<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a> Democrats are moving to undo part of the state&#8217;s drug decriminalization law that has plummeted in popularity since it went into effect.
Democrats on the state legislature&#8217;s addiction committee announced Tuesday that they will introduce a new bill to bring back misdemeanor criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of drugs.
In 2020, Oregon voters approved Measure 110, which scrapped criminal charges for possessing small amounts of any drug, even hard drugs like fentanyl.
Instead, offenders are hit with a maximum fine of $100 that is rarely enforced. Drug users can also get their fine dismissed if they call a hotline to get an addiction screening, but in the law&#8217;s first year, only 1% of people who received tickets for drug possession called the hotline, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-health/ap-oregons-first-in-the-nation-drug-decriminalization-law-faces-growing-pushback-amid-fentanyl-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to state auditors.
About 58% of Oregon voters approved the drug decriminalization law, the first of its kind in the country.
In the years since Measure 110 took effect, however, the law has become increasingly unpopular as residents deal with public drug use in their daily lives.
Two years later, more than 6 in 10 voters said they thought decriminalization has made drug addiction, homelessness, and crime worse in Oregon, according to a May <a href="https://www.dhmresearch.com/oregon-voters-support-bringing-back-criminal-penalties-for-drug-possession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from DMH Research. A combined 63% said they “strongly” supported or would be “somewhat” interested in once again criminalizing hard drugs.
Meanwhile, fatal drug overdoses in Oregon have spiked.
Oregon had more than 1,700 drug overdose deaths during the year that ended in August, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number is a 38% increase from the more than 1,200 deaths the state saw in the previous 12 months.
The new bill Democrats plan to introduce would make using drugs in certain public places like parks a low-level misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $1,250 fine or both. However, drug users can avoid charges if they complete a behavioral health screening and meet with a caseworker.
The bill would <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/open-air-drug-use-overdoses-push-democrats-introduce-overhaul-first-nation-decriminalization-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also</a> let police confiscate a user&#8217;s drugs and establish stronger sentences for dealing drugs in certain places such as near parks or homeless shelters. It would also increase access to treatment, housing, and insurance.
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“It’s the compromise path, but also the best policy that we can come up with to make sure that we are continuing to keep communities safe and save lives,” <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-u-s-news/ap-with-oregon-facing-rampant-public-drug-use-lawmakers-backpedal-on-pioneering-decriminalization-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> state Senator Kate Lieber (D), who co-chairs the addiction committee and will introduce the new bill.
As recently as November, Lieber was <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-health/ap-oregons-first-in-the-nation-drug-decriminalization-law-faces-growing-pushback-amid-fentanyl-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> it would be a &#8220;mistake&#8221; to overturn Measure 110, saying such a move would &#8220;make us go backwards.&#8221;
In September, the Portland City Council passed a ban on using hard drugs on public property, a sign of how fed up the city is with rampant open-air drug use polluting its streets.
However, that ordinance cannot go into effect unless the state reverses its decriminalization law.

Handcuffs on wrist, drug syringe

Oregon Democrats Move To Undo Part Of Unpopular Drug Decriminalization Law

Crime

Democrats

Drug Cartels

Drugs

Fentanyl

Homeless

Oregon

Prescription Drugs

U.S.

The FBI seized more than 220 pounds of drugs in Massachusetts last week in a massive drug bust — believed to be the most drugs ever found in a single spot in New England.
The FBI task force found 10 million doses of drugs with a street value of $8 million during a search on November 1 in Lynn just north of Boston, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/over-220-pounds-suspected-controlled-substances-seized-including-pills-shaped-resemble-heart#:~:text=The%20seizure%20included%20nine%20kilograms,be%20upwards%20of%20%248%20million." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release Monday. The stash included eight million doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder.
Among the drugs were 20 pounds of pink, heart-shaped, fentanyl-laced pills that were &#8220;pressed to look like candy,&#8221; the Justice Department said.
<div id="attachment_649625" style="width: 420px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-649625" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-649625" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture1-300x207.jpg" alt="heart fentanyl" width="410" height="283" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture1-300x207.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture1.jpg 607w" sizes="(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px" />(Justice Department)</div>
<div id="attachment_649629" style="width: 418px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-649629" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-649629" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture3-300x220.jpg" alt="drugs massachusetts" width="408" height="299" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture3-300x220.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture3.jpg 742w" sizes="(max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px" />(Justice Department)</div>
<div id="attachment_649631" style="width: 477px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-649631" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-649631" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture2-300x140.jpg" alt="drugs massachusetts" width="467" height="218" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture2-300x140.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture2-1024x479.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture2-768x359.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture2.jpg 1175w" sizes="(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" />(Justice Department)</div>
Authorities also found brown rock and powder-like substances, which tested positive for cocaine and other drugs, and counterfeit Adderall pills believed to contain methamphetamines.
Three men were arrested in connection with allegedly running the &#8220;large-scale drug trafficking organization,&#8221; authorities said.
A 25-year-old man, Emilio Garcia, also known as &#8220;6&#8221; and a 33-year-old man, Sebastien Bejin, also known as Bash, were each charged with two counts, including possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. A third 40-year-old man, Deiby Felix, was charged with just one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge.
They are scheduled to appear in court on November 13.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the seizure &#8220;saved lives in communities throughout Massachusetts.&#8221;
“Not only was this seizure one of the largest in the history of Massachusetts, but some of the pills were created to look like candy, potentially presenting an enormous risk to children,&#8221; Wray said.
The number of doses is greater than the number of people living in Massachusetts, said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts.
“The fact that we now are seeing fentanyl-laced pills pressed to resemble candy only underscores the urgency of this fentanyl crisis,” Levy said.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is cheap to make and easily transported, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-sees-biggest-fentanyl-bust-in-sheriffs-office-history">is about</a> 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Because it is often cut with other drugs, users may often be unaware that they are consuming the powerful substance, which can be deadly even in small doses.
As little as two milligrams of fentanyl weighing the same as a few grains of salt can cause a fatal overdose, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-sees-biggest-fentanyl-bust-in-sheriffs-office-history">according</a> to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Fentanyl has been on the rise in the U.S. for years. In a public safety alert, the DEA <a href="https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20highly%20addictive,considered%20a%20potentially%20deadly%20dose." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that six out of ten fentanyl pills the agency tests contain a potentially lethal dose.
In 2022, more than two-thirds of the 107,081 drug overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids, mostly illegal fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Valentine’s Day Favorite Sweethearts Candy Will Be Scarce In 2019

