Zach spent a long time making poor decisions in Seattle, compounding problems that began at age thirteen with a doctor’s prescription for opiates. Homeless in Seattle and using the strongest street opiates he could find, hoping he wouldn’t wake up, he eventually ended up in recovery and alive. Zach updates his story telling us about…

Veronica King finishes our discussion about people cited for Operating While Impaired. The push for decriminalization and legalization of marijuana has resulted in a significant increase in automobile accidents and fatalities involving cannabis. Countering the often-repeated myths about substances and breaking through the denial is just part of the task all substance abuse counselors have…

Good fortune or bad luck? When someone is cited for Operating While Impaired, how they view the arrest depends on their perspective. Veronica King discusses facilitating the Group Dynamics class for first-time offenders. Veronica is a Social Worker and Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor who instructs Group Dynamics classes at Gateway Technical College for those who…

A returning panel of college women, Grace, Aiden, Viv, Jackie, and Haley, discuss navigating through their first two years of college with a mix of pandemic, alcohol, other drug use, and mental health issues, on top of the academic expectations. As mental health concerns and drug use have risen across the country with young people,…

Diane Yager, a teacher, hall of fame coach, and mentor in Seneca, Wisconsin, coordinates one of the longest-running school wellness programs in the country. By focusing on mental health and alcohol and other drug prevention, the goal is to empower the students in her small rural school district to make good decisions. By utilizing generations…

When the worst happens and a loved one is unconscious, not breathing, overdosed, and close to death, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team responds. Nick Eschmann discusses the role of EMS in the ongoing health crisis caused by substance abuse. Nick is the Division Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Fire Department.…

In a time when many people seem to acquire their self worth through social media followers and likes, Vanessa McGowan talks about letting our priorities guide our choices and decisions as we cope with life’s challenges. Vanessa is a New Zealand-born musician, writer, and entrepreneur based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Door County, Wisconsin. Vanessa’s “Musician’s…

Raised just outside Frankfurt, Germany, Stella Terner was allowed to sample alcohol from a young age by dipping her finger in her parent’s beer and wine. She could buy beer at sixteen. The norm during her teenage years was to not drink to excess but to have a glass of wine with dinner. Now at…

What would our country be like if average Americans drank three times as much alcohol as they do today? We don’t have to imagine; that’s the way it used to be. Travis Spangenburg discusses the rise of the Temperance movement in our country and the many parallels to the issues in our culture today. Travis…

There isn’t just one way to treat opioid dependency.  Dr. Selahattin Kurter discusses harm reduction, medication for addiction treatment, and his clinic’s work with clients with substance use disorders. The key to success is treating all of the issues concurrently and using all of the tools available. Selahattin Kurter, MD, is the Executive Director of…