Feb. 13, 2025

62 - Brian Townsend - Fentanyl Crisis Expert and Retired DEA Special Agent

In this conversation with Brian Townsend, a retired Special Agent of the DEA, we dive deep into the fentanyl crisis in the USA. Brian shares his insights on the organizations and countries responsible for the production and distribution of fentanyl, highlighting the role of international drug cartels and nations like China. We explore how America's drug consumption, particularly opioids, has contributed to the crisis, and trace the origins of the opioid epidemic. Brian sheds light on the complexities of combating fentanyl trafficking and discusses the broader impact of the opioid crisis on American society.

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You are listening to a Funds Media Network production. Welcome

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world The Blaze. Listeners to episode sixty two. On today's show,

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I feature my very special guest, Brian Townsend. He's a

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twenty eight year law enforcement veteran and a retired Supervisory

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Special Agent and former Resident Agent in Charge for the

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US Drug Enforcement Administration, also known as the DEEA. Currently,

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Brian is the founder and principal of Legal six Training,

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where he provides consulting services and training to businesses and

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law enforcement entities worldwide. He also launched Only two Milligrams, Inc.

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A five oh one c nonprofit organization where he leverages

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his extensive experience and knowledge in the opioid field to

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raise awareness and foster a deeper understanding of the opioid

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epidemic and an illicit fentanyl crisis. We have a very

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eye opening and informative conversation, so let's keep going. Thank

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you for being flexible. I'm sorry to be fairly on

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time here. You caught my attention as I was looking

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and I was searching literally doing a show on the border,

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and one of the things I kept coming up, obviously

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and they keep talking about, is the fentanyl crisis. And

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all the drugs coming across the border. And then I

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came across your name and then saw that you were

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a DAA agent and I'm sure experience goes way beyond that,

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but involved in law enforcement, so I thought i'd reach

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out to you. And then I also saw that you

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train other law enforcement agencies still to this day.

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Is that correct? That's correct?

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So I wanted I wanted to talk to you because

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you are an expert on this and the problem I'm

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having that that we're seeing these days with social media

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is everybody has an opinion on something but doesn't have

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all the facts. And so that's the whole reason I

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wanted to talk to just like can we get some

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real inside information on what's really happening, what the realities

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are fact from fiction? And then also want to talk

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about like what you're doing now after you left the

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DEA and how you're still involved in all of this.

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Sure, yeah, perfect. So I was with the DEA for

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twenty three years. Prior to that, I was a police

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officer for five years, so twenty eight years in law

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enforcement in an active capacity, you know, wearing the badge

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and gun. But I still work with law enforcement post

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DEA in a training capacity.

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What's your involvement with training in law enforcement?

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Though?

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Like, what are you doing as force training?

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So I wear a couple of hats. I went to work. Well, Actually,

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when I retired from DEA in twenty twenty two, I

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started my own training and consulting business, Eagle six Training.

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And I don't just train law enforcement, but that's something

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that's the world I navigated in for the last thirty years,

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so I have a lot of contacts and it just

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was a natural fit and I'm doing quite a bit

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with law enforcement in that capacity. And then that led

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me to a risk center. Uh there's six ris centers

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across the United States, and there's one in Missouri that

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serves the Midwest and it's the Midwest Organized Crime Information Center,

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and they hired me as a law enforcement training coordinator.

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Started part time and now now I'm full time and

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I train law enforcement in the nine states that we serve.

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So I do Egle six training in the forty one

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states and MCIC and the nine States. And then I

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started a nonprofit organization of five oh one c three

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IRS recognized nonprofit to address specifically the fentanyl crisis, and

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we're actually expanding into more threats and trends and what

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we can address to make our community safer. And right

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now that focus has been illicit ventanyl.

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What what are you offering through your nonprofit in terms

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of training and awareness when it comes to feneral.

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So we have we have three classes that My flagship

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class is a four hour comprehensive class. It's it's it's

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under It's the Illicit Fentanyl Crisis Understanding, Awareness and Action.

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It's a four hour class and it's it really is

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the kitchen sink. I mean, we talk about you know

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what fentanyl is, you know the fact that only two

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milligrams is enough to kill you if it gets in

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your system, The cartels, the border, social media, the dark web.

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I mean, we really really talk about everything. That presentation

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changes a lot. I keep up to date on a

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lot of the research I get. I have access to

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a lot of the bulletins. Still, I'm still involved with

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a lot of folks at THEA and so I'm quite

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up to date on what's going on in the illicit

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fentanyl world. And so I'm always changing that presentation and

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making sure all the statistics and informations up to date.

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And like I said, that's a four hour, very very

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comprehensive program. I've done ninety five or ninety six now

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across the United States. I have a shorter presentation that

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I call a lunche and learn. I've had a lot

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of executives and senior business leaders that are interested in

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learning more about Listit ventanyl, but they've told me they

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don't have four hours to spare, so they give me

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an hour and they kind of get the overview. That's

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gone really well. And then I have a program I

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called Chattering Dreams, which is for students, and I've done

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it for younger students, but my primary audience so far

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has been high school and college students, and that's really

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just giving them information and making them aware of the

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fentanyl crisis and the changing drug landscape.

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So two milligrams is enough to kill.

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Yeah, two milligrams, So a couple of granules assault or saan.

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Yeah, Okay, it's so potent in that dangerous that but

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there's got to be a max a huge amount of

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profit behind it, because for the cartels, for example, to

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take such a risk of using something that you can

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literally just come in contact with it if it absorbs

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in your skin, right and gets into your bloodstream. Is

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it that dangerous? Can it be that dangerous?

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No? And that that is I'm glad you brought that up.

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So in twenty sixteen, DEA put out a officer safety

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bulletin and then that went to the public as well.

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Is that you know that there was a risk of

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phtonol exposure, that it could absorb in your skin, that

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you know, just being around it could could make you overdose.

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And we now know that's that's that's not factual. We

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know that's that's incorrect, and it's a very dangerous drug

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and we should respect that. But just being around, merely

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being around it, you know, won't won't put anybody in jeopardy. Again,

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respect the drug use, use whatever ppe makes you feel confident.

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You know, I always wear naitral gloves and that's what

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I recommend, and that's what I wore when I was

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around it, and here I am. It has to get

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into your bloodstream. It has to get through a mucous membrane.

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You know, you're snorting it, you're injecting it, you're swallowing

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a pill. It's got to get into your body somehow.

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Just merely being around it or even touching it. It's

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not going not going to cause any harm.

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Is it always a case where finnyls being used to

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as something that's mixed into other drugs? Is it ever

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used just on its own, because I mean two milligrams

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is not a lot. Yeah, how is it being utilized?

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Yeah? So it got into our drug supply via heroin.

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It was when heroin took off. After the legal opioid

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crisis in the nineteen nineties that started with oxyconton, we

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saw an increase in heroin use and the traffickers needed

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to cut heroin, and fentanyl was the perfect cut because

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it is an opioid, so it has the same properties

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as heroin, and it's much cheaper. It's synthetic, and it's

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very potent and it's very addictive. So they started to

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put it into our drug supply via heroin and then

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it just took off and now we see it in cocaine,

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we see it methamphetamine, we see it in all the

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counterfeit pills. Do people use fentanyl alone, Yeah, but typically

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it's through other drugs, you know, the heroin, the cocaine,

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the methinphetamine.

