1 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: Wellcome to the final Spooky Week episode. Hi, Look, this 2 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: is this is it could happen here, and this is 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: our last Spooky Week episode for this year, and we're 4 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: gonna be talking about something extremely spooky and Halloween themed. 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: Rainbow fentonel the newest deadly threat hiding in your kids 6 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: trigger treat basket, or so you would think if you 7 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: are a frequent viewer of Fox News or really any 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: local cable news channel, and that rainbow fentanyl in particular 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: is troublesome because of its appearance. This is treacherous decepsion 10 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: to market rainbow fentonel like candy. This is every parents 11 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: worst nightmare, especially in the month of October as Halloween 12 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: fast approaches. That was Fox five News, New York and 13 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: d E a special agent Frank Tarantino, giving a press 14 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: conference on the rainbow fentinel scourge sweeping the nation. It's 15 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: not hard to see how this narrative became the new 16 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: protect the children pearl clutching panic. It's a natural extension 17 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: of the police officer touches fentinel and spontaneously overdoses lie 18 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: that local news across the country have been pushing for 19 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: over a year now. More on this later coupled with 20 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: the old classic poisoned, drug laced, tampered Halloween candy myth 21 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: that's captivated American parents for decades, whether it be razor 22 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: blades and napples, needles and tutsie rules, meth in, gummy bears, 23 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: cocaine candy corn, or th HC sour Patch kids. If 24 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: you've ever watched any local news during the month of October, 25 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: clips like these should sound really familiar. Police in at 26 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: least two Wisconsin towns are investing in reports of possible 27 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: Halloween candy tampering breaking right now at ten concerns about 28 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: possible tainted candy in Economy Walk tonight. Police tell us 29 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: they've received reports of a suspicious person handing out Tutsi 30 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: roles on Oakwood Avenue. Right now, police have no evidence 31 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: that any candy has definitely been tampered with, the world's 32 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: leading researcher on Halloween candy tampering, Joel Best, professor of 33 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, has 34 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: found little evidence to substantiate Halloween candy fears. Joel Best 35 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: has published multiple studies analyzing the legitimacy of Halloween candy tampering, 36 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: including his research paper The Razor Blade in the Apple, 37 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: The Social Construction of Urban Legends, and his sociology book 38 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: Threatened Children, Rhetoric and Concern around Child Victims. I have 39 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: followed press coverage of Halloween back to night so more 40 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: than sixty years, and I cannot find any evidence that 41 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: any child has ever been killed or seriously injured by 42 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: a contaminated treat picked up in the course of triggered treaty. 43 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: So let's go back to kind of where all this started. 44 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: The first report of Halloween treats being tampered with in 45 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: North America was in nineteen fifty nine. That Halloween, a 46 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: California dentist named William Sheen distributed four hundred and fifty 47 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: laxative laced candies to children, thirty of whom fell ill. 48 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: He was later charged with outrage of public decency and 49 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: unlawful dispensing of drugs. This is kind of like the 50 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: only incident that says that this has ever actually happened 51 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: with was back in the late fifties. This is the 52 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: only true one of someone like handing out actually laced 53 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: candy to tons of kids. Now, to determine whether the 54 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: current tempered Halloween candy myths hold any weight. Joel Best 55 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: examined twenty five years of Halloween coverage from the New 56 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. In his research, 57 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: he found that there's only been one confirmed death from 58 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: a poisoned Halloween candy, and it wasn't from a nefarious 59 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: stranger who wanted to harm tricker treaters. The fatal incident 60 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 1: occurred in nineteen seventy four, after a Texas man named 61 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: Ronald Clark O'Brien poisoned his eight year old son with 62 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: a cyanide laced pixie stick, shortly after he took insurance 63 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: claims out on his children. O'Brien had reportedly given poisoned 64 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: pixie sticks to his daughter and three other neighborhood children, 65 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: but the candy had not been consumed since then. Joel 66 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: Best said that in some instances, kids tamper with their 67 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: own candy to get attention, or a friend or a 68 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: family member played a prank that went awry, or even 69 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: a foreign object ended up inside candy during the manufacturing process. 70 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: And that's the majority of these types of claims that 71 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: you'll see on the local news. Now Halloween can be 72 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: a particularly dangerous holiday, but not due to tampered candy. 73 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: The real notable danger comes from pedestrian deaths. I study 74 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: published last year in Jama Pediatrics analyzed data over a 75 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: forty two year period in the United States and found 76 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: a forty three percent higher risk of pedestrian deaths on 77 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,239 Speaker 1: Halloween night when compared to the week before and after. 