For more information visit: HighTruths.Com
Welcome to High Truths on Drugs and Addiction.
In this introductory episode Dr. Lev gives an overview of High Truths, a new – fact filled – informative – podcast.
I am your host, Dr. Roneet Lev, an emergency and addiction doctor who has served at the White House and still practices on the front lines.
Every Monday staring January 2021 we will bring you unique episodes with nationally renowned experts to answer a question from you – our listeners
On High Truths we will answer questions such as is there enough marijuana research?
A toxicologist will answer what is scromiting?
And join me as I takes a field trip to a marijuana dispensary for the first time. Would you want me to be your emergency doctor after using those products?
Come visit us on High Truths.com to submit a question, challenge yourself with a quiz, or download a free prescription for naloxone.
How common is addiction? According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 165 million people – or over 60% of Americans age 12 and older have used some type of addictive substance in the past month – substances such as any illegal drug along with alcohol, tobacco and kratom. The top three drugs were alcohol, tobacco and marijuana – in that order.
We will be talking about all types of drugs -opioids – including prescriptions, heroin and fentanyl; Non opioid prescriptions that can be abused such as benzodiazepines and sleep aids; stimulants and marijuana.
I want YOU decipher fact from fiction and come to your own conclusions about drug use.
Who should listen to High Truths?
My personal Mission
The mission of High Truths is to unite medical health, mental health and addiction. I aim to practice good medicine in the hospital and promote smart health policy for our nation.
I am an emergency and addiction physician who continues to practice medicine. I started with advocating for my community in San Diego, to helping communities across our country. I thought – if only I can get to Washington – I can fix the drug problem.
They say be careful what you wish for.
I became the first chief medical officer for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. And… spoiler alert … while I am proud of my achievements at ONDCP, I definitely fell short of the lofty goals of fixing the problems with drugs. Along the way I learned how things work inside the beltway by being part of federal government.
I now take that special experience and bring it back to the community – as we still have much work to do.
Early in the opioid epidemic I met mothers who’s children died of prescription opioids or nearly died.
My heart still sinks when I recall my friends Mark and Sherri Rubin holding their son Aaron’s hand as he was in the ICU expected him to die after an oxycodone overdose.
Aaron did not die, but became a quadriplegic completely dependent on others for all his care. The Rubin family became activists and reached out to me years ago to find out why doctors where prescribing so many drugs and opioids – didn’t we know this was killing people? At that time, we didn’t. Their advocacy continues to be my inspiration.
As a mother of 4, my drive comes for the loss and pain that fellow mothers carry when their kids get into drugs.
My lifelong mission and commitment is to make a difference. I want to help patients and families. I want to help the medical community bridge addiction medicine with mental health and physical health – and I hope to unite public health, pubic safety and prevention in order to save lives.
Subjects on High Truths
Goals
The goals are to share High Truth information so you can make informed decisions.
It took nearly 100 years and 7000 scientific publications for the public to understand the risk of tobacco. Today, all smokers are informed decision makers. Everyone is aware of risks of addiction, cancer, and emphysema. If you choose to smoke, you may be asked politely to do it outside away from people. Unlike tobacco, most people are NOT aware of the High Truth on marijuana and many of the drugs in our society.
We need Americans to be informed decision-makers.
Thank you
High Truths would not be possible without the generous support from our sponsors. If you would like to sponsor a show, we would be honored and grateful, please contact us at hightruths.com
Visit our website HighTruths.com to
We hope we brought your day a little bit more – High Truths.
Visit our web site: HighTruths.com
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