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Uh.

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If you if you find someone who's struggling with substitutes disorders,

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you know, addiction, who is using just fentanyl. That's uh.

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I don't want say it's rare, but uh, I would

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more than likely if you were to follow their path,

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their drug use path, it probably started with another drug

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and then it led to the fentanyl.

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That's actually pretty infortive because I think I think there's

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a lot of misunderstanding on how it was being used

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exactly because uh, you see on the news lately in

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social media, they just talk about fentanyl by itself, and yeah,

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I think some people think it's just they're taking that

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on its own, which would be very dangerous to do.

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So it seems that it's in combination with another drug

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or used to cut another drug.

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Yeah, absolutely, that that's how it's most likely taken and

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and in fact, that's how most people are why they're dying,

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is they have no idea that it's fentanyl in the

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uh in the drugs that they're taking. That's why the

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street drugs are so dangerous right now, is is uh

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you know, you think you're getting a pill, you think

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you're getting percoset or oxy here or know or even adderall.

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It doesn't have to be an opioid and then boom,

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you got fentanyl in it, or you think you're using

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cocaine or method fetamine. There are people using fentanyl, like

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I said, but but typically it's it's in combination with

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another drug.

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Understood, So what's what's driving what's driving fentanyl in its

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use in general? Obviously there's a need or demand. Right,

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We're looking at it from a market or capitalist capitalistic perspective,

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So this is obviously making drugs in general more profitable. Right,

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Who are the major suppliers of fentanyl? I mean, we

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always hear China thrown around, We hear you know, other

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countries and other other nefarious actors involved. But from your experience,

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who are the major players involved that really helped to

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supply this for what it's used for.

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So, so the chemicals, the major players and the chemicals

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are are China. India's number two, but China's number one

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and by far number one. So those chemicals are shipped

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from China primary early into Mexico and the drug cartels

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will take shipment usually at the ports, and then from

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there they're trucked into locations in Mexico where where they're

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you know, their chemicals are made into fentanyl. It's the

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same way they did or they just continue to do

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with methamphetamine. The chemicals come from places like China, they

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come into the ports, they get trucked into the different

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labs and the different locations, and then they make the

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methamphetamine and then they smuggle into the US. The two

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primary organizations in Mexico that are behind that are the

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Sinaloa Cartel, the CDs in the Jalisco New Generation, the CJNG.

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Those are the two primary drug cartels transnational criminal organizations

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that are manufacturing and smuggling fentanyl into the United States.

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So it is primarily China and the Mexican cartels or

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those two Mexican cartels that you mentioned.

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Yes, absolutely, you know, I think about how methanphetamine. You know,

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if if you follow the history of methamphetamine, you remember

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in the in the nineteen nineties and and even in

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the early two thousands, we had a huge meth problem

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in the United States and it's still a big the

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United States. I mean, it's the most c drug in

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the US. But we had a lot of these little

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labs that popped up everywhere, right, and so what do

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we do? We started to regulate the different the chemicals

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like a Federan And to this day, if you need

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like good pseudo fed the strong stuff, you have to

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go to the you know, prescription yeah, or or or

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behind the behind the counter, you have to you have

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to give your driver's licensing and fill that little thing out.

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And what what that did overnight is that it really

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slowed down the small metham fetamine labs in the United States.

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I mean we were getting gosh, we were getting several

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hundred a week to now you might get two a year. Right,

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So at that time the cartel said, hey, wait, this

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is this is a great opportunity. So they went to

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places like China and India. It says, hey, can we

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get these chemicals? Can we get these shipped to us?

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And that's exactly what happened. They started to ship these

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chemicals to them and they would make the meth and

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fetamie and that's where we started the super labs and

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things like that. And give you an idea. I worked

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down on the border from two thousand nine to twenty sixteen,

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and we were paying probably twenty one thousand dollars a

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pound for meth at the time. And they just took

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over and right now, you can buy a pound of

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methamphetamine for about anywhere from eight hundred to fifteen hundred

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dollars for a pound. It's incredible. So now fast forward

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ten twenty years, fentanyl becomes popular. They need, like I

232
00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:32.879
said earlier, they needed a way to cut heroin to

233
00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:36.519
you know, because you never sell a raw product. So

234
00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:39.519
the need for fentanyl grew. And it's such an addictive

235
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substance and it's very cheap, like said, completely synthetic man made.

236
00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:47.559
So they when they were making those phone calls to

237
00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:51.159
the Chinese suppliers and the suppliers in China, they said, hey,

238
00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:55.840
by the way, we need the chemicals to make fentanyl now,

239
00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.200
and of course those relationships were already established because of

240
00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:03.000
the meth and fetamine. They're like, yeah, perfect, So yeah, absolutely,

241
00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:06.039
that's that's the pipeline right there, China to the two

242
00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:10.080
main cartels in Mexico, and then it's uh, it's transported

243
00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:12.799
into the US the same way that they've successfully transported

244
00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:14.919
other drugs into the US for decades.

245
00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:19.519
So when politics aside, I'm just going to say, when

246
00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.240
so when President Trump says the cartels are a problem

247
00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:24.759
and this is why, and and people think he's being

248
00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:29.559
whatever racis, naphone book, however you want to label it.

249
00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:31.759
He is telling the truth. The cartels are an issue

250
00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:33.919
when it comes to this. Sorry, am I right?

251
00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:38.159
Yeah? And absolutely, and both parties have I have said that,

252
00:13:38.279 --> 00:13:44.159
said that, and I know Trump's a very polarizing figure. Definitely,

253
00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:46.840
but what he said is is not It's not original

254
00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:50.240
or it's not unique. This has been a shared feeling

255
00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.720
from from politicians on both sides of the aisle. I

256
00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.679
mean one hundred percent. I mean, now the approaches are

257
00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.919
a little different, but but yeah, these two and that's why,

258
00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:00.960
you know, for the last gosh, for the last couple

259
00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:03.960
of years, the strategic focus of DA has been these

260
00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:07.320
to these two cartels. You know, before I retired.

261
00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.679
What has been the hurdles Because I know you have

262
00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.320
some connections. You can't talk about current investigations, but at

263
00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.200
the same time, from your experience and what what you know,

264
00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:17.279
what happened in the hurdles and trying to stop this.

265
00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.240
A lot of it has been well, I'm a lot

266
00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:23.879
more freer to speak now since some some no longer

267
00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:26.320
with TA. But along with lot's been the corruption and

268
00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:32.559
the problems in Mexico. Is we have the information. The

269
00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:37.240
pipeline of information, how it flows into Mexico to the

270
00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:39.759
law enforcement and to the folks that are supporting us

271
00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:43.879
is very restrictive now, especially within the last five years,

272
00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.600
very very restrictive. Where we had vetted teams throughout Mexico

273
00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:49.519
and we still do. There's a lot of you know,

274
00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:51.960
Mexico's beautiful country, a lot of great people who really

275
00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:55.600
trying to make it safer and and and and you

276
00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:58.159
know better, and they want to get rid of this garbage.