78 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: John Staples, lead author and clinical Assistant Professor of medicine 79 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: and as scientist at University of British Columbia, said that quote, 80 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: we found that particularly among kids age four to eight, 81 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: the risk was tenfold higher on Halloween. So yeah, Halloween 82 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: actually is pretty dangerous, but it's from a car, not 83 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: from someone sneaking drugs into your kids candy. Last year, 84 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: before the current Rainbow Centinel scare, the drug laced trick 85 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: in your kids treat was weed laced candy and snacks, 86 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: causing quote unquote THHC overdose among children. But shady marijuana 87 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,239 Speaker 1: pushers package them just for kids, and if stony patch 88 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: kids are made extend, it's hard to tell. And unfortunately 89 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: the black market is making it easy for children to 90 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: get these products. Ben Salem Police confiscated what looks like 91 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: normal candy during a traffic stop earlier this month. But 92 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: these Sweethearts, they're medicated. These sour patch candies have a twist, 93 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: and these Cheetos are anything but all of these items 94 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: are laced with th HC. By laced with th HC, 95 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: they mean the forty dollar Stoner Patch dummies are a 96 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: manufactured weed candy sold in legal weed shops across the country. 97 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: The fact that these novel t THC products are incredibly 98 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 1: expensive and in packaging covered in we leaves doesn't seem 99 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: to matter. Um, But yes, I'm sure the black market 100 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: is super eager to give away tiny fifty dollar bags 101 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: of weeded rito's. Two children dressed as the Avengers all right, 102 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: now the details on a big warning for parents. Tonight 103 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: police officers and Ben Salem confiscated these items during the stop. 104 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: It's candy laced with marijuana, and now police don't want 105 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: these friendly looking snacks to get into the wrong hands. 106 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: With Halloween coming up. I'm going to quote from Filter 107 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: mag quote. Attorneys general across the country are participating in 108 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: the annual tradition of urging parents to stand vigilant against 109 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: free drugs disguised as candy. On October four, State a 110 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: g s issued such claims, all using the same data 111 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: and language which appears to have been generously pre written 112 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: for them by the Department of Homeland Security Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, 113 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: and in New York and Arkansas. Earlier that month decried 114 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: the dangers of youth THHC overdose, but without hinting at 115 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: what those dangers might be, except for New York Attorney 116 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: General Letitia James, who alone of the ages swung big, 117 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: saying New York parents should be on the alert for 118 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: deceptive cannabis products that look like standard snacks and candy 119 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: but contain dangerously high concentrations of th HC. These products 120 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: are especially dangerous for our children. We've seen an increase 121 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: in accidental overdoses among children and nationwide, and it's vital 122 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,679 Speaker 1: that we do everything we can to protect our children 123 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: and curb this crisis and prevent any future harm or 124 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: even worse death. Now that's a stunning claim, even by 125 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: weed disinformation standards. To date, there's been no confirmed evidence 126 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: that THHC overdose has ever killed anybody, adult or child. 127 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: So with all of that drug laced Halloween history, onto 128 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: the latest rainbow colored menace in your child's tricker retreat basket. 129 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: As Halloween approaches, federal authorities are warning parents about the 130 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: deadly consequences of fentnel pills, particularly about the rainbow variety 131 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: that look like candy. The Drug Enforcement Agency first put 132 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: out a statement on multicolored quote unquote rainbow fentanyl near 133 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: the end of August two, claiming during that month that 134 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: the d e A and law enforcement partners seized brightly 135 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: colored fentanel and fentanel pills in twenty states. And this 136 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: is how the presence of colored fentanyl was framed in 137 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: the d e AS initial statement. Quote this trend appears 138 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: to be a new method used by Mexican drug cartels 139 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl made to 140 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: look like candy to children unquote. Now, obviously, children aren't 141 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: the biggest consumer base for these drugs, since they have 142 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: no money, have very low tolerance, and are unlikely to 143 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,439 Speaker 1: be a repeat customer, but that hasn't stopped the d 144 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: e A from continuously referring to these colored pills as 145 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: quote unquote marketing to attract kids, as if there's rainbow 146 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: fentanyl ads on Nickelodeon or something. It seems the only 147 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: one marketing rainbow fentanyl is the d e A itself 148 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: and now news channels across the country. This is from 149 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: Good Morning America. Warning certainly one here that parents need 150 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: to hear with Halloween coming up. It's about potentially deadly 151 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: fentyl pills that look like candy. Obviously, the d e 152 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: A is an enforcement agency, not