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News & Blogs

Loving Someone Through Addiction: Families Need Support Too

When someone you love is struggling with addiction, it can be hard to know how to help. Families often find themselves navigating difficult decisions, strained relationships, and emotions they never...

News & Blogs

What alcohol trends teach us about drug prohibition

In our last blog post, we highlighted the incredible decline in cigarette smoking, from 42% of US adults in 1965 to less than 10% today. But cigarettes are not the only legal drug...

News & Blogs

What cigarettes can teach us about ending the drug war

One of the points we've made over the years is that we know it's possible to influence rates of substance use without the threat of criminal justice intervention because we've already...

News & Blogs

5 Keys to Constructive Conversation

This month marks nine years since we hosted the very first book discussion of Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, in Jackson, Mississippi,...

News & Blogs

Two Stories of HOPE for Families Walking Through Addiction

In our last blog post we talked about natural recovery or "ageing out" of addiction without treatment. We love your replies and thought two of them in particular were so touching and...

News & Blogs

One size fits one: Do people really “age out” of addiction?

One of the most surprising facts we've learned about addiction is that most people who struggle with a substance use disorder will eventually leave addiction behind, even though they never go...

News & Blogs

Two Wins in Two Weeks

Two BIG wins have happened nationally in the last two weeks!The first BIG win was President Trump signing an Executive Order on April 18 that expedites access to psychedelic-assisted therapies such as ibogaine. This is...

News & Blogs

Answering Your Questions About Marijuana

We love reading your responses to our blogs. In our last one, we shared the story of Kelsey Parker's recovery journey using legal medical marijuana, and how this option gave...

News & Blogs

Why legal access to medical cannabis can make all the difference

Kelsey Parker stood at the podium in the Mississippi State Capitol rotunda in January and shared her story with reporters, legislators, and other advocates for recovery.For Kelsey, after more than...

News & Blogs

Sports Betting and Drugs: A Case for Regulating Risky Behavior

Op-Ed by Christina Dent As published 2/20/26 in The Northside Sun Online sports betting is poised to become legal and regulated in Mississippi. Interestingly, the reasons given by many of...

Uncategorized

In Loving Memory

A letter from Sheena Crist In loving memory of Joshua O’Neill Gray (August 6, 1982 – August 29, 2019) The truth is, losing my brother to a substance use disorder...

News & Blogs

Bombing boats is eroding rights, not stopping drugs.

Today, drugs are more available, higher potency, and harder than ever to determine whether a pill is regulated or contaminated. In the last several months, the federal government has added a...

News & Blogs

Is Human Respect the Key to Fixing Drug Policy?

Christina recently had the chance to talk with Jim Babka, Social Strategist for the Foundation for Harmony and Prosperity (FHP). Jim has spent decades thinking deeply about how we relate...

News & Blogs

Four doses of HOPE

The last few weeks have been so heavy, with many appalling events, and no matter what side of the political aisle you’re on, it’s felt overwhelming.Hope can feel elusive when...

News & Blogs

Your thoughts on 7-OH

Last week we asked for your thoughts on the new drug called 7-OH. Responses came in within minutes, and represented a wide range of perspectives.Here's a sampling of the responses...

News & Blogs

7-OH: A New Drug, A Big Decision

There's a new, popular drug that some people use for health and others for recreation. People can become addicted to it, so there's certainly potential for harm.What do we do...

News & Blogs

The Givers That Keep on Giving

When Carlie Brockmann was 15 years old, her family became a foster family. That was the first time Carlie had been exposed to people struggling with addiction.Although she had grown up...

News & Blogs

Recovery Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

A message came in last week from a mom who is, in her own words, "desperate for a good resource" for help for her son who struggles with addiction. He's...

News & Blogs

How do we keep kids safe from parental drug use?

Earlier this month, Christina Dent took a trip with her husband to celebrate 20 years of marriage. Just before she left, she spent an hour recording a podcast episode with...

Seasonal Topic

June 2025: Individualized Recovery Stories

Health centered innovations in addiction recovery represent a shift toward treating substance use as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. These approaches prioritize compassionate, evidence-based care that...

News & Blogs

Why We Resist Addiction Treatments That Work

Christina Dent started on one end of the classroom and went down each row, giving every grad student a chance to share their thoughts on the presentation she had just...

Seasonal Topic

May 2025: Neuroelectric Therapy for Addiction Treatment

News & Blogs

Unprecedented drop in overdose deaths!