277
00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:01.039
But the problem is that the option and the controls

278
00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:04.000
they have really make it hard for us to disseminate

279
00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.960
information to the people that can really use it. You know,

280
00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:10.000
I think earlier this year, or actually earlier twenty twenty four,

281
00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:13.759
Rutgers and a couple other organizations were looking at numbers

282
00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.480
just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

283
00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:19.159
They wrote, they wrote, you can google this, They wrote

284
00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:21.799
a couple of things on it. We were giving them

285
00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:26.360
information on labs, fentanyl labs, and it was like eighty

286
00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:29.000
some are almost not almost close to ninety percent of

287
00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:32.080
the labs that we gave them information on when they

288
00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:36.039
actually went to go get them were inactive I can

289
00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:40.679
tell you we the US law enforcements not giving bad information.

290
00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:44.320
You know, sometimes you know, informants or information gets stale.

291
00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:47.440
I get it, but it just doesn't make any sense.

292
00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:49.720
I mean, almost ninety percent of the information we're giving

293
00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:52.639
them is no good. No, we wouldn't be wasting our

294
00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:53.159
time like that.

295
00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.720
So what does that mean there's someone leaking info? Or

296
00:15:56.039 --> 00:15:58.000
as you said, just there's the corruption.

297
00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:00.799
Yeah, I mean that's the concern, right, I mean, yeah,

298
00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:03.320
it really is, because because now when when when information

299
00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:06.960
goes down and it gets funneled a certain way, there's

300
00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:09.600
certain offices in Mexico that take that information and they

301
00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:13.039
decide how it's going to get disseminated. And the problem

302
00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:16.200
is is we can't trust that process. You know, I'm

303
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.000
not saying every bit of it's corrupt, but but there

304
00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:22.879
are people who we know have been compromised. So when

305
00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.720
that information is just thrown down earth is generalized and

306
00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.120
then people get to decide what gets disseminated and where

307
00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:32.279
it gets disseminated, we lose control of that. And when

308
00:16:32.279 --> 00:16:33.960
we lose control that, what do we get? We get

309
00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:37.120
ninety percent inactive labs. That's crazy, right, And that's just

310
00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:40.320
one example. I mean, there's that that's that's been part

311
00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:41.960
of the problem. That's and that's why it's going to

312
00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:46.080
be interesting really to see how Trump deals with Shimbam

313
00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:49.440
and you know, the tariffs and all the different talk.

314
00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:54.879
You know what, what leveraged can that possibly give the

315
00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.480
US to be more effective and have them target there.

316
00:16:58.759 --> 00:17:01.320
Well, what's more, it's more interesting, since you brought that up,

317
00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:06.440
is the current labeling all these cartels as actual foreign

318
00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:11.279
terrorist organizations, which now can involve the military, right Department

319
00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:13.839
of Defense. So that's where it's going to be very interesting,

320
00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:15.359
is how far they want to go to chase these

321
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.240
people down and treat them as true terrorists. What's your

322
00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:18.880
opinion on that.

323
00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:23.359
I'm actually excited for that, and it really I think

324
00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:26.319
it just again it leverages. It gives us some leverage

325
00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:29.799
on our options. I mean, obviously, Mexico's a sovereign nation

326
00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:31.400
and we have to respect that. And I think that's

327
00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.680
concern is that, you know, we're just going to let

328
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:35.599
our military run while out in Mexico and I don't.

329
00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:37.519
We've got to figure out that partnership in that, right.

330
00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:40.279
Yeah, there is absolutely a partnership in that, and I

331
00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:43.279
think that's what this does. It enhances our ability to

332
00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:48.480
broaden that partnership and actually get some work done. You know,

333
00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.720
their position seems to be, at least publicly as hey,

334
00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:54.079
we're going to take care of this problem, and we're

335
00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:56.119
going to be more aggressive on this. And actually I

336
00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:58.640
just read in the Intel bullets in this morning they've

337
00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:01.680
they've certainly ramped up their enforcement efforts in Mexico over

338
00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:03.920
the last couple of months. And you got to wonder

339
00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:06.759
if that's because of the the fear of the tariffs

340
00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:09.160
and and some of the other economic pressure.

341
00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:09.400
Uh.

342
00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.640
I mean, for those of you who don't for those

343
00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.160
people who don't know, I mean Mexico, their number one

344
00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:16.480
trading partner is the United States. It used to be China,

345
00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:18.880
it's now the United States. So you got a lot

346
00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.039
of big companies, a lot of people that are calling

347
00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:23.759
the president and calling their politicians in Mexico saying, hey,

348
00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:26.079
you need to figure out how to play ball with

349
00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:29.039
with Trump rand or the US government because this this

350
00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:32.359
impacts our bottom line and and and that's the reality

351
00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:32.599
of it.

352
00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.039
Yeah, it can literally economically crush.

353
00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:37.720
Them absolutely, and and that's a concern. And I think

354
00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.599
and that's the leverage we have, and and and again,

355
00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.400
not to be political or but because I know again

356
00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:45.920
I know he's a polarizing figure, but but that's I

357
00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:48.119
think that's what he's doing. And I don't want to

358
00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:51.920
speak for him, but that's that's my sense. So that's

359
00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.000
that's that's the advantage some of the things that that

360
00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:54.599
he's doing.

361
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.400
I agree with you. I think that's what he was

362
00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:00.279
using the tariffs for was literally a negotiation tactic. You know.

363
00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:02.240
I'm sure he's well aware that we do need our

364
00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:05.279
partners in our allies. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing

365
00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:07.119
a real partnership between Mexico and the United States to

366
00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:10.279
try to stamp this issue out because if anything, it

367
00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:13.079
would help us align with Mexico and helping our ally

368
00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:16.279
eliminate the corruption within and that that would be what

369
00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.319
I would hope for, is to see them actually truly

370
00:19:18.359 --> 00:19:21.319
have the ability to live a life out under the

371
00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:23.720
thumb of, let's be honest, a terrorist organization.

372
00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:24.319
Yeah.

373
00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:27.039
I know people from Mexico that have family in Mexico

374
00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:28.279
and that you know, I get a little insights to

375
00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:29.960
what goes on and how the streets and certain towns

376
00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:32.880
are controlled, and it's no way for anyone to live really,

377
00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:35.400
isn't it's a sad state, one.

378
00:19:35.319 --> 00:19:38.079
Hundred percent agree with you. In such a beautiful country,

379
00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:40.279
and there's so many people down there who really truly

380
00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:44.240
do want to, you know, make a positive difference. But

381
00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:46.680
it's a struggle when you live in a you know,

382
00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:49.799
look at the number of politicians that are have been attacked,

383
00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:51.400
you know, look at the number of police officers you've

384
00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.640
lost their lives. I mean, it's it's it's scary, it is,

385
00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:57.119
it's a sad state of affairs, and it's unfortunate for

386
00:19:57.119 --> 00:19:57.680
the people there.

