The Poisoning

In this eye-opening episode of the Poisoning Podcast, West Virginia drug czar, Dr. Stephen Loyd, who inspired Michael Keaton's character in the Hulu show "Dopesick" and also serves as Medical Director at Cedar Recovery in Nashville, Tennessee, dives deep into America’s addiction crisis with host Erin DeLullo. Dr. Loyd breaks down the healthcare system’s failures, the power of medicat...

Are government cuts to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) putting America’s fight against the opioid crisis at risk? In this episode, Erin DeLullo and The Bulwark's Jonathan Cohn dive deep into SAMHSA’s critical role — managing grants, distributing naloxone, running the 988 hotline, and collecting vital drug use data like the National Survey on Drug Use and Health....

Join Erin DeLullo on the Poisoning Podcast as she dives deep into the opioid crisis with Rick Mountcastle, the U.S. Attorney who took on Purdue Pharma. In this eye-opening interview, Rick reveals the shocking details of the bankruptcy settlement, the Sackler family's immunity, and how Purdue's fraudulent OxyContin marketing fueled a generational drug epidemic. Discover why this settlement...

In this episode of The Poisoning Podcast, host Erin DeLullo sits down with Ron French, a journalist from Bridge Michigan, to dive into the devastating impact of the opioid crisis in Rapid River, a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). With a population of just 400, this tight-knit community lost five young men to fentanyl overdoses, including three from the same 2021 graduating class of 3...

Join Erin DeLullo and author Ericka Andersen as they dive into the often-overlooked dangers of alcohol, a legal drug with deadly consequences. In this eye-opening podcast episode, Ericka shares herpersonal journey from high school experimentation to battlingdependency in Washington, DC’s alcohol-fueled culture. Explore topics like binge drinking in college, the rise of alcohol-related illnesses in...

Join host Erin DeLullo as she interviews Utah state Rep. Tyler Clancy, a Provo police officer, about his innovative approach to the fentanyl crisis through House Bill 199. In this episode, Rep. Clancy discusses his collaboration with a social worker and founder of the Utah Harm Reduction Coalition. Learn how his law enforcement background shapes his policies, the impact of fentanyl as Utah’s #1 ov...

In this eye-opening episode of "The Poisoning," host Erin DeLullo sits down with David Ovalle, a reporter for The Washington Post's Health & Science team who covers opioids and addiction, to discuss the ongoing fentanyl crisis in America. This conversation centers around the remarkable strategies employed by Hamilton County, Ohio, which has seen a significant decline in overdose...

On today's episode, Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President at SAM & Co-Founder at the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, joins the podcast. Topics of discussion range from the latest debates on marijuana legalization and psychedelic drugs to the controversy surrounding Donald Trump's pardoning of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. We also dive into the dangers of fentanyl, the ongoi...

Dive into the critical conversation about opioid settlement funds with expert Aneri Pattani on "The Poisoning." This episode unpacks how billions from major opioid settlements are being used to combat the opioid epidemic across states like Arizona and West Virginia. Discover where the money is going—addiction treatment, harm reduction, prevention efforts, and controversial allocations like state c...

In this powerful and emotional video, we sit down with Carole Trottere, an advocate and communicator working with law enforcement on Narcan training and supporting families devastated by the opioid epidemic. Carole’s personal connection to this crisis is deeply moving—her only child, Gabriel, tragically passed away at the age of 30 due to fentanyl poisoning. Carole shares her journey of navigating...

The only way to truly stop fentanyl poisoning is to reduce the DEMAND for the drug, yet most of our time and energy are spent on reducing the supply. On today's podcast, writer, speaker, and nationally recognized policy advocate for addiction and mental health recovery, Ryan Hampton, discusses his book, 'Fentanyl Nation: Toxic Politics and America's Failed War on Drugs.' Please like and subscribe....

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and passionate global citizen. He is the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, MSNBC’s What’s Eating America, the Emmy-nominated Family Dinner, Outdoor Channel’s Wild Game Kitchen and Field to Fire, and the Emmy-winning The Zimmern L...

Freelance journalist Philip Eil talks with Erin about his debut book, "Prescription for Pain: How A Once Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer.'" During their conversation, Eil discusses his years-long investigation into his father’s old classmate, Paul Volkman, a man who once seemed destined for greatness, but is now serving four consecutive life sentences at a federal prison for his invo...