a harm reduction agency, 153 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: and the way they've been talking about fentanyl the past 154 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: few months has focused more on old War on Drugs 155 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: style propaganda, with anti immigrant drug warriors pushing the fentanyl 156 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: for kids narrative. The d e a s messaging seems 157 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: largely targeted to parents and more intended to cause panic 158 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: than actually work to prevent overdoses, and it distracts from 159 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:03,239 Speaker 1: experts that's a drug. Criminalization is what actually increases overdoses, 160 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: not these quote unquote candy colored pills. Mariah Francis, a 161 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: resource associate with the National Harm Reduction Coalition, says such 162 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: rhetoric is quote an active byproduct of drug policies that 163 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: prioritize criminalization and political agendas over active harm reduction unquote, 164 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: as colored fentel can actually serve as an indicator that 165 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: these pills are not prescription drugs. The other War on 166 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: drugs style scare tactic being used a lot recently has 167 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:40,319 Speaker 1: been promoting heavily publicized drug seizures and making highly exaggerated 168 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: claims about what the busts mean to the illicit drug 169 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: supply and public health. Michigan and Ohio, we seized approximately 170 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: four million deadly doses. Special Agent in charge Orville Green 171 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 1: says nationwide that number jumps to thirty six million deadly 172 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: doses seized and just four months in there in pill 173 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: and powder form, the source materials coming from China, produced 174 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: by drug cartels in Mexico, calling them quote unquote deadly doses, 175 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: Like yeah, dude, if you quantify your seizure by an 176 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: amount that could be potentially deadly, I suppose you could 177 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: only measure in deadly quantities. I could do the same 178 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: thing with with caffeine. I can go to the store 179 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: and pick up like ten bang energy drinks and be 180 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: I just got a deadly dose of caffee. Like yeah, 181 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: that's if you're measuring it in that way, sure you 182 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: can measure it as deadly doses. Plus in that clip 183 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: from Fox to Detroit. You can see the anti China, 184 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: anti Mexico angle that they're running with now. Obviously, places 185 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: like Fox News has been eating this stuff up. Just 186 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: during the first half of September, the network mentioned rainbow 187 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: fentannel at least sixty six times on the air over 188 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: the previous month, weaponizing the narrative to blame migrants at 189 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 1: the border and China for the supposed is a threat 190 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: that the drug poses to poor, innocent children. And many 191 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: of people's most trusted news sources, which are local news outlets, 192 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: have contributed to the d e a's panic by parting 193 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: the agency's statements as pure fact, pushing the claim that 194 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: rainbow fentanyl is meant to attract kids just at face value, 195 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 1: presented without any skepticism, without any fact checking or information 196 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: from independent drug policy experts. Here is a headline from 197 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: ABC twenty four in Tennessee quote, rainbow fentanyl the colorful 198 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,719 Speaker 1: marketing tactic already in Memphis streets. And this is from 199 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: a TV channel and Raleigh, North Carolina d A warrens 200 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 1: of so called rainbow fentanyl putting children at risk and 201 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: headlines like that have been a diame a dozen the 202 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: past month. Never once bringing up that there's not a 203 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: single piece of evidence that these pills are being peddled 204 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: on the playground. This is exactly the kind of behavior 205 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: from news organizations that leads to misinformation and panics, which 206 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: distract from actual public health dangers and relatively simple things 207 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 1: we can do to combat them. Fox News, many local 208 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: news stations, and the d e A itself has now 209 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: joined in the long standing annual tradition of Halloween candy 210 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: based fearmongering by baselessly claiming that parents should be concerned 211 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: about fentanyl appearing in their child's Halloween candy. Federal agents 212 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: with an urgent warning to parents about potentially deadly fentanyl 213 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 1: pills that look just like candy. Dubbed rainbow fentanyl, authorities 214 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 1: are calling it a newly packaged poison as Halloween is 215 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: around the corner. The idea that people are going to 216 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: give away free drugs for Halloween, which it just what 217 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: get wild concept? Um, I wish I would I would 218 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: go trick or treating more if there was free drugs. 