387
00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:03.039
Let's shift to the northern though, because how much, how

388
00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:06.680
how serious is the trafficking through through the Canadian border.

389
00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:11.240
Trafficking of fentanyl into the US from Canada isn't, from

390
00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:15.039
my perspective, a huge problem, certainly, not like it is

391
00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:20.519
from our southern border. Canada has some issues itself because

392
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:24.039
of they've been very progressive in their drug laws, and

393
00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:25.680
it really is starting to bite them in the butt.

394
00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:27.599
You look at the super labs and the amount of

395
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:31.400
fentanyl seizures in Canada and the problem that they're having

396
00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:36.160
in Canada, uh is, gosh, it's it's it's getting out

397
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:37.880
of hand, just like it is in the United States.

398
00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.480
As far as that those drugs being smuggled into the US,

399
00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:46.039
I haven't seen any significant numbers, certainly, not like we

400
00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:47.200
do on the southern border.

401
00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:48.960
The most of it is staying in Canada.

402
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.640
Yeah, they they they're I mean Mexico has a problem

403
00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.279
with with fentanyl as well. I mean, I think of

404
00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:58.599
report just came out like Tijuana is losing like ten

405
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:01.759
people a day to over is just Tijuana. I mean

406
00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:06.200
that's just one little city, right and Canada is having

407
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:10.079
a tenfold that problem. They're they're really really struggled.

408
00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:13.160
I know they went through a crazy, uh crazy problem

409
00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:16.160
with methamphetamines too, with meth in general. Once the Hell's

410
00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:18.680
Angels took hold of that area up there for a

411
00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:21.480
long time and a couple of other biker gangs were

412
00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:23.960
dug in and starting to get in, you know, expand

413
00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:26.359
that market out there. So I know that that happened

414
00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:29.640
years back. Is a lot of the drugs though, because

415
00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:31.880
is this true? Is a lot of drugs getting there?

416
00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:33.559
Like the cartels if they're supplying US, why are they

417
00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:35.400
not supplying casts or are there are they coming through

418
00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:40.400
America and smuggling stuff across our border into Canada. Is

419
00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:42.880
that is that a true statement? Is that's what that's happening.

420
00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:46.200
Yeah, there there are There are cartel involvement in Canada

421
00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:50.839
as well. Absolutely, and they also have a problem with

422
00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:54.400
chemicals coming into Canada. And and like you said, the labs,

423
00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:57.400
we're seeing more manu the most manufacturing of fetanyl's O

424
00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:01.440
curring in Mexico. We've certainly seen an increase in Canada.

425
00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.680
But yeah, I mean they're they're they're having the same

426
00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:08.000
issues and challenges that we are not at the scale

427
00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:10.359
yet that that we have. I mean, it's unprecedented in

428
00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:12.920
the US. Durd demand for drugs is out of hand here,

429
00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:18.039
but they are certainly are having problems as well. Unfortunately.

430
00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:22.119
Yeah, sod one of those drug issues really become big,

431
00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:23.720
was it pretty much like in the mid to late

432
00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:26.880
eighties with the cocaine craze.

433
00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.759
Well, it really depends on I mean, if you if

434
00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:33.559
opioid specific was really the nineteen nineties opioids, Yeah, I

435
00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:35.880
mean we we we had an opioid problem in the

436
00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:39.240
in the eighteen hundreds in the United States following the

437
00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:43.160
Civil War, and if if you really dive into our

438
00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:46.160
history that was the first time we saw widespread addiction.

439
00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:49.920
I mean, we were using morphine and opium for for

440
00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.279
everything during the Civil War and and and that caused

441
00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:56.960
widespread addiction. And after the war, those soldiers took that

442
00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:59.400
back to their you know, their homes, their communities, and

443
00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:02.640
we never anything like that before, and we continued to

444
00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:05.000
use it because there wasn't any regulation. There wasn't any

445
00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:09.200
you know, there wasn't it wasn't anything preventing that that

446
00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:12.400
widespread abuse, and it just got worse and worse and worse.

447
00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:16.000
And the early nineteen hundreds we started to we started

448
00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:20.640
to clamp down on that. In fact, the first federal

449
00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:23.559
ban of drugs was opium, first time our government ever

450
00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:27.079
did that. And so from the year and then and

451
00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:29.720
then because of what happened during the Civil Civil War,

452
00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:33.599
we really turned away from pain management. I mean, we

453
00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:37.799
used opioids for pain. But if you had an opioid

454
00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:42.880
prescription from the early nineteen hundreds to nineteen ninety six,

455
00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:47.160
we know the date you were probably dying. I'm not

456
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:50.039
saying there wasn't some exceptions or people that you know

457
00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:52.559
that that fooled the system. But if you had an

458
00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.480
oploid prescription, it was. It wasn't subjective. It was probably objective.

459
00:23:56.519 --> 00:23:58.279
I meaning like the doctor could look at you and

460
00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.279
see that your arm was an eight different direction, that

461
00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:01.960
you were probably in pain. You couldn't just go in

462
00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.519
there and say my back hurts and walk away with

463
00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:07.680
a thirty day script of hydrocodone. Again, I know there's

464
00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:09.519
some exceptions, but for the most part, that's how we

465
00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:13.000
treated pain management. And there was this big, big push

466
00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.000
in the United States to change that. And we now

467
00:24:15.079 --> 00:24:17.799
know that that was the pharmaceutical industry was behind that,

468
00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:20.440
and Purdue was the big, the big one, and they

469
00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:22.200
weren't alone, but they were the big one, and there

470
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:25.279
was million dollars, millions and millions of dollars into this

471
00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:28.960
campaign change the way that we that we treated pain.

472
00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:32.480
And they would tell doctors say, hey, we need to

473
00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:36.079
you know, we've advanced as a society since the Civil

474
00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:39.039
War and the research is clear now that this isn't

475
00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:43.640
as addictive and and they were just beating this drum

476
00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.440
for ten twenty years and it worked. In nineteen ninety six,

477
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:49.400
we added pain as a fifth vital sign, and at

478
00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:51.559
the same time they said, oh, when we have the

479
00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:54.559
pill for you, oxyconton. And it's interesting if you read

480
00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:56.720
some of the Foyer and Sunshine laws and all the

481
00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:58.400
some of the some of the things that have come

482
00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:01.160
out now, you know, and only Purdue was talking about

483
00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:03.880
how this was going to be for terminal cancer patients,

484
00:25:03.880 --> 00:25:06.759
but they agreed that that that pool of people is

485
00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:08.400
too small, and then all of a sudden it was

486
00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:11.200
going to be for everyone, right, And that's exactly what

487
00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:13.400
they did, is they marketed for everyone, and they did

488
00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:15.079
it under the guys at less than one percent of

489
00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:17.400
people will become addicted, and we know that's not true.

