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Fentanyl is Not an Immigration Problem

Ten years ago, most Americans had never even heard of fentanyl. Today, it drives an overdose crisis that takes nearly 100,000 lives every year. We ...

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We all know someone who needs this

All around us, people are hurting, often alone, as they walk through an addiction themselves or with a loved one who’s struggling. You can offer ...

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They made their voices heard

We were blown away by the incredible number of people who took action last week when we asked for your help contacting legislators in Mississippi ...

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Kratom: Call to Action

In Mississippi, we have an opportunity to keep the herbal supplement kratom legal so that adults who are 21 years or older can still access ...

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Drug prohibition impacts…birds?

We know that the far-reaching collateral consequences of drug prohibition have harmed millions of people … but what about animals?   It turns out that ...

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Unraveling myths: the truth about fentanyl exposure…

Multiple times this summer, I’ve been talking to people at conferences and was told some variation of, “Fentanyl is just so deadly. I mean, you can ...

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A snapshot of drug policy history…

Sixty years ago, the Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health marked a huge moment in public health, significantly impacting smoking rates in the United States. It was a groundbreaking ...

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Historic News out of Maryland!

I want to recognize and celebrate a significant milestone in the movement toward a better approach to drug policy. Maryland Governor Wes Moore recently signed an ...

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A closer look at Oregon’s decriminalization policy…

A couple of weeks ago I got a request from a reader for my thoughts on Oregon and their recent changes to drug policy. This ...

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Study Shows Mom Might Be Best Medicine for Opioid Dependent Babies

I was standing next to the water fountain at the Mississippi Agricultural Museum when the person I was chatting with mentioned an article they just ...

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No, don’t bomb Mexico…

Recently, I’ve heard political rhetoric that says we can lay blame for the fentanyl crisis on Mexico and the cartels — AND we should take ...

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There’s a seat at the table for you…

Two weeks ago I got a call from Patrick (name changed to protect his privacy), a young man I interviewed almost 3 years ago for my book. He’s been ...

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How many more do we have to lose?

Yesterday I gave a presentation to graduate students, and one of them made a comment that struck me. She mentioned that her family was deeply impacted by addiction as well as ...

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The sooner we understand opioid use as a health issue, the better

At last week’s End It For Good Community Discussion in Natchez, MS, an attendee mentioned how cracking down on opioid prescribing led to many doctors ...

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There are better solutions, and change IS possible

Last week I wrote a piece for Mississippi newspapers that’s also available here. In the article, I share the story of a young family in a Mississippi ...

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Fatherlessness too high a price for non-violent drug charge

 In the last 6 months, the number of non-violent drug offenders in Mississippi prisons has increased a staggering 27%, to over 4,000 people. Mississippi already ...

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Does being “tough on crime” lead to a brighter future?

For those of us who live in Mississippi, where End It For Good is based, several things are happening right now. First, we now rank #1 in ...

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Changing laws isn’t the only way to effect change!

Last week I spoke at the Mississippi Center for Re-Entry’s conference. The topic came up of whether or not criminal justice reform would continue to be ...

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Honor our lost loved ones by ending the war on drugs

By Lee Clark Malouf My son, Robert, passed away in January 2017. He died of an accidental overdose of opioids. For me and my family, ...

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A Reply: ‘Don’t Fall for “Conservative” Pitch to Legalize Hard Drugs’

“Do you think drugs should be legalized?” The first time I was asked this question, I got so angry I left the room. My response was ...

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There is a growing chorus of voices!

Last week Brett Montague, our CEO, and I spent several days in Washington, D.C. Wemet with lawmakers on behalf of End It For Good as well ...

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I Give People Fentanyl. We’ve Misdiagnosed the Overdose Crisis.

By Dr. Carr McClain I give patients the synthetic opioid fentanyl almost every day in my surgical practice. It’s safer and has fewer side effects ...

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Is stigmatizing drug use a helpful prevention tool?

I got a lot of feedback on last month’s newsletter commentary on whether stigmatizing drug use is a helpful prevention tool or a harmful barrier ...

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What if we opted for honest and open conversations?

A couple of weeks ago I was on an introductory call with the leader of a faith-based organization that works on other justice issues. As we talked ...