219 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: But this idea has been boosted by elected leaders and 220 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: non d e A government officials. Florida's Attorney General, Ashley 221 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: Moody did a whole press conference saying quote Halloween can 222 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: be very scary, but nowhere near as scary as rainbow 223 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: colored fentanel that looks like candy and can be lethal 224 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: in minute doses. Whether these drugs are being transported in 225 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: candy boxes or mixed in with other common drugs and 226 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: sold unsuspecting users, the threat posed to the safety of 227 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: kids and young adults is very real. Just one pill 228 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: laced with fentinel can kill, so parents, please talk to 229 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: your children about the dangers posed by this extremely lethal drug. 230 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: Halloween could be scary, but that isn't anyway. Senator Rob 231 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: Portman wrote quote we must have all the boots on 232 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: the ground to interdict deadly rainbow fentanel as Halloween approaches, 233 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: which he posted alongside a Fox News story about fentinel 234 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: disguised in candy packaging, which is some pa a common 235 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: tactic to smuggle drugs through borders, which is why such 236 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: packaging is found so often in drug seizures. Now, nobody 237 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: is planning to give away free skittle fentanel to little 238 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: Timmy when he comes knocking on doors and more quote unquote, 239 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: and boots on the ground is exactly what law enforcement 240 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: wanted when they started this lie. The d e A 241 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: budget has gone up every year, and so have Sentinel overdoses. 242 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: But it's the won't somebody think of the children angle 243 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: that's so irresistible to news media. It provides a huge 244 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: rush to our cultures actual favorite drug, fear for our children. 245 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: It's the same undercurrent that fuels attacks on drag queens 246 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: and trans people. Fear for the kids. While a long 247 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: piece and CNN explicitly said parents of young children should 248 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: not overly panic, h w R A l piece cautioned 249 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: that quote, we all know how easy it is for 250 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: children to pass candy around to each other, as if 251 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: like Rainbow, Fentinel is going to be shared around like 252 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,479 Speaker 1: Eminem's at a lunch breaker or something like And one 253 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: of the more silly things that I found. People running 254 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: the account for ABC seven Eyewitness News hid over one 255 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: hundred replies pointing out the disinformation in their so called 256 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 1: eyewitness news story. In their tweet that read quote hashtag 257 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: breaking twelve thousand Fentinel pills seized in wrappers of Skittles, Whoppers, 258 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: sweet Tarts at l a X, sparking renewed Halloween warnings 259 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: to parents. So yeah, they they hid over one hundred 260 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: applies to that tweet basically saying this is this is bullshit. 261 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: You have no idea what you're talking about. This this 262 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: story again, it conflates methods of drug trafficking with the 263 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: longstanding myth of expensive drugs being hidden in cheap Halloween candy. 264 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 1: And then, by far the most ridiculous thing that I found, 265 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: it's just because it's kind of absurd and slightly funny, 266 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: Laura Trump on Fox News did the most ridiculous Rainbow 267 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 1: Fentinel segment that I could find, including spreading the blatant 268 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: lie that police officers have indeed died by simply touching fentinel. Yeah, 269 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: you look at the police officers who when they just 270 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: pat people down and they find it, if it touches 271 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: their fingers, they literally go into shock and almost die 272 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: from it. Something I think have died from it. The 273 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: idea that you could have a kid anywhere in America 274 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: if if one child dies from this on Halloween. I 275 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: gotta tell you, we have to take action to stop 276 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: this right now because parents are terrified and we have 277 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: no answers. What are we supposed to do they're gonna 278 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: go trick or truth. So Democrats ruin Halloween to plan, 279 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: they really do. So what you wouldn't know by watching 280 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: these types of news programs, whether they be Fox News 281 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: or just regular cable news, is that the colors in 282 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: these drugs have been added to pills for years. The 283 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: real danger isn't that kids are being given fentanyl like candy. 284 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: It's that fentanyl is being pressed into the shapes of 285 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: other prescription drugs like oxy codone, and people will take 286 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,679 Speaker 1: a fentanyl pill thinking it's something else and then overdose. 287 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: And throughout many of these news stories, they don't mention narcan, 288 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: or if they do, they mentioned in the context as 289 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: saying like this school in l A Now carries narcan. 290 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: That's how bad things are getting. Like they used the 291 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: presence of an arcan as like a bad omen which 292 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: means no, people should just have narcan everywhere cause it's great. 293 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: Well more on that later, but these colored pills provide 294 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: such a compelling visual for anyone with a financial stake 295 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: in continuing prohibition. In a way, the d A is right. 296 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: Rainbow fentanyl is a marketing stunt, but one concocted by 297 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: the d e A. Itself as a justification for its 298 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: own existence, rather than drug sellers marketing their product to kids, 299 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: using the escalating demonization of fentanyl to call for increased 300 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: funding to law enforcement and border patrol, and the need 301 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,400 Speaker 1: to convince a public acclimating to the idea of fentanyl 302 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: that actually, fentanyl is even scarier than what they once thought. 