490
00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:20.519
It's the name of prophet, really it was. I mean,

491
00:25:20.599 --> 00:25:23.920
we went we had a pill that I think it

492
00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:27.359
took them, you know, three or four years after it

493
00:25:27.400 --> 00:25:30.440
was released. They were they were spending two or three

494
00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:33.480
hundred million dollars a year just on marketing. It was incredible.

495
00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:35.799
And this was a thirty five billion dollar pill. And

496
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:37.839
again they weren't alone, but this was a big one.

497
00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:39.920
And then you look at what that did. I mean,

498
00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:42.079
we went from think about that, from from the early

499
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:45.279
nineteen hundreds to nineteen ninety six, if you had an opioid,

500
00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:50.519
you were statistically speaking, probably dying, you know, and then

501
00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:53.359
we went from no, they're safe. So in nineteen ninety

502
00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:57.160
six on, you had your WISDM teeth taken out, you

503
00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:59.960
probably went home with thirty sixty ninety pills, no questions asked.

504
00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:03.359
Your kid hurt their arm throwing baseball in the little

505
00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:06.079
league game, he probably went home with thirty sixty ninety pills,

506
00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:08.240
no question to ask. And then they were going after

507
00:26:08.279 --> 00:26:12.720
the doctors who were who were concerned about this potential

508
00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:15.400
problem of over prescribing, and they would they would threaten

509
00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:18.519
their licenses. And then the government started looking at this

510
00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:20.960
and they started forming the you know, Congress would form

511
00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:22.799
these committees and they'd have these doctors on there. And51200:26:22.839 --> 00:26:24.319



we now know a lot of these doctors on these51300:26:24.319 --> 00:26:27.559



committees were paid for by and by purdueing the other51400:26:27.599 --> 00:26:32.279



pharmaceutical companies. So to give you an idea, by twenty twelve,51500:26:33.039 --> 00:26:36.200



I think it was eighty one. It was eighty one prescriptions.51600:26:36.359 --> 00:26:39.359



Eighty one or eighty two prescriptions per one hundred people,51700:26:39.440 --> 00:26:41.640



not one hundred thousand, not a million, but per one51800:26:41.680 --> 00:26:46.119



hundred people. So eighty one prescriptions per one hundred people.51900:26:46.240 --> 00:26:49.599



Opioid prescriptions. I mean, we were it was literally we're52000:26:49.640 --> 00:26:50.759



just giving it up for Nyasy.52100:26:50.799 --> 00:26:53.839



Out of every hundred, out of every group of one hundred,52200:26:53.839 --> 00:26:55.680



there was eighty one people on opioids.52300:26:56.200 --> 00:26:59.599



There were eighty one prescriptions. Yeah for eighty one prescriptions, Yeah, prescriptions.52400:27:00.039 --> 00:27:01.839



And to give you an idea, right now, it's come52500:27:01.880 --> 00:27:03.559



down quite a bit. Right now, I think the national52600:27:03.559 --> 00:27:05.880



average is about thirty seven and a half per one52700:27:05.960 --> 00:27:09.240



hundred people. And so one of the things I look at,52800:27:09.400 --> 00:27:11.599



especially when I travel, is I look at the counties,52900:27:11.640 --> 00:27:14.240



and you know what counties are suffering the most, because53000:27:14.279 --> 00:27:17.079



we do see a correlation of high opioid use, legal53100:27:17.079 --> 00:27:20.559



opioid use to people turning to the illegal market. And53200:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.880



that's exactly what happened in the nineteen nineties when we53300:27:22.920 --> 00:27:25.440



when we were giving opioids out like it was candy,53400:27:25.880 --> 00:27:29.000



and we saw more and more opioids out there. You53500:27:29.000 --> 00:27:31.319



know a lot of doctors are like, WHOA, this is crazy.53600:27:31.319 --> 00:27:33.160



We've been We've been liied to, We've been we've been53700:27:33.200 --> 00:27:35.839



fooled by by purduing these other country companies. We can't53800:27:35.880 --> 00:27:37.359



just give this stuff out. We gotta a little more53900:27:37.400 --> 00:27:40.079



responsible than this. So they started to wean some of54000:27:40.119 --> 00:27:43.440



their patients or even just go cold Turkey, and a54100:27:43.440 --> 00:27:46.400



lot of these these patients would would uh would just54200:27:46.440 --> 00:27:48.240



go to other doctors. And that's when we saw the54300:27:48.240 --> 00:27:50.839



pill mills pop up. That's when we see the people54400:27:51.039 --> 00:27:52.680



get in their vehicles and they would just drive around54500:27:52.720 --> 00:27:54.519



the whole regions and they would just get many pills54600:27:54.559 --> 00:27:57.079



as they could, and then if they couldn't, they turned54700:27:57.079 --> 00:28:00.680



to the street for for for for heroin. So we54800:28:00.720 --> 00:28:03.359



saw a huge spike and haroin. We hadn't seen that54900:28:03.359 --> 00:28:05.680



type of spike and hair win since since the Vietnam War.55000:28:06.599 --> 00:28:08.240



And then that's how fentanyl came in.55100:28:08.359 --> 00:28:10.799



So can we use there's an assumption, by the way,55200:28:10.880 --> 00:28:12.960



But from whatever all the information you give me, does55300:28:13.000 --> 00:28:16.480



it does it not sound like the cartels are part55400:28:16.480 --> 00:28:19.279



of the problem. But the bigger problem to addiction is55500:28:20.119 --> 00:28:23.440



internally and kind of fueled or started to be or55600:28:23.559 --> 00:28:27.799



was started by the big farmer corporations because they, I mean,55700:28:27.839 --> 00:28:30.240



I would say they they knew they were peddling something addictive.55800:28:31.039 --> 00:28:33.039



They had to. I mean, the more you give someone,55900:28:33.200 --> 00:28:35.200



if they like it, they're gonna they're gonna want more56000:28:35.200 --> 00:28:35.480



of it.56100:28:35.839 --> 00:28:38.319



Yeah, and I agree, and let me let me let56200:28:38.359 --> 00:28:40.839



me say this real quick yeah, I have a problem56300:28:40.839 --> 00:28:43.119



with the pharmaceutical industry. I have a problem with the cartails.56400:28:43.119 --> 00:28:45.240



I have a problem with China. But we do need56500:28:45.279 --> 00:28:46.920



to reduce the demand because at the end of the day,56600:28:46.920 --> 00:28:49.119



it is our demand that that fuels them and that56700:28:49.240 --> 00:28:52.039



and that allows them to be successful and exploit these people.56800:28:52.599 --> 00:28:55.240



But to your question, yeah, absolutely, I mean we we56900:28:55.319 --> 00:28:58.119



had an industry that that became billion.57000:28:58.599 --> 00:29:01.000



Who created the demand though, like we had if we57100:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.839



had to say where it started, how was that demand created?57200:29:04.279 --> 00:29:06.920



