Category Archives: Prison

Addiction and Decriminalization: Portugal’s success in coping with an epidemic of opioid drug abuse

written for Inspire Malibu

It’s easy to forget that not every country in the world approaches issues of drug abuse and addiction as if it were a war. In fact, federal and state laws on illegal drug use in the United States seem uncompassionate at best and barbaric at worst, when compared to some other developed nations. read more

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Gray Death: The Latest and Deadliest of Heroin Cocktails

written for Inspire Malibu

The crisis of opioid addiction in the United States is an ever-evolving tragedy. Healthcare professionals, state and federal legislatures and law enforcement have, so far, been unable to stop or contain the spread of opioids and heroin spiked with even more powerful and deadly drugs. In fact, it has become increasingly difficult for scientists to keep pace with new heroin cocktails. read more

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Will California’s AB 186 Create Safe Spaces to use Heroin and other Opioids?

written for Inspire Malibu

April 25, 2017

LOS ANGELES – Like other states in the U.S., California has seen a spike in overdoses as a result of heroin and prescription painkillers. While the news cycle appears to have moved away from the country’s opioid epidemic, the problem persists. In 2015, an estimated 33,000 people fatally overdosed on heroin or opioid medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. read more

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Criminalizing Overdoses: A bad Idea Laced with Good Intentions

Written for Inspire Malibu

March 21, 2017

Nestled between Columbus and Cincinnati, Washington Court House, Ohio, a town with little more than 14,000 residents at last count, is now charging drug overdose survivors with “inducing panic.” The misdemeanor, which can result in a $1,000 fine and up to 180 days in jail, is levied immediately after first responders save a victim’s life, in most cases, with naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. read more

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C.U.R.B. and State Prison Reform Advocacy

November 11, 2015

LOS ANGELES – Diana Zuniga, 28, has been in and out of California prisons for 24 years of her life. She’s been visiting incarcerated family members. Her father is scheduled for release in four to five years. Her uncle is serving 35 years to life. read more

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