303 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: Quoting filter Meg again quote, people sell drugs because they 304 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: are economically motivated to do so. No one except the 305 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: d e A and its allies is arguing that it's 306 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: a good business strategy to kill off your adult buyers 307 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: and give free samples to children previously untapped customer base 308 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: because the fentanyl wasn't never pretty enough, and not because 309 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 1: children do not have money. The emergence of different colors 310 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: that pressed pills alongside the traditional blue fentanel pills won't 311 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: lure in younger buyers. If anything, it will help keep 312 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: newer buyers safe. Unquote, brightly colored fake pills that are 313 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: clearly fake are helpful for people being cut off of 314 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: their prescription and turning to street drugs to remind them 315 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: that what they're getting is not the ox of codon 316 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:01,439 Speaker 1: that they're used to, but something more potent and for 317 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: more on what fentinel actually is and to kind of 318 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: get an expert opinion on these topics, I interviewed Ryan Marino, uh, 319 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: the resident Fentinel expert who's sited and basically all of 320 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: these news stories. So after the ad break you will 321 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: hear that interview. First, can you introduce yourself? So I'm 322 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: Ryan Marino. I'm a medical toxicologist, emergency doc and addiction 323 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: medicine specialist. So what exactly is fentinel? What's the deal? 324 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: What's what? What is what is the actual thing? Because 325 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: people I know have heard a lot about it, but 326 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: they may may be unaware, like what this type of 327 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: opioid is, how it's different from other things, why it's around. Yeah, 328 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: and I think most people will hear kind of one 329 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: side of fentanyl. And so fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. 330 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: So it's a lot like harrow and morphine oxycoda and 331 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: all those other things. It acts the same way. The 332 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 1: difference is that it is more potent, and because it 333 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: is fully synthetic, it can be made without the necessity 334 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: for like large poppy fields whether all that stuff. Um, 335 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: but it's it's very easy to produce it's used medically 336 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: all the time. UM, it's like one of the most 337 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: ubiquitously used medicines and very invaluable lot for its medical uses, 338 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: but in the street because of its potency, small amounts 339 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: to make a huge difference in the dose that people get, 340 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: and so fentanyl in street drugs has been the main 341 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: driver behind what people call our opioid overdose epidemic UM 342 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: and the kind of record breaking overdose deaths that we've 343 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: had in recent years. I would like guess that one 344 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 1: of the biggest reasons that people have heard about fentanyl 345 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: is due to police officers and all of the stories 346 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: from the past last year of police officers spontaneously overdosing 347 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: by either touching it, getting too close to it, breathing 348 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: the same air that it's around. Can you overdose by 349 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: touching fentanyl? You cannot, UM. So there is a hatch 350 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: that's made for the medical fentyl, so it can absorb 351 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 1: through your skin if you try really, really hard, but 352 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,919 Speaker 1: it's incredibly ineffective. Even with the best pharmaceutical technology that 353 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: money could buy. UM, this is still very slow, very ineffective. 354 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: Touching fentyl cannot cause an overdose. And the way it 355 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 1: exists on the street, particularly, You're never going to encounter 356 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: the form or quantity that you would need to cause 357 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 1: an overdose. So these stories are nothing more than urban 358 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: legends and misinformation. How why are people having these effects then? Right? 359 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 1: Because there's videos of people like fainting and falling over 360 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,959 Speaker 1: and they're like this police officer needed to receive narcan 361 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: and was rushed to the hospital. Little like, what's what? 362 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: What's actually happening there? Because people obviously look like they're 363 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: experiencing something, but it doesn't really match up with what 364 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,959 Speaker 1: fentinel is able to do. So it's a really interesting phenomenon. 365 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: And if you look at any of these stories, any 366 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: of these videos, you can very clearly see people having 367 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: real symptoms. I'm not trying to cast any doubt on that, 368 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: but what's reported and what's shown is actually the opposite 369 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: of what fentyl would do. And so people report feeling 370 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: very anxious, breathing very rapidly, having their heart race, all 371 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: of the things that fentyl would actually cause the opposite. 