They created the demand. I mean when we went from57300:29:07.160 --> 00:29:10.400



from when we added pain as a fifth final sign57400:29:10.640 --> 00:29:14.519



and they started to give thirty sixty ninety pills, no57500:29:14.680 --> 00:29:17.480



questions asked for just the I mean you ever been57600:29:17.519 --> 00:29:19.160



by a pill mill. I mean we used to work57700:29:19.160 --> 00:29:21.480



those all the time at DA and you know, they'd57800:29:21.519 --> 00:29:23.319



open up at let's say seven in the morning and57900:29:23.359 --> 00:29:25.720



buy five thirty. You'd have a one hundred people waiting58000:29:25.720 --> 00:29:29.880



in line, you know, And I could tell you tons58100:29:29.880 --> 00:29:32.119



of cases investigations we worked. I mean, we had we58200:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.680



had a bad guy who was putting homeless people on58300:29:34.799 --> 00:29:37.599



buses and he'd take these people to the pill mills.58400:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.519



They'd go in there and they'd fake you know, my58500:29:39.599 --> 00:29:43.039



back hurts, my knee hurts. Whatever. They'd get these scripts,58600:29:43.160 --> 00:29:45.160



no questions asked, you know, they just pay their twenty58700:29:45.160 --> 00:29:48.359



five thirty dollars copay and then they would they would58800:29:48.400 --> 00:29:51.359



be bused to a pharmacy and they would fill these58900:29:51.400 --> 00:29:54.119



scripts and then they would be paid twenty thirty bucks59000:29:54.240 --> 00:29:56.839



or maybe a bottle liquor or something. And I mean59100:29:56.880 --> 00:30:00.000



this was widespread abuse, and it still happens a little bit,59200:30:00.119 --> 00:30:03.839



but yeah, it absolutely fueled in nineteen nineties. I mean,59300:30:03.880 --> 00:30:06.319



they were out of control. I mean it was it59400:30:06.400 --> 00:30:10.000



wasn't until twenty twelve that we actually twenty thirteen when59500:30:10.039 --> 00:30:14.880



our government actually declared legal opioids a crisis, you know,59600:30:14.880 --> 00:30:16.839



twenty thirteen, and no one even knows that.59700:30:17.519 --> 00:30:21.240



So it sounds like that was the gateway basically, like59800:30:21.680 --> 00:30:23.680



everything that happened and how it was handled by the59900:30:23.680 --> 00:30:27.079



pharmaceutical industry, well, the companies that were involved in pushing60000:30:27.079 --> 00:30:30.640



opioids anyway, That's what it sounds like. That's what got60100:30:30.680 --> 00:30:35.319



people to start seeking and craving other illicit and illegal60200:30:35.400 --> 00:30:38.200



drugs for their own use, because once it was shut off,60300:30:38.240 --> 00:30:40.039



like hey, you know, law, get a prescription for this now,60400:30:40.039 --> 00:30:43.119



you've got to seek another solution to your addiction. Then60500:30:43.400 --> 00:30:46.799



enters you know the increase in legal drug use and distribution?60600:30:47.720 --> 00:30:49.359



Am I connecting the dots there correctly?60700:30:50.079 --> 00:30:55.079



Yes, sir, Absolutely, we saw a substantial increase in heroin use,60800:30:55.119 --> 00:30:59.000



and we know there's been a lot of research. At60900:30:59.119 --> 00:31:04.000



least eighty percent of heroin users started with legal opioid prescriptions.61000:31:04.960 --> 00:31:08.160



Let me repeat that, eighty percent or more of heroin61100:31:08.279 --> 00:31:11.799



users started with a legal opioid prescription.61200:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.119



I think that's one of the most important things you've61300:31:14.160 --> 00:31:17.319



said so far as far as it relates to the61400:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.920



drug demand and use in the United States. And I61500:31:19.960 --> 00:31:23.400



llegal drugs. And what's crazy is when you when you61600:31:23.400 --> 00:31:27.200



were given the history on this earlier, the reality is,61700:31:27.480 --> 00:31:30.559



how is it okay? How does our administration think it's61800:31:30.720 --> 00:31:35.440



okay to market and advertise prescription drug drugs on TV61900:31:35.559 --> 00:31:38.480



and radio and other media. The average person has no62000:31:38.519 --> 00:31:40.960



idea what these things do. It's just associating the name62100:31:40.960 --> 00:31:42.759



of their heads. So when they go to the doctor like, oh,62200:31:42.799 --> 00:31:45.000



I heard this might cure this. Can you please give62300:31:45.000 --> 00:31:47.599



this to me? Isn't that ridiculous?62400:31:48.200 --> 00:31:49.799



I agreed. Let me throw another one at you. This62500:31:49.839 --> 00:31:53.359



is an opioid related, but it's the same problem. You've62600:31:53.400 --> 00:31:55.519



heard we have an adderall shortage in the United States.62700:31:55.680 --> 00:31:57.480



I heard something about the kay we don't have a62800:31:57.480 --> 00:31:59.240



short shortage. We can't meet the demand.62900:31:59.319 --> 00:31:59.960



Is that what it is?63000:32:00.039 --> 00:32:02.920



They can't be fast enough. So here you look at63100:32:02.920 --> 00:32:04.920



the pharmaceutical industry and what they did in the nineteen63200:32:05.000 --> 00:32:07.720



nineties and really prior to the nineteen nineties when they63300:32:07.759 --> 00:32:10.440



were orchestrating this event to change the way we dealt63400:32:10.480 --> 00:32:13.519



with pain. They have been telling us for the last63500:32:13.519 --> 00:32:18.920



ten twenty years that our kids need stimulants, you know,63600:32:19.000 --> 00:32:22.200



in this medicine. And if you look at the numbers63700:32:22.240 --> 00:32:25.200



and you start going into high school, middle school, elementary school,63800:32:26.319 --> 00:32:29.160



it's incredible that like you see these slide increases of63900:32:29.200 --> 00:32:31.920



people using these stimulants, kids using these stimulants, and now64000:32:31.960 --> 00:32:35.759



this they've spiked substantially. I mean monitoring the future study64100:32:35.759 --> 00:32:39.240



which is which is a huge study out of University64200:32:39.279 --> 00:32:42.000



of Michigan. I'm doing it probably twenty five thirty years.64300:32:42.680 --> 00:32:45.279



Last year I think was fifteen percent of high school64400:32:45.279 --> 00:32:49.880



seniors now say they're under some medical stimulant from a doctor.64500:32:50.240 --> 00:32:52.119



Fifteen percent. And then when you again when you go64600:32:52.119 --> 00:32:56.799



into middle school, in elementary school, it's increased substantially, and64700:32:56.839 --> 00:32:59.440



it doesn't make sense. I mean, I don't study statistics,64800:32:59.440 --> 00:33:01.759



but I do know that. You know, with statistics, there's64900:33:01.759 --> 00:33:04.839



a there's a there's a an average arrange I figure65000:33:04.880 --> 00:33:06.359



what they call that. And then when you look when65100:33:06.400 --> 00:33:09.119



you see those those spikes, you look at them, why65200:33:09.119 --> 00:33:11.240



are those spike? And then we're seeing.65300:33:10.960 --> 00:33:13.000



That, Yeah, well, you're what you do is you start65400:33:13.039 --> 00:33:16.240



to correlate the data. I mean you're correlating the data.65500:33:16.400 --> 00:33:19.359



