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Faith, Community & Collaboration in the Fight Against Substance Addiction with TJ Ward

Nov 8, 2023

U.S. DEA seizures reveal a chilling reality - 60% of the pills taken off the streets pack a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Our special guest, TJ Ward, a man of faith and a visionary in the fight against substance use disorder, shares his powerful insights and experiences.  TJ is the current Director of Advocacy at  Project Opioid North Florida.  Project Opioid North Florida is part of a statewide initiative funded by the Florida Blue Foundation to drastically reduce the number of opioid-related fatalities in our communities by bringing together key leaders to address the crisis. 

We discuss the role of faith in recovery, the importance of addressing mental health alongside addiction, and the need for collaboration and outreach to vulnerable communities.  We explore the impact of substance use disorder on individuals, families, and society as a whole, while also discussing potential solutions, such as education, policy change, and innovative treatment approaches.

In this episode, we will discuss: 

  • What parents need to know regarding the alarming rise of teen drug addiction
  • Progressive drug policies in U.S. cities
  • Differences in opinions on the bipartisan issue
  • The ripple effect of substance use on family dynamics
  • The importance of faith in recovery from addiction

 



 

 

Relevant links: https://www.anythingbutobvious.com/ and https://www.projectopioidnfl.org/

Views expressed in this material are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rigaku Analytical Devices. 

Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast player:

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To make sure you never miss an episode of The Opioid Matrix, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the website, or your favorite podcast player here: https://plinkhq.com/i/1625927161?to=page  
Michael W. Brown is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices. He has a distinguished career spanning more than 32 years as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He served as the country attaché in India and Myanmar; During his tour in Myanmar, he provided foreign advisory support for counter narcotic enforcement that, to date, has resulted in the interdiction of over US$250 million in precursor chemicals and implementing the regions first use of Raman spectroscopy to degrade the supply chain for narcotics production. He was also part of a special specialized counter narcotics unit operating in the jungles of South America tasked with locating and destroying drug labs and narcotic supply chains. Most recently he was the DEA Headquarters staff coordinator for the Office of Foreign Operations for the Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India. Michael is a graduate of the United States Ranger Training Battalion and has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary technology and management from the University of Eastern Michigan.

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