to interview clients. You can listen to his other Cuyahoga County Needle Exchange podcast here. Greg interviews three clients: Rick, Ray, and Danny. Each has a unique story of the increasingly isolated worlds of substance abuse in which they live. [...]
Greg interviews Janis Beckett, the Director of Chemical Dependency Services at the Cleveland Clinic, Akron General Hospital and Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Hospital. After struggling with substance use disorder for several years, Janis decided to enter the field of Chemical Dependency. She talks about her tough battle with the disease and her recovery. “The [...]
Greg interviews Sarah Nerad, Program Manager for the Ohio State University Collegiate Recovery Community in Columbus, Ohio and the Director of Recovery for the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention in Recovery. Sarah is in recovery herself, after struggling with addiction since the age of 15. She discusses her substance [...]
Grace Roberts from 1073 the Wave interviews Greg McNeil 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 [...]
Greg interviews Michael, a Summit County Narcotics-Anonymous Member. Nar-Anon provides a community for those who have felt the agony of seeing a friend or family member struggle with drug addiction. The Nar-Anon program itself consists of twelve steps, centered around grace, wisdom and love. Michael shares his own daughter’s struggle with addiction and [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Greg interviews Wayne Campbell, the president of Tyler’s Light. Tyler’s Light is a resource for those in Pickerington and Fairfield County, Ohio focused on preventing drug addiction. The foundation sheds light on the severity of drug addiction via community engagement, awareness, education and support. Like Greg, Wayne Campbell knows the pain of losing [...]
Denny founded F I Community Housing in 1995. Today, it’s Ohio’s largest peer-operated recovery community. Denny’s past informs his present mission in fighting the opioid epidemic: by the age of 25, he was addicted to several drugs, including heroin, crack cocaine, and alcohol. After he went through a 21-day recovery program, Denny was [...]
Greg interviews David Sigal, founder of the LOUD Life Foundation. David is a former addict who turned his life around with the love and support of family. Now, David is giving back. LOUD Life seeks to empower and inspire addicts to change their lives. LOUD stands for “Live Out Ur Dreams,” and [...]
In this episode of the Cover2 Podcast, Greg continues his interview with Chico Lewis and Roger Lowe on-site at the Free Clinic Needle Exchange in Cleveland. They discuss the alarming growth of the opioid epidemic, particularly the effect which Chico has seen from the increasing use of fentanyl. Chico discusses the emotional [...]
In this episode of the Cover2 Podcast, Greg interviews Robin Star, a certified coach who helps families of opiate addicts. Robin uses a science-based program that’s backed by 40 years of clinical research. Robin discovered the tragedy of addiction in her own life when a family member went into this crisis. Robin didn’t [...]
In this episode of the Cover2 Resources Podcast, Greg McNeil, Founder and President, interviews Bill Gilliland, the Chief Operating Officer of Treatment Alternatives in Boca Raton, Florida. Treatment Alternatives, also known as the “Boca House,” is the last place where Greg’s son Sam underwent rehab. In the Fall of 2013, Sam entered the [...]
In the inaugural podcast, Cover2 Resources Founder and President Greg McNeil introduces his son Sam, who was a gifted athlete and a deeply caring person. Sam was exposed to opiates through a prescription for an athletic injury. In a story that is becoming all too familiar, Sam’s use of opiates extended beyond the [...]