372 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: And so I can only speculate on what's really happening there, 373 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: but my guess would be that this is some sort 374 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: of panic reaction related to the fact that people are 375 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: hearing about this every day, hearing the fentyl is killing 376 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of people, hearing that other people have 377 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,400 Speaker 1: just dropped down from being near it. UM. And there's 378 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: also this related concept called the no cebo effect, which 379 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,479 Speaker 1: is kind of like the uh, dark side of the 380 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,400 Speaker 1: placebo effect, if you will, UM. And so basically it's 381 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: just that if you believe something so strongly, you can 382 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: have very negative of real symptoms from it, and the 383 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: way you would treat this would be with a placebo, 384 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 1: which in these situations Narkian is a placebo. So the 385 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: fact that Narkian works for some of them UM kind 386 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: of suggests that there is some sort of placebo no 387 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: cebo effect going on. I know that the ventil has 388 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: become more common since the pandemics rough you, I would 389 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 1: say probably starting in California is what most of most 390 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: of it looks like in terms of like the whole 391 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: like opioid epidemic thing, like why is this become such 392 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: a big problem in the past like three years specifically, 393 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: like with fentanyl getting into so much of the supply, well, 394 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: so fentyl started getting cut into heroin. UM particularly on 395 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: the East coast, like pretty early on, probably like ten 396 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: or more years ago now and took a while to 397 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: make its way west. It seemed like California actually had 398 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: different heroin and particularly like black tar, heroin was more 399 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: prevalent there, which can't be as easily placed with a 400 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: powder for anyone who's familiar with heroin. UM. But now, 401 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,680 Speaker 1: I mean, there is really no like other opioid supply, 402 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: So things like heroin are almost impossible to come by 403 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: just because it doesn't exist in the world, be like oxycodone, OxyContin. 404 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: All of these pills that people used to sell on 405 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 1: the street also just don't exist because they're not being 406 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: prescribed anymore. Some of them aren't even being manufactured anymore. UM. 407 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: And so what's left is really when you take away 408 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: the supply but you don't address the demand, is something's 409 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,359 Speaker 1: got to fill it. And Fentyl is there. Fentyl is 410 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,199 Speaker 1: really easy to make. Its relatively cheap um and simple 411 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: to produce, and so you can press it into pills 412 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: that look like oxycodone. You can mix it up into 413 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: a powder that looks like heroin and gives people similar effects, 414 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: but because it's so much more potent which it's like 415 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: fifty times more potent than heroin. Um So. I mean 416 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 1: if you think just in terms of percentage wise, like 417 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: a one or two percent difference could be double the 418 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: dose when you compare it to something. Um So, that's 419 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,199 Speaker 1: where the trouble comes in. And then with the rainbow 420 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: fentinyl angle, the DA has been talking about how rain 421 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 1: fentanyl is this new thing to market tow children. They 422 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 1: sort of market a lot of being like this is 423 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 1: like some advertising job done by big drug to to 424 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: sell to sell two kids. Um. I guess first off, 425 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: like why would these drugs be pressed into different colors 426 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,199 Speaker 1: like with with with with the fentinel pills being in 427 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: you know, the multi colored collections, Like what's the actual 428 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: purpose of that. Well, so that's a great question. And 429 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,199 Speaker 1: I don't know what to make of whatever the d 430 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 1: e A Is doing and why they make these announcements 431 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: because there's there's no evidence behind it. Um They have 432 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: provided no evidence and their own press releases going back 433 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: years show multiple colors of pentinyl pressed pills. UM My 434 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: best guests and in talking to like people use drugs, 435 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: people who work in the same space across the country, 436 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 1: is that pharmaceuticals come in different colors, and so these 437 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: probably were mostly just to mimic things like oxy code 438 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,479 Speaker 1: on tabs. Also, I mean dealers like to add their 439 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 1: own kind of like marked the things in terms of 440 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: heroin will come with different like stamps on the bag, 441 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 1: so probably something similar there. But also I mean people 442 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: just tend to like things that are are colored more 443 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: than like a grainy beige pill um. If it comes 444 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: with like a pink or green on, it is going 445 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 1: to be more desirable. But there's no evidence whatsoever that 446 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: this is intentionally marketed towards children. Children are not good 447 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 1: clients for for drug dealers, and these are just things 448 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: that adults want. American adults are the ones buying these drugs. 