FBI Seizes Pink Heart Fentanyl Pills In Massive Drug Bust

Border

Law Enforcement

Mexico

Prescriptions for the psychedelic drug ketamine are soaring as doctors become more reluctant to prescribe highly addictive opioids for pain management.
More doctors are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-pain-drugs-psychedelic-fda-2c67eeac1932962a7b0affc07d24c09a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prescribing</a> ketamine for pain as well as anxiety and depression, causing demand for the drug to spike more than 500% since 2017, according to Epic Research, which looked at data from more than 125 million patients. Pain was the number one reason ketamine was prescribed for each year since 2017, although ketamine prescriptions for depression have been on the rise as well.
The rise in prescriptions has even caused shortages of manufactured ketamine, leading to higher sales of compounded versions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-warns-patients-and-health-care-providers-about-potential-risks-associated-compounded-ketamine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> against compounded versions of ketamine last month, saying the agency cannot guarantee their safety.
Ketamine is an attractive alternative to opioids in part because it is cheap and can be prescribed by some nurses as well as doctors. It can also be prescribed over telehealth and sent through the mail. The drug sells for less than $100 a vial, and physicians can charge $500 to $1500 per IV infusion.
However, there is limited research on the drug&#8217;s effectiveness for pain management, and experts worry that doctors may overprescribe it in the same way opioids were overprescribed, ultimately leading to the opioid crisis.
“There’s a paucity of options for pain and so there’s a tendency to just grab the next thing that can make a difference,” Dr. Padma Gulur, a Duke University pain specialist who is studying ketamine, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-pain-drugs-psychedelic-fda-2c67eeac1932962a7b0affc07d24c09a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press.
“A medical journal will publish a few papers saying, ‘Oh, look, this is doing good things,’ and then there’s rampant off-label use, without necessarily the science behind it,” Gulur said.
Patients on ketamine have reported hallucinations, troubling thoughts, and visual disturbances, according to research by Gulur and her colleagues that looked at 300 patients. One patient said the visual disturbances he experienced were “horrifying” but said he was willing to take ketamine &#8220;if it allows me to be more functional.&#8221;
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So far, there appears to be more evidence for ketamine&#8217;s use for treating depression than for pain. However, the neurological effects of long-term use need much more research as well — ketamine was <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-alerts-health-care-professionals-potential-risks-associated-compounded-ketamine-nasal-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked</a> to brain abnormalities in rat studies.
Ketamine was originally approved over half a century ago as a potent surgery anesthetic, and the FDA still has not approved any non-surgical uses of the drug.
Nevertheless, ketamine clinics offer IV ketamine infusions for things like alcohol addiction, chronic pain, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients can also get ketamine nasal sprays or tablets to take between their IV appointments. Those alternative forms of the drug have little evidence, pain specialists say.
Meanwhile, the clinics compete for business with telehealth services like MindBloom that offer ketamine prescriptions through the mail.

CANADA-HEALTH-PSYCHEDELIC-THERAPY

Psychedelic Ketamine Prescriptions Soar As Treatment For Pain, Depression, Anxiety

Health

Opioid Crisis

Use of marijuana, hallucinogens, and binge drinking hit record highs among middle-aged adults last year, according to a new survey.
Last year, a record 28% of adults aged 35 to 50 said they use marijuana, more than double the 13% who said they used the drug a decade ago, according to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future panel <a href="https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/mtfpanel2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>. Last year&#8217;s number is the highest since 2008 when data <a href="https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/vol2_2008.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was first</a> collected.
Daily marijuana use was reported by nearly 7% of mid-life adults. Daily use is defined as using the drug 20 or more times in the past 30 days.
Hallucinogenic drug use also hit record levels among middle-aged adults last year.
Just over 4% of mid-life adults said they had used hallucinogenic drugs last year, the highest level since 2008. About 12% of middle-aged adults said they had used some drug other than marijuana last year, such as hallucinogens like LSD, cocaine, amphetamines, sedatives, and heroin.
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Binge drinking hit record levels among middle-aged adults as well.
About 29% of mid-life adults said they had consumed five or more drinks in a row sometime in the past two weeks, the highest since it was first measured in 2008.
Amphetamine use has also jumped over the last decade, with just over 3% of mid-life adults saying they used amphetamines in the past year, compared to just over 1% saying so in 2012.
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Marijuana use also surged to a record level in young adults under 30. Nearly 44% of adults ages 19 to 30 used marijuana last year, and over 11% reported daily marijuana use.
Hallucinogen use other than LSD also rose to a record 7% of young adults last year, although LSD use declined.
The annual University of Michigan survey collects data from about 28,500 people across the country and is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Substance use is not limited to teens and young adults, and these data help us understand how people use drugs across the lifespan,” NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2023/08/marijuana-and-hallucinogen-use-binge-drinking-reached-historic-highs-among-adults-35-to-50" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday in a press release on the survey.
“Understanding these trends is a first step, and it is crucial that research continues to illuminate how substance use and related health impacts may change over time,” Volkow said.
The higher levels of drug use and binge drinking come amid national concerns about a loneliness &#8220;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">epidemic</a>.&#8221;
&#8220;In the last few decades, we&#8217;ve just lived through a dramatic pace of change. We move more, we change jobs more often, we are living with technology that has profoundly changed how we interact with each other and how we talk to each other,&#8221; Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173418268/loneliness-connection-mental-health-dementia-surgeon-general" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in May.
&#8220;And you can feel lonely even if you have a lot of people around you, because loneliness is about the quality of your connections,&#8221; Murthy said.
The increase in marijuana use has coincided with a slew of states decriminalizing the drug and legalizing recreational use. Recreational marijuana use is now legal in the District of Columbia and 23 states including New York, Illinois, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Montana.
Illegal markets continue to operate even in states where the drug is legal, however.
New York City <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-losing-millions-in-taxes-from-legal-marijuana-sales-while-illegal-market-booms-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to pull in $56 million in tax revenue in its first year of legal weed, but instead is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-losing-millions-in-taxes-from-legal-marijuana-sales-while-illegal-market-booms-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing</a> millions from anemic legal marijuana sales while an illegal market thrives.
Some areas have expressed concerns about marijuana smoking becoming a nuisance. Several Minnesota cities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-cities-consider-banning-smoking-marijuana-in-public-areas-as-drug-nears-legalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered</a> banning smoking marijuana in public ahead of the drug’s legalization this month. At least one of the cities has <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/08/15/duluth-city-council-votes-to-ban-smoking-marijuana-in-public-parks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already</a> voted for the ban.

