Episode #82 High Truths on Drugs and Addiction with Dr. Josh Bloom and Junk Science

Dr. Josh Bloom is an organic chemist who debunks Junk Science in his work with the American Council on Science. Hear what he has to say about opioids and pain, fentanyl, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, and cannabis. Do Dr. Lev and Dr. Bloom agree or disagree on issues of addiction? You judge.

Dr. Josh Bloom, ACSH's Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science, earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Virginia, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania. His career 20+ year first career was drug discovery research at Wyeth. During this time he participated in research in a number of therapeutic areas, including diabetes and obesity, new antibiotics, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis C. His group discovered the novel antibiotic Tygacil®, which was approved by the FDA for use against resistant bacterial infections in 2005. He is the author of 25 patents, and 35 academic papers, including a chapter on new therapies for hepatitis C in Burger’s Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Discovery, and Development, 7th Edition (Wiley, 2010).

Dr. Bloom, who joined the American Council on Science and Health in 2010 as Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has published more than 75 op-eds in numerous periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New Scientist, The New York Post, National Review Online, The Boston Herald, The Baltimore Sun, The Chicago Tribune, and The New York Daily News. He has also done numerous radio and television shows and podcasts on topics related to drugs, chemicals, and most importantly, the plight of pain patients – the innocent victims of the misguided war on opioid drugs.

He is now recognized as an expert in government opioid policy and was the first journalist to write a nationally published opinion piece about the unintended consequences of a governmental crackdown on prescription pain medications (New York Post, 2013). Since that time he has published more than 20 op-eds in regional and national newspapers on different aspects of the crisis.

He was also the first writer (2016) to study, dissect and ultimately debunk the manipulated statistics used by the CDC to justify its recommendations for opioid prescribing, which have resulted in Draconian requirements for prescribing pain medications as well as government-mandated, involuntary tapering of patients receiving opioid treatment, both of which have caused great harm and needless suffering to chronic pain patients. His 2016 article, "Six Charts Designed to Confuse You," is considered to be the seminal work on CDC deception and has been adopted by patient advocacy groups. It has been sent to governors, senators, and state legislatures.