And then after that, outside of correlating the data, you65600:33:19.400 --> 00:33:22.640



start to recognize patterns and so that that's that's what65700:33:22.680 --> 00:33:25.599



you're seeing is in these reports. It's like, hold on,65800:33:25.920 --> 00:33:29.119



there's a correlation here. Let me see. Uh, there's more65900:33:29.160 --> 00:33:33.319



adderall or whatever types of drugs being prescribed, more demand66000:33:33.359 --> 00:33:36.359



for this drug that drug, and you're seeing the spikes66100:33:36.359 --> 00:33:38.359



on these reports, like, yeah, there's a correlation there. There's66200:33:38.359 --> 00:33:41.880



something going on. This is absolutely connected. So it's crazy66300:33:41.920 --> 00:33:43.839



that we have this data and yet we don't really66400:33:43.839 --> 00:33:46.599



do anything about it, or on the surface, it doesn't66500:33:46.599 --> 00:33:47.480



look that way anyway.66600:33:48.039 --> 00:33:50.920



No, I agree, And what's interesting is is we're supposed66700:33:50.960 --> 00:33:52.480



to use this data. Like one of the things DEA66800:33:52.559 --> 00:33:53.920



does A lot of people don't know this is they66900:33:53.920 --> 00:33:57.640



have what we call quotas and and working with the FDA,67000:33:57.799 --> 00:34:01.000



DEA regulates the amount of drug drugs. And I've never67100:34:01.079 --> 00:34:05.039



worked in this section, so hopeful I'm not messing up67200:34:05.079 --> 00:34:07.759



the description of this. But basically what they do is67300:34:07.960 --> 00:34:12.400



they monitor and they regulate the amount of the drugs67400:34:12.480 --> 00:34:17.440



that are pharmaceutical company manufacturers. And like I said, we67500:34:17.519 --> 00:34:20.760



can no longer meet the demand of adderall. So people67600:34:20.800 --> 00:34:23.440



were freaking out, like where's our adderalls or adderall? So67700:34:23.679 --> 00:34:25.360



what do they do? They go to their congressmen, and67800:34:25.360 --> 00:34:27.719



they go to their senators, and then they come to67900:34:27.800 --> 00:34:30.159



DA and say, hey, you need to increase your quotas.68000:34:30.519 --> 00:34:32.800



And if you follow the money again, this goes right68100:34:32.840 --> 00:34:36.039



back to the pharmaceutical industry, and they are putting a68200:34:36.079 --> 00:34:39.119



lot of pressure on their senators and congressmen to tell68300:34:39.239 --> 00:34:41.199



DA and the FDA and the federal government, hey, you68400:34:41.239 --> 00:34:44.079



need to increase the manufacturing numbers. And that's exactly what68500:34:44.199 --> 00:34:46.079



we've did. So if you look at the number of68600:34:47.920 --> 00:34:50.320



let me time myself out for just a second. I68700:34:50.440 --> 00:34:52.199



know there are kids out there who need certain things.68800:34:52.239 --> 00:34:53.880



I get it. I'm not telling people how to parent,68900:34:54.480 --> 00:34:56.679



but it doesn't make sense when you look at the69000:34:56.760 --> 00:34:59.840



overall numbers. We are feed our kids drugs and an69100:34:59.840 --> 00:35:03.039



earth earlier age these stimulates and it's already having impact.69200:35:03.559 --> 00:35:07.639



I work with law enforcement every state, and the number69300:35:07.639 --> 00:35:10.039



of narcotic agents who've told me that, hey, we've already69400:35:10.039 --> 00:35:13.119



seen an increase in methamphetamine and cocaine arrests from young people.69500:35:14.119 --> 00:35:17.400



If you look at the number of people dying from psychostimulants,69600:35:17.480 --> 00:35:21.559



cocaine and methamphetamine, it's increased, and sadly, I think it's69700:35:21.599 --> 00:35:23.880



going to continue to increase, especially for our young people.69800:35:24.559 --> 00:35:26.599



The same thing, it really pisses me out. The same69900:35:26.679 --> 00:35:29.320



thing that happened in the nineteen nineties with the pharmaceutical70000:35:29.320 --> 00:35:35.519



industry targeting opioids happen with psychostimulants and we just let70100:35:35.599 --> 00:35:38.519



it happen. And that's a trend in the next five70200:35:38.599 --> 00:35:40.480



ten years, people like me are going to be talking70300:35:40.519 --> 00:35:43.400



about in schools and you know, after the fact, because70400:35:43.760 --> 00:35:46.519



you know, we're a react to society. We're never proactive.70500:35:47.360 --> 00:35:49.400



I've said that more than once. I agree with you.70600:35:49.480 --> 00:35:53.280



We are way too reactive, way too reactive. So even70700:35:53.360 --> 00:35:56.519



if we get the cartels are an issue regardless. I70800:35:56.559 --> 00:35:59.960



mean it's everything from sex, trafficking, violence, you name, everything else,70900:36:00.000 --> 00:36:01.719



not just drugs. So we do got to get a71000:36:01.760 --> 00:36:03.719



handle on that. But it sounds like our drug issue71100:36:03.800 --> 00:36:07.159



is not going to really make a difference until we71200:36:07.480 --> 00:36:10.159



change how we handle the pharmaceutical industry and the medical71300:36:10.159 --> 00:36:14.679



industry in general when it comes to these addictive prescription drugs.71400:36:15.880 --> 00:36:18.719



Yeah, and that's a challenge because that's where the money is.71500:36:18.840 --> 00:36:21.599



It's I mean, you look, you know, we talked about71600:36:21.599 --> 00:36:23.679



the opioid crisis, and I told you about like, you know,71700:36:23.760 --> 00:36:27.039



OxyContin and how by twenty twelve we hit like eighty71800:36:27.280 --> 00:36:31.000



eighty two prescriptions per one hundred people. We here in71900:36:31.079 --> 00:36:34.440



twenty sixteen Congress passes and it was pretty much an72000:36:34.480 --> 00:36:37.719



anonymous bill. I mean, both Republicans and Democrats supported it,72100:36:38.400 --> 00:36:39.760



and I forget the name of the bill, but it72200:36:39.840 --> 00:36:42.840



was it was basically to make DEA's job harder to72300:36:42.960 --> 00:36:46.960



go after suspicious drug suppliers. And this was and if72400:36:47.000 --> 00:36:49.840



you follow the money, it was the pharm seal clindustry72500:36:50.320 --> 00:36:52.960



that puts money in both both parties pockets and this72600:36:53.079 --> 00:36:55.920



was in twenty sixteen. We already had a problem in.72700:36:55.960 --> 00:36:58.360



This crazy So they're putting money in their pockets, but72800:36:58.400 --> 00:37:01.559



it's considered lobbying, right quotes for people who aren't watching us,72900:37:01.599 --> 00:37:06.320



So it's lobbying, and they're able to influence policy by lobbying, right,73000:37:06.800 --> 00:37:09.880