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-DRUGS-MARIJUANA-FEATURE

Marijuana, Hallucinogens, Binge Drinking Hit Record Highs Among Middle-Aged Adults: Survey

Depression

Marijuana

Social Issues

Doctors are warning popular drugs taken for weight loss, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, may include the risk of life-threatening complications under anesthesia. 
Anesthesiologists are <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/weight-loss-drugs-wegovy-may-raise-risk-complications-anesthesia-rcna99778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advising</a> people to ditch the drugs for up to three weeks before undergoing surgery or any procedure that requires anesthesia, a prudent way to limit a risk of aspiration they have seen with some patients on these drugs. 
When someone is under anesthesia, their stomach needs to be empty to avoid aspirating contents into the lungs. Anesthesiologists, though, have found that some patients on medications with the active ingredient of semaglutide – which would include both Ozempic and Wegovy – had full stomachs even after fasting for hours. Pulmonary aspiration could lead to other complications, which can result in death. 
The American Society of Anesthesiologists issued guidance in June, advising patients to skip these drugs on the day of surgery and hold off on weekly injections for one week prior to any sedation procedures. 
But some anesthesiologists say that isn&#8217;t enough, and they suggest patients stop the drugs for three weeks before anesthesia. The advice was published on July 19 in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, where these doctors explained that stopping the drug for three weeks would clear out about 88% of the drug from someone’s system. Patients would then have emptier stomachs after a fast, making sedation safer. 
This is not the only potential unknown side effect related to drugs like Ozempic. Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed claiming the two drugmakers behind Ozempic and Mounjaro – Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, respectively — failed to adequately warn patients about the possible risk of severe stomach problems as a side effect. The Louisiana woman who filed the suit claims she was “severely injured” after taking the two drugs and is the first person to claim the drugs can cause gastrointestinal injuries. 
There is also a potential risk of thyroid tumors and cancer associated with Ozempic, according to studies done with rodents. Also, available data show that most people who stop these drugs <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/29/people-taking-obesity-drugs-ozempic-and-wegovy-gain-weight-once-they-stop-medication.html#:~:text=She%20said%20available%20data%20suggests,lost%2C%20Conde%2DKnape%20added.">recover</a> most of the weight they lose within three to five years, and some people may even gain back more weight than they initially lost on the drugs. Moreover, there’s some concern about the type of weight people are losing. Dr. Peter Attia, for example, explained this risk on his YouTube channel.   
“Almost, without exception, every single patient we’ve put on these drugs have lost muscle mass, and they’ve lost it at a rate that alarms me,&#8221; Dr. Attia <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fhFLv2ERs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Let’s be clear: If you lost 10 pounds of muscle and 10 pounds of fat, to go from 180 to 200 [pounds], would that be good? Well, only if you were more than 50% body fat at the outset, otherwise you’ve disproportionately lost muscle to fat. In fact you’ve gotten fatter since you’ve lost weight. That’s not what we want.” 
Still, the number of people using these drugs is skyrocketing. There are already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-business-obesity-drug-market-could-be-worth-200-billion-by-2030">predictions</a> that the market worth of obesity pills could reach $200 billion over the next several years.