Shortly after writing our last blog post, the CDC released provisional data showing overdose deaths declining by almost 27% in 2024! For years, we lost more and more people every year, and now...

News & Blogs

The Episode that Flooded Our Inbox

You know that feeling - when you say or do something and then think, "Oh my, that was vulnerable...Maybe I should take it all back!!" It's the feeling you have when...

Seasonal Topic

April 2025: The Health Professionals Perspective

News & Blogs

A Huge Win for Mississippi!

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has signed HB1077, regulating kratom, into law! This is a huge step forward for public health and public safety because it requires, in part, that: Kratom is...

Seasonal Topic

Health Centered Innovations in Recovery

News & Blogs

Fentanyl is Not an Immigration Problem

Christina Dent, founder of End It For Good, was talking with a supporter of President Trump about how we should handle drugs, and he told her he generally supports the...

News & Blogs

We all know someone who needs this

Highlights1. New EFG podcast episodes on a novel pathway to recovery and tools to help a family member.2. Local in-person Chapter Meetings in Jackson, MS, and Hattiesburg, MS The Power...

News & Blogs

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 about the plant kratom! THANK YOU!!!Your...

News & Blogs

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 it while young people are...

News & Blogs

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 even birds are feeling the...

News & Blogs

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 die just from getting it...

News & Blogs

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 report. Adult smoking rates then were...

News & Blogs

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 executive order pardoning 175,000 cannabis...

Reports & Whitepapers

Healthy & Hired

Video Content

An Introduction to End It For Good

Free Downloads

5 Keys To Constructive Conversations On Tough Topics

News & Blogs

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 is a longer newsletter, but...

Video Content

TEDx: Changing My Mind on the Best Path Forward With Drugs

In this thoughtful talk, Christina Dent shares her learning journey about the destructive impact of a criminal justice approach to drugs and addiction, as well as the mounting evidence that...

Free Downloads

3 Things You Might Not Know About Drugs

Free Downloads

Three Ways You Can Help Someone Struggling With Addiction

News & Blogs

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 read. In the article, babies...

News & Blogs

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 direct military action against them....

News & Blogs

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 in a Mississippi prison for 4 years...

News & Blogs

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 death from overdose, and my presentation made...

News & Blogs

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 being unable to adequately treat...

News & Blogs

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 courtroom. A father was facing...

News & Blogs

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 imprisons more of its citizens...

News & Blogs

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 the country for the imprisonment...

News & Blogs

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 on legislative agendas across the...

News & Blogs

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, the last five years have...

News & Blogs

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 typical of my demographic as...

News & Blogs

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 as the Cannabis Freedom Alliance,...

News & Blogs

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 than Morphine, yet it’s now...

News & Blogs

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 to getting help. It was...

News & Blogs

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 he made the comment that...

News & Blogs

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 old. Shortly after Zach passed...

News & Blogs

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 difficult already, a punitive response...

News & Blogs

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 are times when cannabis use...

News & Blogs

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 after his finger was crushed in a...

News & Blogs

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, In early December I got...

News & Blogs

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 with me for the rest...

News & Blogs

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 painful and brings up an...

News & Blogs

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 single mother and am in...

News & Blogs

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 use our imaginations. This movement...

News & Blogs

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 to officially declare a “war...

News & Blogs

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 worked in the United States? ...

News & Blogs

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 Control and Prevention. I’m a...

News & Blogs

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 wrought by this war is...

News & Blogs

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 alcohol proved to be. In...

News & Blogs

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 them are serving that sentence...

News & Blogs

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 losses through overdose and incarceration...

News & Blogs

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 to them will either increase...

News & Blogs

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 Officer. But in all of...

News & Blogs

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 weeks. I slept with scrubs...

News & Blogs

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. The other approach offers people...

News & Blogs

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 to restore them to their...

News & Blogs

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 caused in part because we...

News & Blogs

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 lost your mind not to...

News & Blogs

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 should have their babies taken...

Video Content

Why Prohibition Doesn’t Stop Demand

Video Content

The Cycle of Harm

Reports & Whitepapers

Misplaced Priorities

There are two different documents that can be downloaded. The first is the Misplaced Priorities Full Report, and the second is the Misplaced Priorities Introductory Excerpt. Please click the links...

Reports & Whitepapers

3 Things People Misunderstand About Drugs (and why it matters)

Tap or click here to view and download a copy of our guide, "3 Things People Misunderstand About Drugs (and why it matters)."

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