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Media contact: Mindi Tingler 561-252-6439 mindit@pbcms.org   FOR RELEASE: 6-17-20 Editor’s Note:  Media are invited to attend Palm Beach County Medical Society Launches Opioid Education Program with Former DEA “Drug Buster” Bob Stutman Three-Part Series to Start on June 25 (West Palm Beach, Fla.) – Bob Stutman, former head of the New York office ofRead more

With opioids like morphine, Vicodin, Oxycontin and fentanyl contributing to “the worst drug epidemic in modern American history,” Bob Stutman, former head of the DEA’s New York office, was stunned when the FDA approved a new drug called Dsuvia, an opioid 1,000 times stronger than morphine…100 times stronger than heroin…and 10 times stronger than fentanyl. So why did the FDA approve it? How will it be used? And how will it affect our society? According to Bob, even though the FDA says that it won’t, “This is going to become available on the streets very quickly, and it makes heroin look like a kiddie drug.” Bottom Line President Sarah Hiner gets all the details from Bob in this episode of the Bottom Line Advocator Podcast.     Original podcast

When, Where and How Kids Are Being Exposed to Drugs The current drug epidemic is not happening in the dark alleys with society’s outcasts playing the featured role, as has happened in the past. Today’s addicts are good kids and good neighbors. Kids are being exposed to drugs at an alarmingly high rate, and according to Bob Stutman, former head of the DEA’s New York office, parents have never been more oblivious to and naïve about what’s really going on. In this episode, Bob joins Bottom Line President Sarah Hiner to chronicle where and how kids are being subjected to drugs. In almost every case, it’s not the local drug dealer…it’s a brother, sister, cousin or best friend. It’s somebody who they love and respect. It’s common practice to preach, “Say no to drugs.” What was never taught? How to say no to drugs.  

  Bob Stutman, former head of the DEA’s New York office and one of the nation’s top experts on drug usage, was once told by a doctor, “The day I got out of my residency, I was no longer a physician…I was a business man.” This may not be true of every doctor, but it shines a light on one of the larger issues contributing to the worst drug epidemic in modern history—the pressure on doctors to treat patients with prescription pads rather than with safer, cheaper alternatives. In this podcast, Bottom Line CEO Sarah Hiner talks with Bob about this cultural shift in drug use, addiction, and its implications. It falls on us to educate ourselves and ask the questions—why is this still happening…and what steps can we take to shift the culture away from drug dependence and bring an end to the opioid crisis? As Bob says in this podcast, “It’s far more than a drug epidemic…it’s a culture-changing epidemic.” This interview was originally aired on the Bottom Line Advocator Podcast. We are proud to announce that out of hundreds of retired DEA Agents, Bob Stutman has been selected as a leading spokesperson for The DEA Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing substance abuse through advocacy, outreach and educational programs. Bob provided a powerful presentation on “Understanding the Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action” at a recent DEA Educational Foundation Benefit Reception in Beverly Hills. Learn more