Obese woman weighing herself

Doctors Sound Alarm Over Latest Ozempic Risk

Doctors Sound Alarm Over Latest Ozempic And Wegovy Risk

Medical Research

It&#8217;s hard to think of any industry that&#8217;s enjoyed more success over the past twenty years or so than big pharma. More than 131 million people — that&#8217;s two-thirds of all adults in the United States — report that they&#8217;re taking at least one prescription drug. That&#8217;s a significant increase from the year 2000, when around half of American adults said they were doing so.
The percentage of people taking five or more prescription drugs has nearly doubled since the turn of the century. Spending on prescription drugs in that period has more than tripled. Drugs that supposedly treat psychological issues — like unhappiness, or a lack of self-control — have done especially well. From 1991 to 2018, SSRI prescriptions increased by over 3,000 percent. Roughly half the country either takes the potentially mind-altering drug Ozempic to lose weight, or knows someone taking it.
Given big pharma&#8217;s tremendous success, you&#8217;d think that by now, they would have solved a lot of the health problems facing Americans, or at least made progress in resolving them. But the opposite is true. Average life expectancy is declining. Suicide rates are up. So are the rates of obesity, drug addiction, and cancer among young adults. How is this possible? How is the pharmaceutical industry succeeding financially, while failing in every area that matters? How can they have so many people on so many medicines, and yet everyone is only getting sicker and less healthy? 
Part of the answer is that many drugs created by big pharma aren&#8217;t even intended to alleviate health problems anymore. They&#8217;re designed, instead, to cause more death and suffering. The pharma industry is churning out record amounts of sterilization drugs, abortion drugs, and suicide drugs — especially in Canada, where the government has begun putting down the undesirables who don&#8217;t even have a terminal illness. They are euthanizing human beings like stray dogs, and hardly anyone is objecting to it. More than half of all abortions are now performed using drugs from pharmaceutical companies. So-called puberty blockers, which can cause lifelong complications, are now prescribed to children under the age of 18 more than twice as often as they were just a few years ago.
The rest of big pharma&#8217;s catalog — the drugs that are at least allegedly beneficial to patients&#8217; health — have had a lot of marketing behind them. Other than New Zealand, we&#8217;re the only country that allows drug companies to market directly to consumers. This means that the pharmaceutical industry can sell not just the medication, but also the illness that the medication is supposed to cure. “Do you have such and such symptoms? Then you might have this disease. Here’s a drug that can help!” Diagnosis and prescription in one 30 second advertisement. How convenient. Fortunately for big pharma, the U.S. government has also granted them immunity from lawsuits, even when their products injure people. Which they quite often do.
Maybe the most important single reason for big pharma&#8217;s success, though, is media coverage, in particular media coverage that the drug companies have paid for. 
Pharmaceutical companies recently began spending more on advertising than research and development. In 2020, the year of the great pandemic, Pfizer spent $12 billion on marketing, compared to just $9 billion on R&amp;D. Companies like AbbVie and Johnson &amp; Johnson and Bayer and many other pharma companies posted similar numbers. What does all this money buy? If you turn on any cable or network news channel, you know the answer to that question. It buys incessant advertisements that air during every commercial break. And although the networks will never admit it, it also buys positive coverage. After all, if the networks criticize Big Pharma, they stand to lose millions in advertising dollars.
You might have noticed that the entire national news media is currently freaking out over the shortage of the drug Adderall. Adderall is manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals, although there are competitors that make other versions of the drug. All of a sudden, Adderall is hard to find.
Here&#8217;s one recent report from &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt8RHGE06hc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC Action News</a>&#8221; on the shortage. You can also see the video clip on my show. Watch how they frame this:
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Yes, what will that 6-year-old do without her stimulants? This is a medical crisis. After all, the 6-year-old  has trouble sitting still to memorize sight words when she’s not drugged. Which makes her very similar to almost every other 6-year-old that has ever lived on the planet. But this mother wants her 6-year-old to be less like a 6-year-old, because it is very inconvenient to have a 6-year-old acting like a 6-year-old in the home. And that’s why she desperately needs the drugs. And by “she,” I mean the mother, not the child. The mother “needs” the child to be drugged so that the child is not such a burden on her, the mother. 
The anchor says that the shortage of ADHD medication is leaving parents wondering, quote, &#8220;if they are going to have enough pills to help their children,” but of course ADHD drugs for kids are really meant to help the parents. 
Think about what a revealing line that is, though, for a moment. The statement — from the &#8220;news&#8221; anchor — assumes, as a matter of fact, that the only possible way for parents to help their children is by giving them pills. What&#8217;s the scientific basis for that claim? Later on, &#8220;ABC Action News&#8221; provides an &#8220;expert&#8221; who affords legitimacy to the idea that 6-year-olds need ADHD medications. His name is Michael Ganio. He&#8217;s with the &#8220;American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.&#8221; He says that a lot of patients, quote, &#8220;require this medication just to function on a daily basis.&#8221; Therefore, he says, the ADHD shortage is &#8220;very difficult.” Soon we might have an epidemic of 6-year-olds not memorizing sight words. Think of the devastation. 
Now, what&#8217;s left unstated in that report is that the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is sponsored by big pharma. They admit it, on their website.  Their most recent mid-year conference lists Pfizer as a &#8220;platinum&#8221; sponsor. These are the &#8220;experts&#8221; that the pharmaceutical industry launders through so-called &#8220;news reports,&#8221; in order to convince you that ADHD is a real disorder. This is the quality of &#8220;medical professional&#8221; they throw on television to tell you that your 6-year-old needs a lifetime supply of psychiatric medication so that she’ll be docile and compliant, as if that’s how a 6-year-old is supposed to be. But these experts are really PR people.
As if to prove that point, that same &#8220;expert,&#8221; Michael Ganio, popped up in a PBS News article on Adderall. It&#8217;s entitled, &#8220;A ‘perfect storm’ led to an ADHD medication shortage. Here’s why.&#8221; Once again, Ganio explains that the Adderall shortage is &#8220;really frustrating,&#8221; presumably because patients desperately need the drug. PBS agrees. They reported that &#8220;millions who rely on the drugs&#8221; have been left with &#8220;uncertainty, frustration and bureaucratic hassles.&#8221;
National Geographic was even more melodramatic. They wrote, quote, &#8220;As Adderall shortage continues, people with ADHD struggle to stay afloat.&#8221; The article quotes an adult who&#8217;s been diagnosed with ADHD as saying, quote, &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t take much for us to drown.&#8221; National Geographic added that, quote, &#8220;some adults with ADHD&#8221; are now &#8220;forced to navigate life while unmedicated.” 
Can you imagine? American adults are having to figure out how to navigate life without their regular dose of stimulants. God forbid. The horror. How can these people possibly live — and deal with normal distraction and boredom — without their chemical crutches? Of course, prior to the invention of ADHD medicine — and ADHD itself — everyone lived without these drugs and not one single person died because of it. Yet now a shortage of these drugs — the ones that everyone was fine without, since forever — represents some kind of existential crisis.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1197-how-big-pharma-s-marketing-machine-is-fueling-the-adhd-surge-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
The Biden administration, of course, agrees that this is a major problem. They want everybody hopped up on as many drugs as possible. Accordingly, CNN reports, the FDA and DEA are now calling on drugmakers to &#8220;boost manufacturing amid ongoing shortage of prescription stimulants.&#8221; CNN blamed the shortage on the, quote, &#8220;surge in demand for prescription stimulants during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among adults.” Of course this is not the first time that there’s been a rush to manufacture and push out drugs allegedly because of the pandemic, and we all know how well it worked out the first time.
In any case, it&#8217;s the pandemic&#8217;s fault. They&#8217;re blaming the shortage of Adderall on the pandemic — just like they blame everything on the pandemic. But here&#8217;s the thing. If the pandemic increased “ADHD” by such an enormous degree, then that only shows that ADHD is not a real disease. It&#8217;s a concept invented by the medical industry in its never ending pursuit to medicalize and subsequently profit off of every inconvenient human trait and behavior. The fact that more people suddenly came down with ADHD when they were locked in their homes absolutely proves that this “disorder” is simply a way of categorizing normal boredom and restlessness — which is all extremely human and normal. 
That would explain why ADHD diagnoses somehow increased by two-thirds from 1998 to 2016. It would explain why these diagnoses increased again, during the pandemic, by roughly 20 percent for some demographic groups, including young women. It&#8217;s not like some new objective ADHD test was developed that explains these numbers. They&#8217;re just making up criteria that mean nothing, and diagnosing every patient that walks in the door.
Take a look at how the CDC defines &#8220;ADHD,&#8221; if you&#8217;re skeptical. The CDC says that children have ADHD if they do the following: &#8220;make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks &#8230; daydream a lot &#8230;  forget or lose things a lot &#8230; squirm or fidget &#8230; and have a hard time resisting temptation.&#8221;
My goodness. The ADHD epidemic is worse than I thought. Apparently literally every child who has ever lived on Earth is infected. Apologists will try to claim that the diagnostic criteria isn’t this broad, that there are other ways of determining whether a child really has it or not. They’ll even claim that ADHD can be detected in the brain with brain scans. And yet you’ll notice that the “Disorder” is never diagnosed with brain scans. That’s because it is really as broad as it seems. Every child can be diagnosed with it. If you want your child to have it, they have it. If you want the drugs, you can get the drugs. Apart from the shortage, of course. You can indeed diagnose every kid on the planet with ADHD, just like you can diagnose every unhappy, masked middle-aged woman with &#8220;Long COVID.&#8221; The diagnosis is about as rigorous.
That&#8217;s because ADHD, like &#8220;Long COVID,&#8221; is not a real medical diagnosis. It&#8217;s a category error. It&#8217;s a made-up illness that&#8217;s used to describe normal human responses to a modern environment filled with distractions. The solution, which no one ever talks about because it wouldn&#8217;t make big pharma any money, is to either change your environment, or learn to deal with it. If everyone did that, it&#8217;s very possible that the pharmaceutical companies would lose money. But maybe the metrics that matter — like the suicide rate, life expectancy, drug overdoses and so on — maybe those would finally start moving in the right direction.
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Matt Walsh 2