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A lesson on harm reduction…

A couple weeks ago a mutual friend connected me with Jim, a father who lost his only child to an opioid overdose at 19 years ...

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Criminalizing drug use is crippling our workforce

By Brett Montague Arresting people for drug use can make them virtually unemployable because of a criminal record. At a time when finding employees is ...

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A Christian Case for Cannabis Legalization

By Christina Dent Seven years ago, I became a foster mom. Through serving children and families in the foster care system, I saw that there ...

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Savings Lives From Fentanyl Requires Reckoning With Prohibition

By Christina Dent When my son was four years old, he was given the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Twice. We were in the emergency room at the hospital ...

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Prioritizing life and allowing others to thrive

“We pray people change their thinking on this issue. It’s a matter of prioritizing life and allowing others to thrive.” — Lana Butler Hi friends, ...

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Prison not the answer: To reduce drug addiction, we have to thoughtfully face it

By Dr. William Sansing Recently a colleague and I were discussing taking new approaches to crime and addiction, and he said something I hope will stick ...

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What if we took a different path?

Last week I got an email from a woman who is walking with her husband as he struggles with a drug addiction. It is incredibly ...

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How can we reduce the collateral damage of a mother’s addiction?

Yesterday I got an email from a young woman in Mississippi who agreed to let me share part of her message with you: “I am a ...

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Valuing prevention requires imagination

You may have seen on social media that I’m working on my first book! This week I’ve been writing about my childhood and how we ...

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50th anniversary of war on drugs: It never worked. Different approach needed

By Brett Montague Fifty years ago this week, on June 17, 1971, President Richard Nixon held a press conference in the White House Briefing Room ...

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The 50th Anniversary of the “War on Drugs”

This month marks the 50th anniversary of Richard Nixon declaring a “war on drugs.” We need to ask ourselves a very important question: Has it ...

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Drug use, overdose complex: We must understand the pain behind the addiction

By Ranarda Wright A staggering 87,000 people died of a drug overdose in America in the 12 months ending September, according to the Centers for Disease ...

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As a doctor, I have seen the damage from the War on Drugs. It’s not the answer

By Carr McClain Gen. William Sherman said, “War is cruelty. You cannot refine it.” Our generations-long War on Drugs should be viewed through this prism. The damage ...

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Criminalizing Drugs Has Accomplished the Opposite of Its Intent

By Bryan Keller It’s becoming clearer every day that our experiment in the criminalization of drugs has been a failure, just as the prohibition of ...

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Fifty Years in Prison for Drug Possession Is Wasteful

By Ken Flynt Mississippi has 78 people each serving 50+ years in prison on a non-violent drug charge, with no eligibility for parole. Twenty-one of ...

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A Time To Roar: New Year, New Decade Bring New Opportunities to Combat Addiction

By Brett Montague For more than a century now, America has struggled to combat the harms of drugs. Today, we continue to suffer unnecessary drug-related ...

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Banning Kratom Will Do More Harm Than Good

By Christina Dent What in the world is Kratom and why is it in the news? The answers to these questions and how we respond ...

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Expand treatment, not jail, for opioid use

By Bradley Wellborn, Esq. There are 121,000 Mississippians currently in need of treatment for substance use disorders, according to Dr. Mary Currier, the State Medical ...

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Good Samaritan who saved my son from overdose should be protected

By Christi Berrong It was Christmas time when I got the call.  My son, who was addicted to drugs, had been missing for a few ...

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The right way to respond to drug addiction

Today in Mississippi, taxpayers are funding two contradictory approaches to people struggling with drug addiction.  One approach results in an arrest and possibly jail time.  ...

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When trauma drives drug addiction, jail makes it worse

By Guitta Hogue We are spending millions of dollars keeping people addicted to drugs in the criminal justice system. We could be using that money ...

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Everyone benefits by ending our criminal approach to drug use

Opioid Overdoes.  Drug Addictions.  Lives Torn Apart.  Those are the headlines today.  These are terrible problems in our society and I think they have been ...

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Do you think drugs should be legalized?

That question was first directed at me 6 years ago. My response was typical for my demographic as a politically conservative Christian woman.  Have you ...

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Pregnant moms using drugs need help, not jail

When we became a foster family three years ago, I was certain of at least one thing: mothers who used drugs while they were pregnant ...

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