449 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: I guess can you speak more on how the d 450 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: e as rhetorics around this thing, especially it's been like 451 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: escalating the past few months leading up to Halloween. There's 452 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: been a lot of heavily publicized seizures saying like we 453 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: seized enough sentinel to kill five hundred million people or 454 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: something like. They're like they they frame it in this 455 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: really like bombastic way, and then you're there's a lot 456 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: of stuff talking about how it's it's being hidden in 457 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: like candy boxes and they're gonna be giving it out 458 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: on Halloween to your kids, And like what is the 459 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: d A doing? Like what what's their incentive for talking 460 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: about it in this way? And obviously and you I 461 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: can't like ask you, like what what is the d 462 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: A doing? Ryan? Why are they doing this? But like, 463 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: from your perspective, like like this rhetoric doesn't seem very 464 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: helpful in terms of actually preventing overdoses. It seems to 465 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: be kind of just fear mongering, um, specifically with stuff 466 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 1: like like like like like with the drugs being hidden 467 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 1: inside candy boxes, there's reasons for why people might do 468 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: that to smuggle them. But with all of the rhetoric 469 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 1: that the DA has been been pushing, like, is it 470 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: like actually dangerous the way that they've been talking about 471 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 1: it in terms of like it's not it's not talking 472 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: about harm productions, not talking about ways to actually help. 473 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: It's just like scaring parents, it seems. Yeah. I mean, 474 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: I think the d e A is solely a law 475 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: enforcement agency. There is no one there involved in the 476 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: treatment of addiction in terms of like addiction science, chemistry, 477 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: no one there who is like a former drug user 478 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: even Um, So their motives are always suspect to me. 479 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: And I think with this rainbow fentanyl press release they 480 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: put it out there was no evidence behind it, that 481 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: none of it made any sense. Um. The term rainbow 482 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: fentanyl wasn't even searchable before August two when the d 483 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: A made this announcement, which is is kind of crazy 484 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: to think about. Um. And then within six weeks of 485 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: that announcement, US Congress has pledged to give them hundreds 486 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: of millions more dollars to quote unquote fight rainbow fentanel, 487 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: which is again a thing that does not exist. Um. 488 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: And I mean looking back, the d e A budget 489 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: has gone up year on year hundreds of percent since 490 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,479 Speaker 1: like the nineteen eighties. But even within the context of 491 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: our opioid overdose crisis has gone up year on year 492 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: for all of the past I don't know however many 493 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: years you want to look at it. Their department size 494 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: grows every year, uh, and overdose deaths go up every year. 495 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: So whatever they're doing is obviously not working. Um. And 496 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: like you said, I mean, they particularly ignore in distract 497 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: from things like harm reduction, from real evidence based measures 498 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 1: and kind of public health investments that we could be making. 499 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: And when it comes to hundreds of millions of dollars 500 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: extra being thrown at the d e A for Rainbow fentannel, 501 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 1: and we think back to, what was it just like 502 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: last winter when the current administration set aside I think 503 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: thirty million dollars towards harm reduction being the first time 504 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: the federal government has put aside dedicated money for harm reduction, 505 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: and that created its own kind of like moral panic 506 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: backlash as well. Um, but thirty million dollars was the 507 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: first and only federal investment in harm reduction, and yet 508 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: three million dollars can be drummed up at the drop 509 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 1: of a hat for an invented crisis. So it does 510 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: really kind of beg the question of, like, what are 511 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: we doing here? And why are we continuing to do 512 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: things that don't work? What do you wish people knew 513 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: that would help them maybe combat some of the misinformation 514 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: that gets peddled by like lots of like local TV 515 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: stations are very quick to cover these types of stories, 516 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 1: very quick to cover the stories of like your local 517 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: cop just almost died at the school by getting within 518 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 1: five ft of a sentinel vaporizer or something like like, 519 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 1: what what do you wish people knew to help like 520 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 1: combat this type of stuff. I mean, it seems like 521 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: common sense is just not common when it comes to 522 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: drug topics. If the police were saying that people were 523 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: giving out guns for Halloween, if they were saying that 524 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: they found uranium or plutonium in a car and four 525 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: officers went down, that would require serious consideration and fact 526 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 1: checking before it ever was reported on or accepted. And 527 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: so I mean, I think when it comes to this 528 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: idea that someone was in a car with a bag 529 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: of fentanyl and nobody in the car was affected, but 530 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: the officers outside the car all went down, um like 531 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: just basic kind of critical thinking or applying any lens 532 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 1: of skepticism, I mean, makes all of these narratives fall apart. 