How Big Pharma’s Marketing Machine Is Fueling The ADHD Surge

How Big Pharma's Marketing Machine Is Fueling The ADHD Surge

Abortion Drug

Big Pharma

Matt Walsh

Pfizer

Puberty blockers

Readers Pass

A cheap, flesh-rotting horse tranquilizer that is flooding into the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal drug market</a> in the U.S. has the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) alarmed.
Xylazine, called &#8220;tranq&#8221; on the street, is mass-manufactured in China and has recently proliferated on the streets of San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New York.
The &#8220;zombie drug&#8221; causes skin lesions that look like flesh is being eaten off, sometimes down to the bone, and can slow a person’s heart and breathing until they stop, leaving users catatonic or dead.
Drug dealers frequently mix Xylazine with fentanyl to prolong the high, creating a potentially deadly cocktail, but &#8220;tranq&#8221; is often mixed with other drugs like meth and cocaine as well.
The DEA said Xylazine is making an already deadly drug crisis even more dangerous.
“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” <a href="https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-reports-widespread-threat-fentanyl-mixed-xylazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in a public safety alert.
Milgram said the DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 states.
In 2022, the DEA found xylazine in about 23% of the fentanyl powder and 7% of the fentanyl pills seized by the agency.
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Users face a higher risk of fatally overdosing when fentanyl is mixed with &#8220;tranq,&#8221; the DEA said.
&#8220;People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine also can develop severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue—that may lead to amputation,&#8221; the DEA said.
In the three and a half years from January 2019 to June 2022, the number of fentanyl deaths each month that involved xylazine spiked from about 2.9% to 10.9% in 20 states and the District of Columbia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7226a4.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in June.
Narcan, the emergency opioid reverse medicine, does not work on &#8220;tranq&#8221; since xylazine is not an opioid. The DEA still recommends administering Narcan in an overdose situation in case they have ingested other drugs.
Routine toxicology screens do not detect xylazine either, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-alerts-health-care-professionals-risks-patients-exposed-xylazine-illicit-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s (FDA) November alert to healthcare professionals about xylazine.
&#8220;Xylazine is not safe for use in humans and may result in serious and life-threatening side effects that appear to be similar to those commonly associated with opioid use, making it difficult to distinguish opioid overdoses from xylazine exposure,&#8221; the FDA said.
&#8220;Tranq&#8221; is also not currently a federally controlled substance, making it more easily available for purchase than illicit drugs like heroin, although some states have implemented restrictions.
Earlier this year, lawmakers <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/health/xylazine-tranq-controlled-substance/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> bipartisan legislation in Congress that would have classified xylazine as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, but so far no such legislation has passed.
Ohio decided to take action on its own to crack down on &#8220;tranq.&#8221;
In March, Republican Governor Mike DeWine <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OHIOGOVERNOR/2023/03/29/file_attachments/2451030/Signed%20EO%202023-08D.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order classifying xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance.
Major cities on both the East and West coasts are scrambling to address the presence of &#8220;tranq&#8221; on their streets.
&#8220;Tranq&#8221; recently hit the streets of New York with “astonishing” speed, <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/xylazine-hitting-new-york-city-with-astonishing-speed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to law enforcement.
This week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria held a press conference where city leaders addressed the dangers of xylazine on the street.
“If it is anything like fentanyl, just a few years ago we only had a handful of fentanyl overdose cases and now we have hundreds. We hope that we don’t have something similar with tranq,” Gloria <a href="https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-leaders-address-looming-threat-of-new-street-drug-tranq/3266730/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

Homelessness and the opioid crisis in Philadelphia

Flesh-Rotting Zombie Drug ‘Tranq’ Has DEA Alarmed

Flesh-Rotting Zombie Drug 'Tranq' Has DEA Alarmed

General

New York

Philadelphia

San Francisco

Record drug shortages across the United States are delaying potentially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/health-care">lifesaving treatments</a> for thousands of patients around the country.
Congress and the White House are scrambling to address a shortfall in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prescription-drugs">prescription drugs</a> — everything from painkillers to cancer treatments. 
“Hospitals all across the country, on a regular basis &#8211;sometimes weekly &#8212; have to review which drugs are in short supply or not available that week.” Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSpwCI2oz4g&amp;t=44s">said</a> in an interview with MSNBC. 

The shortage is being most acutely felt in the generic drug market, which accounts for nearly 90% of U.S. prescriptions. The exact number of drugs being affected depends on who you ask &#8212; according to a <a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Drug-Shortages-HSGAC-Majority-Staff-Report-2023-03-22.pdf">Senate</a> report at the end of last year, the U.S. reached a peak level of 295 active drug shortages, although as of March, the FDA claims there are <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/22/health/drug-shortages-senate-report/index.html#:~:text=New%20drug%20shortages%20in%20the%20US%20increased%20nearly%2030%25%20between,shortages%2C%20according%20to%20the%20report">130</a>. The American Society of Health reports <a href="https://www.ashp.org/drug-shortages/shortage-resources/drug-shortages-statistics?loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly">301</a> drug shortages as of the first quarter of 2023.
According to the FDA, the average drug shortage lasts for about 18 months, but some shortages have stretched on for over 15 years.
Some of the medicines that have been in short supply include <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/adderall-shortage-pharmacies-still-unable-stock-enough-drug-patients-rcna80260">Adderall</a>, Tylenol, various antibiotics including <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/10/1168699514/strep-is-bad-right-now-an-antibiotic-shortage-is-making-it-worse">amoxicillin</a>, saline mixtures used in<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drug-shortages-at-record-high-security-risk-senate-report/"> IVs</a>, and almost <a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/cancer-drugs-among-top-5-most-affected-by-shortages/43883752?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot">two dozen</a> kinds of anti-cancer drugs.
That last group is especially troubling because, unlike some other drugs in short supply, patients don’t have a lot of alternate options for treatment. Chemotherapies for breast cancers, ovarian cancers, lung cancers, bladder cancers, and some forms of leukemia have been delayed or disrupted, sometimes with fatal consequences.
According to one recent survey by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, doctors in 35 different states said they had little to no supply of multiple chemotherapy drugs, including specialists at cancer centers. According to Laura Bray, founder of the non-profit Angels for Change, which helps micro-source rare medications for patients, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/health/chemo-drug-shortages/index.html">9 out of 10</a> oncologists say the shortages have caused patient harm up to and including death. With less medicine and the same number of patients who need it, doctors around the country have been having many hard conversations about who does and doesn’t get their dose.
With dozens or hundreds of active shortages, there is no single overriding factor that explains all the shortfalls, but several trends have emerged.
Some drugs, like Adderall and Ozempic, are skyrocketing in popularity due to alternative uses, exhausting limited supplies. Adderall is meant to treat ADHD but is abused by some students and professionals to increase concentration on various cognitively demanding tasks. Ozempic is meant to treat Type-2 diabetes but has been used as a &#8220;miracle weight loss drug.&#8221; Supply hasn’t caught up with the surge in demand.
Other observers have attributed the shortages to disruptions in the global supply chain. Exact statistics are difficult to come by &#8212; part of the problem is that the supply chain for some pharmaceuticals is not totally transparent, to the point where regulators don’t even know for sure where everything comes from &#8212; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/health/drug-shortages-cancer.html">the FDA actually petitioned Congress for more resources to figure that out.</a>
Near as the Senate can tell, though, about 80% of “pharmaceutically active ingredients” – the most important part of any drug – are manufactured outside the U.S. If these foreign sources had their economies locked down or started hoarding supplies, that could completely gut our supply chain. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/22/health/drug-shortages-senate-report/index.html#:~:text=New%20drug%20shortages%20in%20the%20US%20increased%20nearly%2030%25%20between,shortages%2C%20according%20to%20the%20report">China</a> has often been highlighted as a prominent and problematic international supplier and many lawmakers view this as a serious strategic weakness of the United States.
Other observers have claimed that the problem is more domestic in nature &#8212; they say doctors have a tendency to overprescribe antibiotics to patients that don’t actually need them, which makes them less available and less effective for patients who do.
&#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/new-report-suggests-panic-buying-of-medications-by-patients-and-providers-caused-drug-shortages#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20what%20caused,needed%20amid%20fear%20and%20confusion.">Panic buying</a>&#8220; has also been blamed – a perceived shortage can become a self-fulfilling prophecy as consumers rush to buy up all available supply.
But while all these immediate causes have drawn considerable attention, some are claiming that more basic market forces are to blame.
Many lifesaving drugs <a href="https://qualitymatters.usp.org/whats-driving-drug-shortages-during-cold-and-flu-season">aren’t very profitable</a> to make – with some bringing in only pennies per dose. Those narrow margins discourage newcomers from entering the sector, and if there are supply chain issues that make the product more expensive, established players are more likely to cut corners or stop making them altogether.
There’s been an upward trend in the number of drug shortages over the last few years, while the prices of generic drugs have dropped 50% since 2016.
Several factors have prevented drug prices from shifting as a function of supply and demand
The pharmaceutical market is highly consolidated – while there are thousands of hospitals and pharmacies, most get their supplies from a small number of intermediary firms. A review by a healthcare analytics company called IQVIA found that 3 buyers purchase 90% of all generic drugs. With so few potential customers, each one has substantial leverage over what price they’re going to pay.
The U.S. government is a major player in healthcare, and lawmakers have passed <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/explaining-the-prescription-drug-provisions-in-the-inflation-reduction-act/">limits</a> on how much companies are allowed to charge for various drugs.