Drazen Jorgic is a Reuters senior correspondent based in Mexico City, focused on investigating journalism and enterprise stories at the intersection of crime, politics and business in Mexico and Central America. During this conversation with Erin DeLullo, Jorgic discusses Reuters' excellent investigative series, "The Fentanyl Express," including their first two reports:- "We bought everything need...

On Tuesday, voters in several states rejected measures to broaden the legalization of recreational marijuana, while progressive prosecutors in several jurisdictions also lost. Charles Fain Lehman, a crime and drug policy researcher at the Manhattan Institute, joins Erin to unpack the election results — and help us digest what it all means. Check out Charles' Substack post, titled: Your Revolution...

College football coach Scott Cochran won eight national championships throughout his coaching career, and worked in the NBA as an assistant strength coach for the New Orleans Hornets. During this conversation with Erin DeLullo, "Coach Yeah" tells his story about becoming addicted to opioids. He also shares thought son recovery, including the importance of faith and family. Check out Scott's non-pr...

Dr. Kristin Martin, an accomplished osteopathic physician with extensive experience in emergency medicine, family medicine, and addiction medicine, joins The Poisoning. On this episode, Dr. Martin talks with Erin DeLullo about: -- The day she saved three people who suffered fentanyl poisoning after vaping -- How Covid-19 was wrongly blamed for Opioid deaths -- Why one dose of Naloxone usually isn'...

Ed Bisch, founder of Relatives Against Purdue Pharma RAPP, talks with Erin about his mission to hold Big Pharma accountable for his 18-year-old son Eddie's overdose of Oxycontin in 2001. Ed also talks about why "poisoning" is a better descriptor than "overdose" when it comes to fentanyl. Check out Lost Voices of Fentanyl: https://lvof.org/ Please like and subscribe. Check o...

During today's podcast, Erin DeLullo talks with Dale King, a former Army Intelligence Officer, who uses CrossFit to treat and counsel opioid addicts in small town Ohio. Read Paul Solotaroff's Rolling Stone profile of Dale: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/... Check out Dale's documentary, 'Small Town Strong.' https://smalltownstrongdoc.com/ Please like and subscribe. Check...

On this episode of The Poisoning, Erin sits down with Tim Czaja, the director of the Berkeley Day Report Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia, to discuss: -- Tim's personal history battling addiction -- Why religious faith can be an important component to recovery -- Why day centers are more effective (and cheaper) than incarceration -- Why Narcan is vital for making sure addicts get a chance...

Rolling Stone senior writer Paul Solotaroff talks with Erin DeLullo about his latest piece, "Inside Snapchat's Teen Opioid Crisis." Read Paul's piece here: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/cultu... Please like and subscribe. Check out our Substack newsletter: https://thepoisoning.substack.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/thepoisoningpod Check out our YouTube page: / @...

Tony Mattivi, Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), served as a federal prosecutor for over 20 years, prosecuting drug trafficking, violent crime, racketeering, organized crime, gangs, money laundering and terrorism cases. During this episode of The Poisoning, host Erin DeLullo talks with Mattivi about... -- The story of how the son of a KBI drug investigator's 18-year-old son...

Journalist Ben Westhoff is the author of 'Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic.' During this episode, Ben talks with Erin DeLullo about... -- How he snuck into a fentanyl manufacturing plant in China -- Why the lack of heroin availability on the streets is ironically a real problem -- Why every school and library should be stocked with N...

Erin DeLullo, host of The Poisoning, appeared on WV MetroNews with Hoppy Kercheval this week, to discuss her recent op-ed about the dangers of squandering the opioid settlement funds. Read Erin's op-ed: https://www.theintelligencer.net/opinion/local-columns/2024/07/dont-squander-opportunity-with-opioid-settlement-funds/ Please like and subscribe! Check out our Substack newsletter: https://thep...

Hi, my name is Erin DeLullo. I'm a wife, mother, and West Virginian. I'm also the host of a forthcoming podcast where I'll interview experts, recovering addicts, first responders, policymakers, and journalists about the opioid and fentanyl crisis that is literally poisoning our fellow Americans. Please like and subscribe! Subscribe to our Substack: https://thepoisoning.substack.com/ Fo...