533 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: So that would be I mean, my biggest ask in 534 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: people watching these stories. I feel like the onus of 535 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: responsibility really should be on the ones who are reporting it, 536 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: not to just necessarily take the words of law enforcement 537 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 1: as authority on every subject, especially when they do not 538 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: have the background to be authorities on how things like 539 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 1: fentinyl work. Before we close out, I would like to 540 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:00,160 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about Narcan UM like one is 541 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: what it does and where people can get it. So 542 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: Narcan is amazing. I cannot say enough positive things about Narcan. 543 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not like a religious person or anything, 544 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: but if miracles were to exist, Narcan is literally a miracle, 545 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: um and especially if anyone has ever seen it in action. 546 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: But so, what it is for people who don't know, 547 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 1: Narcian is the brand name nasal spray of Nilo Zone, 548 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: which is the antidote or the reversal agent for anyone 549 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: experiencing an opioid overdose, including fentyl. And there are no 550 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 1: opioids that Narcan does not work on. It isn't gonna 551 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:41,239 Speaker 1: reverse every situation, certainly, um. But it is a perfect antidote, 552 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 1: so to speak, or as close to one as we 553 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: have ever had, um And so I mean, if you 554 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: are worried about someone experiencing an overdose, it's something that 555 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: you can carry or have nearby, and anyone can give it. 556 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: It was the nasal spray was actually designed with taxpayer dollars. 557 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: Interestingly enough UM so that an untrained child administer it, 558 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: and so it's very easy to use. It's very easy 559 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 1: to obtain for the most part. Nowadays, it's available and 560 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,279 Speaker 1: I think almost every state without a prescription, you can 561 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:11,839 Speaker 1: just go to your pharmacy and ask for it UM. 562 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: If you can't get it from like your local health 563 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,400 Speaker 1: department or another harm reduction organization. But I have it 564 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:21,200 Speaker 1: in my car, in every work bag I have UM, 565 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: I take it with me when I travel. It's something 566 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 1: that people can carry and really makes a big difference. 567 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: And obviously you don't want to experience or come across 568 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,839 Speaker 1: someone having an overdose. But it's much better to have 569 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 1: with you UM if you need it than to be 570 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: unprepared and have to kind of deal with the consequences. 571 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 1: And I think this far into this like opioid overdose 572 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 1: crisis that the United States and now most of the 573 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,320 Speaker 1: world has been experiencing. Most people can probably think of 574 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:53,240 Speaker 1: someone who they know who they've lost to overdose or 575 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 1: or similar situation UM, and you don't want to kind 576 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 1: of be stuck regretting it later. Well, thanks so much. UM. 577 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: Where can people find you on the internet? So I'm 578 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: mostly just on Twitter at Ryan Marino, just my name 579 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 1: one word, all right, Well, thank you so much for 580 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 1: coming on to talk to us about the latest scourge 581 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: hiding inside your kid's Halloween basket. So with that, that 582 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 1: does it for us today here at it could happen here? Um, 583 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 1: have fun, tricker treating. Um, if you have any drugs, 584 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: good for you. I'm happy you got this for free. 585 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: Watch out for cars, Uh, those are actually dangerous. And 586 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 1: thanks thanks to everybody who attended the recent It could 587 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: Happen here live stream. Thank you so much for coming. 588 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 1: I hope to get through more questions, but we went 589 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: a little long because there were so many people. But 590 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:49,879 Speaker 1: I will I will answer two more questions here. Did 591 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:51,879 Speaker 1: you know that the latest My Little Pony movie has 592 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: a literal xenophobic fascist dictator as an antagonist? No? I 593 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: did not know that, but it's not surprising based on 594 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:59,520 Speaker 1: what I know about the recent My Little Pony media 595 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: And and um, what do you think is the most 596 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:07,400 Speaker 1: important thing somebody can have for a disaster or chaos preparedness? 597 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 1: My personal answer to that would probably be friends, friends, 598 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 1: really useful UM books on how to like make stuff 599 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: and like how to like you know, basically survival books 600 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,520 Speaker 1: because you don't want to count on having the Internet. 601 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: And then I don't know, like water, water filters, water purification, tablets. 602 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:27,880 Speaker 1: Those would be those would be my picks. But I 603 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 1: hope everyone has a happy, happy Halloween and that doesn't 604 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: here for it could Happen Here. Closing out our latest 605 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 1: spooky week, It Could Happen Here is a production of 606 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:48,280 Speaker 1: cool Zone Media. Or more podcasts from cool Zone Media, 607 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:50,839 Speaker 1: visit our website cool zone Media dot com, or check 608 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: us out on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 609 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:56,280 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can find sources 610 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 1: for it could Happen Here, updated monthly at pool zone 611 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: Media dot com. Slide our sources. Thanks for listening, h