A spike in respiratory illness has caused a shortage of children’s liquid acetaminophen and ibuprofen, stressing parents, on November 30 in Chevy Chase, MD.

U.S. Faces Massive Shortage Of Prescription Drugs

Health Care

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sherrod-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sherrod Brown</a> (D-OH) took hundreds of thousands of dollars from three drug companies at the center of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/opioid-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opioid epidemic</a> in the U.S.
According to FEC financial reports cited by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/05/ohio-democratic-senator-took-243k-from-opioid-giants-fec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>, Brown raked in more than $200,000 from political action committees associated with Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen since 2003. The three pharmaceutical giants paid out a $26 billion settlement to settle thousands of individual lawsuits from states and local governments. Ohio is also one of the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.
According to <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00264697&amp;committee_id=C00331694&amp;committee_id=C00690073&amp;contributor_name=C00108035&amp;contributor_name=C00332833&amp;contributor_name=C00400929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEC filings</a>, Brown took in a total of $144,500 in contributions to his campaign and leadership PAC, America Works PAC. He raised $85,000 from Cardinal Health, $56,500 from AmerisourceBergen, and $1,500 from McKesson. The latest donation was a $2,500 donation from Cardinal Health on September 21. The New York Post further reported that he took in $54,100 from lobbyists who worked for the three pharmaceutical distributors, including $5,600, the legal maximum, from a McKesson lobbyist in 2020 and again in 2021.
Separately, individual employees <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00264697&amp;committee_id=C00331694&amp;committee_id=C00690073&amp;contributor_employer=cardinal+health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> another $40,025. Cardinal Health Chief Information Officer Mark MacNaughton was a frequent small-dollar donor. Former Cardinal Health CEO George S. Barrett donated a total of $15,400 between 2011 and 2019, all in large amounts. Theodore Frank of McKesson donated $1,000 to his 2018 campaign. Rita Ersfeld Norton of AmerisourceBergen gave him $1,000 in 2017.
Together, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen account for 90% of the U.S. supply chains for drugs and medical supplies. But the companies have allegedly been complicit in the proliferation of opioids; the New York Post reported that for more than a decade, the three pharma giants failed to track suspicious orders or increases in opioid use among purchasers, in spite of doctors potentially criminally overprescribing the drugs.
The three companies, along with Johnson &amp; Johnson, settled a $26 billion lawsuit with 49 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and thousands of municipalities in February 2022. In a <a href="https://www.mckesson.com/About-McKesson/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2022/Distributors-Approve-Opioid-Settlement-Agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint statement</a> in February, the three companies announced that, beginning on April 2, 2022, they would pay out more than $19.5 billion over the next 18 years: Amerisource is set to pay out $6.1 billion; Cardinal Health, $6 billion; and McKesson, $7.4 billion. The settlement dealt with 46 of the 49 states; Alabama, Oklahoma, and Washington State refused the settlement. West Virginia settled previously. The Cherokee Nation also settled separately, and the remaining Native Americans had reached an agreement in principle at the time.
The New York Post also reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration settled a $150 million payout for violating federal controlled substance laws in 2017, the largest penalty in the DEA&#8217;s history.
Ohio had an estimated 5,068 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021, the fifth-highest in the nation, according to the CDC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Vital Statistics System</a>. The CDC reported 107,622 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021, the highest number on record, as The Daily Wire reported last year. The New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/record-number-of-americans-died-from-drug-overdoses-in-2021-cdc-data-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time that synthetic opioids accounted for 71,000 deaths.
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In 2017, Brown himself <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/922482085272674304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the opioid crisis “one of biggest public health emergencies in my lifetime [and] all too often addiction starts in [the] medicine cabinet.”
Brown is running for a fourth term in the Senate in 2024. But he faces an uphill battle in a state that is rapidly turning red: former President Trump won the state by eight points in 2020; Republican Senator J.D. Vance won the state by six points in 2022. So far, State Senator Matt Dolan and businessman Bernie Moreno have entered the Republican primary.

Democratic Lawmakers Demand Senate Vote On House-Passed Bipartisan Background Checks Gun Control Act

Ohio Democrat Senator Took Thousands Of Dollars In Donations From Pharma Companies At Center Of Opioid Crisis

Ohio Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown Took Thousands Of Dollars In Donations From Pharma Companies At Center Of Opioid Crisis

Money In Politics

Ohio

Politics

Sherrod Brown

Media personality <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meghan-mccain">Meghan McCain</a> said she’s being pressured to lose the baby weight just one month after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/motherhood">giving birth</a>.
The 38-year-old mom of two discussed the situation in an <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11772269/MEGHAN-MCCAIN-just-baby-Im-urged-miracle-shot-Ozempic-refuse.html">op-ed</a> in The Daily Mail. McCain said she’d been encouraged to use the prescription drug Ozempic, which has become a hot topic of conversation as celebrities have been using it for weight loss. 
The former co-host of “The View” just welcomed her second daughter, Clover Jade, on January 19. She and husband Ben Domenech also have a 2-year-old daughter named Liberty Sage.
&#8220;I just gave birth and I&#8217;m being urged to take a &#8216;miracle shot&#8217; of Ozempic as a quick fix &#8230; It&#8217;s horrifying, unfair and disturbing — and I refuse,&#8221; the op-ed title proclaims.
The article says McCain has been asked about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/obesity">weight loss</a> even now, just four weeks postpartum, and that those people have been suggesting Ozempic specifically. 
&#8220;In case you&#8217;re unaware, there is a craze sweeping the nation: a new &#8216;miracle&#8217; drug. One injection, once a week, for a cool $1,000 a pop, and you can just melt the pounds away,&#8221; she wrote.
&#8220;Elon Musk says he uses it. Kyle Richards, of ‘Real Housewives’ fame, who recently flaunted newly emerged abs, has denied taking it. But fellow reality TV star Jackie Goldschneider claimed &#8216;a lot&#8217; of her fellow cast members are on it,&#8221; the columnist continued.
McCain wrote that there are &#8220;people who legitimately struggle with obesity and need Ozempic. But I am not one of those people.&#8221; That’s why she was surprised when &#8220;casual friends&#8221; and &#8220;industry acquaintances&#8221; inquired if she planned to take it.
&#8220;I&#8217;m told &#8216;everyone is doing it,&#8217; as if that was ever a compelling case,&#8221; she went on. &#8220;I hear, &#8216;Just take the shot,&#8217; as it has become known in shorthand. I was even offered a black market freebie by someone with &#8216;extra shots at home.'&#8221;
&#8220;Well, let me make one thing very clear. I&#8217;m not taking it. I refuse,” McCain concluded. “There&#8217;s a clear moral issue here. It&#8217;s hard to take a drug because swimsuit season is around the corner, while others need it to stay alive. And how can this be healthy?&#8221;
Ozempic is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and is also used to treat obesity. There have been shortages of the drug as it gains popularity in the Hollywood community and beyond as a so-called miracle weight loss drug that helps suppress appetite and slow down gastric emptying, which makes users feel fuller for longer.
It’s administered via a weekly injection. Recently, comedian Chelsea Handler admitted she was on Ozempic without realizing it.

The Algemeiner 8th Annual J100 Gala

‘Horrifying’: Meghan McCain Says She’s Being ‘Urged’ To Take Ozempic For Weight Loss One Month Postpartum

Meghan McCain Says She's Being 'Urged' To Take Ozempic For Weight Loss One Month Postpartum

Celebrities

Meghan McCain

Motherhood

Obesity

The recent decision by Walgreens to carry chemical abortion pills should concern anyone with a vested interest in the future of the company. This move reveals two very important things about their priorities and decision-making process.
First, health is no longer their top priority.
If it were, there would be no question that these life-ending drugs would be kept out of our community pharmacies. Families across the nation turn to these corner drug stores for items which help them sustain life — vitamins, cough syrup, prescriptions — and yet the explicit purpose of chemical abortion pills is to take life.
Additionally, these drugs have been shown to expose women to <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefederalist.com%2F2022%2F01%2F12%2Finjury-infertility-and-death-from-chemical-abortions-are-a-ok-with-the-fda%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012550495%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hYZ3Iyss5FbxU1xx7tRgk9m%2FZKzhNK2zsEzyxD%2BJM8U%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injury, infertility</a>, <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefederalist.com%2F2022%2F11%2F30%2Fhow-the-fdas-abortion-pill-mill-enables-domestic-abusers%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012550495%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=YIsP9eNKM1sJdqbkeAgGgzmz6ejPNF8bQ8QIvN0gLvc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">domestic abuse</a>, and <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fda.gov%2Fdrugs%2Fpostmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers%2Fquestions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hdumQ4KNIKukOl2jrvZH96gstOgHuAO88COOtO7sIcY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death</a>. Yet despite this, the <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwalgreens-cvs-abortion-pill-mifepristone-fda-rule-change%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=y4MP8veFc7%2FHREf0DtKkX8G%2Fk2QoYZf6Pqbd4TJl6rc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company announced</a> in early January that they intend to become a certified pharmacy to carry these deadly pills in light of policy changes at the Food and Drug Administration. When they said, “sign me up,” they proved to be anti-health sellouts, willing to end life for profit.
How fitting that <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-biz-walgreens-ad-slogan-strategy-robert-reed-123-story.html&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=0K4Bu0WZNFjkY%2FmZXFNVYIH6g6FDEMZ6LYpQ1N7WWjw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walgreens has dropped</a> “the corner of happy and healthy” as their slogan. However, their new advertising motto “<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fp2pi.com%2Fwalgreens-trusts-newish-tagline%23%3A~%3Atext%3D4%2520media%2520release%2520introducing%2520%2522Walgreens%2Chad%2520used%2520since%2520August%25202012.&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2BpKcZCwc4vVYfSh1kq%2F%2FMSCzpDhTRebGLGStc4hpNqQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trusted Since 1901</a>” seems misplaced as well.
Second, the leadership at Walgreens continues to display terrible business judgment.
With the public unable to trust them for life-affirming care, consumers should also be worried about trusting them with their money.
It’s hard to believe the higher-ups at Walgreens have forgotten the consequences of reckless distribution of dangerous drugs — namely opioids —as the settlement of lawsuits brought against them in this matter totals <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2022%2F12%2F13%2F1142416718%2Fcvs-walgreens-opioid-crisis-settlement%23%3A~%3Atext%3DHealth-%2CCVS%2520and%2520Walgreens%2520agree%2520to%2520pay%2520%252410%2520billion%2Clawsuits%2520linked%2520to%2520opioid%2520sales%26text%3DKeith%2520Srakocic%252FAP-%2CCVS%2520would%2520pay%2520nearly%2520%25245%2520billion%2520over%252010%2520years%252C%2520while%2Croles%2520in%2520the%2520opioid%2520crisis.&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=WIO9sNciSqTChWi3seOEPix9wu0Vg9%2FSqau6A1hP%2FaE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly $6 billion</a>. This sum will payout to various states over 10 years’ time, and one would think that a decade-long sentence for reckless distribution of deadly drugs would teach Walgreens a thing or two.
However, the potential for chemical abortion pills to be a moneymaker seems to have once again clouded their judgment. The company seems intent on carrying these drugs regardless of the proven, potential risks for women, which include <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupportafterabortion.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FStudy-Shows-Long-Term-Negative-Impact-of-Medication-Abortion.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=uox3m%2BX3OanJiS9mVykGX74pKh0J7HrZD6l3C5X8khE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emotional</a> and <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fda.gov%2Fdrugs%2Fpostmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers%2Fquestions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hdumQ4KNIKukOl2jrvZH96gstOgHuAO88COOtO7sIcY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">physical</a> trauma, <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.contraceptionjournal.org%2Farticle%2FS0010-7824(22)00440-1%2Ffulltext&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RcHg1zu4SPoVvGc5fTo4tjyf5Ss%2FtsBUK2lld%2FnnJ04%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extreme pain</a>, and <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fda.gov%2Fdrugs%2Fpostmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers%2Fquestions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hdumQ4KNIKukOl2jrvZH96gstOgHuAO88COOtO7sIcY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undetected ectopic pregnancies</a> (which can cause fertility issues and maternal death). <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.sagepub.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1177%2F23333928211053965&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012706734%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ZLKb%2FapZFRWVuNSVJd%2BfQJ1mDiuqtgQ%2F4XPxZ6iVwN4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One study</a> even shows how from 2002 to 2015 the danger of women going to the emergency room following a chemical abortion has gone up by 500%.
These risks all translate into potential lawsuits by hurt and angry customers. That is, however, if Walgreens isn’t taken to court by a state attorney general first. 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-attorneys-general-explain-laws-regarding-sending-abortion-pills-through-mail-to-walgreens-cvs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently reported</a>, 20 state attorneys general have warned both Walgreens and CVS that it is a violation of state and federal laws to send chemical abortion pills via the mail and warned of future action if they proceed. Their letter, signed by attorneys general from as far as Alaska to Florida, reads:
<blockquote>“Abortion pills carry the added risk that when these heightened complications invariably occur, women suffer those harms at home, away from medical help … and finally, mail-order abortion pills also invite the horror of an increase in coerced abortions. … We emphasize that it is our responsibility as State Attorneys General to uphold the law and protect the health, safety, and well-being of women and unborn children in our states. Part of that responsibility includes ensuring that companies like yours are fully informed of the law so that harm does not come to our citizens.”</blockquote>
If Walgreens thinks they can mitigate legal concerns, perhaps they will find consumer anger something to consider.
Alongside local and national pro-life leaders, Students for Life of America is hosting a “<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstudentsforlife.org%2Fabortioncartel%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cdd2422184d92411a494708db0abb966c%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638115573012862969%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=dj7HTnG%2FxR6RT2Nj1F0L0%2FnF9OsJzVRuVxxuwG%2Bg%2Fbg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cancel Abortion Cartels</a>” event on February 14 at the Walgreens Headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois, to protest the company’s unloving decision toward vulnerable women and preborn children. This is the kick-off to our National Day of Protest on March 4 where we’ll be mobilizing at local pharmacies across the country, and as part of our efforts, we will encourage people to send Valentine’s Day cards, urging those who run these businesses across the country to “Love them Both,” both mother and child, but a little love for their customers won’t hurt either.
Whether you are a pro-lifer, a citizen concerned for women’s safety, or an investor hoping your stock won’t tank, all are welcome to join us in demanding that Walgreens opt out of selling these dangerous chemical abortion pills.
Caroline S. Wharton is a Staff Writer &amp; Press Strategist for Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Walgreens Posts Quarterly Earnings That Beat Analysts’ Expectations

Walgreens’ Decision To Carry Chemical Abortion Pills Is Bad For Business

Abortion

A new study found that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prescription-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antidepressants</a> may make it more difficult for users to feel both positive and negative emotions.
New insights have emerged into the long-misunderstood function of antidepressant drugs, which may cause users to experience &#8220;emotional blunting,&#8221; according to a recent <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-022-01523-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> in Neuropsychopharmacology.
“Emotional blunting is a common side effect of SSRI antidepressants,&#8221; said lead author Professor Barbara Sahakian of the University of Cambridge. &#8220;In a way, this may be in part how they work — they take away some of the emotional pain that people who experience depression feel, but, unfortunately, it seems that they also take away some of the enjoyment.&#8221;
&#8220;From our study, we can now see that this is because they become less sensitive to rewards, which provide important feedback,” she added.
Antidepressants are a $17 billion a year industry that is <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/10/13/2533775/28124/en/Depression-Drugs-Global-Market-Report-2022-Emergence-of-Novel-Techniques-for-the-Development-of-Antidepressants-With-Minimal-Side-Effects-Presents-Opportunities.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set to grow</a> to nearly $22 billion per year by 2027. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Figures</a> show that approximately 13% of American adults take antidepressants annually, but the rate is much higher for women, almost 18% of whom are prescribed the medication.
The study comes as researchers have been trying to understand exactly how antidepressants help people, after a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">systematic umbrella review</a> last summer finally put to rest the longstanding &#8220;chemical imbalance&#8221; narrative, which posits that depression is caused by serotonin abnormalities in the brain.
Doctors <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321140#The-Lancet-review:-The-final-word?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> witnessing improvement in some of their patients on the medication, but the mechanism responsible for the improvement, if any, is unclear. This new study provides insight into their function, which may be beneficial to people who struggle with mood regulation.
In the study, 66 volunteers were given either the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) drug, escitalopram, or a placebo for 21 days. Questionnaires were completed before and after the trial period, and neuropsychological tests were administered to study their cognitive function. Blood tests ensured the participants in the escitalopram group took the medicine.
In questionnaires, the participants taking the drug reported having more trouble achieving an orgasm while having sex — a side-effect often reported by antidepressant users. The findings could be useful for patients to make better informed decisions about their treatment plan, and whether or not the purported benefits of antidepressants may be worth the side effects.
“At least they can be aware of this,&#8221; Sahakian said. &#8220;Some people can be offered different forms of treatment, particularly if they’ve not come into hospital with severe illness.”
When the team administered a &#8220;learning task&#8221; test to participants, they found that those in the antidepressant group had a lesser response to positive and negative feedback than the control group, which suggested the drug affected their sensitivity to rewards.
In another battery of tests that assessed attention and memory, they found the drug made no difference. “The drug isn’t doing anything negative to cognition — from that point of view it’s very good,” said Sahakian.
Dr. Christelle Langley, another lead author on the study from the University of Cambridge, added: “Our findings provide important evidence for the role of serotonin in reinforcement learning. We are following this work up with a study examining neuroimaging data to understand how escitalopram affects the brain during reward learning.”

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