And you can't go after them because the company is73100:37:10.039 --> 00:37:12.679



its own entity, which is kind of its own person.73200:37:12.840 --> 00:37:15.079



So you're not really directly going after the people making73300:37:15.119 --> 00:37:18.239



the actual decisions unless you can all recal I guess, right,73400:37:18.880 --> 00:37:21.719



correlate their actions to what's going on in the company.73500:37:21.840 --> 00:37:24.199



Is that right? Am I on the right path there?73600:37:24.840 --> 00:37:29.320



Yeah? You're absolutely. Yeah. It's it's frustrating, it really is. Yeah.73700:37:30.159 --> 00:37:32.920



It's like it's like when they were convenient committees and73800:37:33.000 --> 00:37:34.800



they put these doctors together, and we now know that73900:37:34.880 --> 00:37:37.119



a significant number of these doctors were bought and paid for,74000:37:37.960 --> 00:37:39.800



you know, by the by the companies that they were74100:37:40.119 --> 00:37:43.159



there to talk about. I mean, that's what kind of74200:37:43.320 --> 00:37:45.239



conflict of your interest is that at the end of74300:37:45.280 --> 00:37:48.239



the day. I just don't know how people can go74400:37:48.360 --> 00:37:50.280



to bed at night, you know, how do they look74500:37:50.280 --> 00:37:52.079



in themselves in the mirror and then and then close74600:37:52.119 --> 00:37:54.599



their eyes and think, man, what are we doing? I mean,74700:37:54.760 --> 00:37:58.000



the greed and the it's just disgusting and that that's74800:37:58.039 --> 00:38:01.480



something that really just quite frankly pisses me off as74900:38:01.519 --> 00:38:02.000



well well.75000:38:02.039 --> 00:38:05.199



And that and so when when Scheinbaum said, you know,75100:38:05.719 --> 00:38:07.840



President Mexico, when she made that statement, people hate it.75200:38:07.880 --> 00:38:11.199



It's like all over acts everywhere, especially especially the hard75300:38:11.320 --> 00:38:13.920



right conservatives, were like, how dare she say that the75400:38:14.000 --> 00:38:15.760



only way we can hand the cartels are one way75500:38:15.800 --> 00:38:19.039



is to decrease the demand in the United States, like75600:38:19.119 --> 00:38:21.039



we're craving it, so that's why it's being sold. So75700:38:21.199 --> 00:38:24.199



she is spot on that in that statement. But you know,75800:38:24.239 --> 00:38:27.599



it's not the it's not the complete answer, but she75900:38:27.880 --> 00:38:28.880



is correct.76000:38:29.800 --> 00:38:32.440



You, No, it is a holistic answer, right, Like you said,76100:38:32.480 --> 00:38:34.719



I mean, we gotta we gotta take we gotta we76200:38:34.800 --> 00:38:39.159



gotta have some challenge, challenging questions and discussions within our76300:38:39.199 --> 00:38:42.679



own country and our own pharmaceuical industry and and a76400:38:42.719 --> 00:38:44.320



lot of things, not just them. You know, I know76500:38:44.400 --> 00:38:47.000



we're picking on them, but I also agree with the76600:38:47.039 --> 00:38:49.199



fact that we knew we need to reduce the demand.76700:38:49.239 --> 00:38:51.719



I mean, look at the global population of the world.76800:38:52.159 --> 00:38:54.800



The US is about four or maybe four and a76900:38:54.840 --> 00:38:58.000



half percent of the global population. The entire world population.77000:38:58.119 --> 00:39:00.519



We only represent four and a half percent, let's say.77100:39:01.360 --> 00:39:04.159



Yet we consume the most amount of drugs in the world. Yeah,77200:39:04.239 --> 00:39:06.400



and you can look at study after study after ste.77300:39:06.639 --> 00:39:08.679



We are the market, right, We're the global market.77400:39:09.000 --> 00:39:11.800



We are the market. And people can say, oh, you're77500:39:11.920 --> 00:39:16.400



thinking of third world countries. No, USC did a study77600:39:16.480 --> 00:39:20.199



back in twenty nineteen and they looked at just first77700:39:20.239 --> 00:39:24.599



world countries, you know, the England, Germany, Italy, Australia, just77800:39:25.039 --> 00:39:28.800



the big countries. Right, Your chances from dying from drugs77900:39:29.400 --> 00:39:32.119



are three times greater than those countries, the two lowest78000:39:32.159 --> 00:39:34.400



in the world, Italy and Japan. Your chances from dying78100:39:34.440 --> 00:39:37.039



from drugs in the US twenty seven times greater than78200:39:37.079 --> 00:39:39.760



those two countries. Your chances are from dying from drugs78300:39:39.760 --> 00:39:42.159



in the US by age fifty greater than any of78400:39:42.199 --> 00:39:45.119



those countries. I mean, we have to reduce the demand.78500:39:45.239 --> 00:39:50.639



So in a started by our own health care industry,78600:39:50.760 --> 00:39:52.719



for example, hooking our own people on this.78700:39:53.000 --> 00:39:56.320



Yeah, that was certainly certainly didn't hurt.78800:39:56.360 --> 00:39:57.880



That's a blunt way to say it, but I mean78900:39:58.119 --> 00:39:59.559



that's what it is right.79000:40:00.159 --> 00:40:03.840



Yeah, yeah, I mean a lot of people were exploiting79100:40:04.119 --> 00:40:04.519



from with it.79200:40:04.960 --> 00:40:06.320



Let me let me be clear, I'm not I'm not79300:40:06.440 --> 00:40:09.400



saying that every doctor's bad like I'm with I'm not79400:40:09.519 --> 00:40:12.039



saying that. But if you're looking at the facts and79500:40:12.159 --> 00:40:16.159



data in all of all the years, you know, all79600:40:16.199 --> 00:40:18.119



of it back to when you were talking about the79700:40:18.159 --> 00:40:21.000



nineties and et cetera, it all leads back to that,79800:40:21.559 --> 00:40:24.199



it really does, and the greed of the people who79900:40:24.239 --> 00:40:27.320



are making the policy decisions. It's insane.80000:40:27.840 --> 00:40:30.079



I don't I don't disagree with you. I I that's80100:40:30.199 --> 00:40:33.760



it is insane, And that's the ethical and moral issues80200:40:33.800 --> 00:40:37.519



there that that's that's what That's what really bothers me.80300:40:37.559 --> 00:40:40.599



I know there's criminal activity, but but how do people again,80400:40:40.679 --> 00:40:42.119



how do they how do they look themselves in the80500:40:42.360 --> 00:40:42.880



in the mirror?80600:40:42.920 --> 00:40:45.320



And do you know if do you know of anything80700:40:45.360 --> 00:40:50.400



that's being done now to help with that situation with80800:40:50.559 --> 00:40:54.159



our prescription with our prescription drug problem. Are are they80900:40:54.199 --> 00:40:56.719



still focusing on that? Is that still something that's being81000:40:57.400 --> 00:40:59.480



looked at or did they kind of just step away81100:40:59.519 --> 00:41:01.800



from it after ninety six or seven and say, well,81200:41:01.840 --> 00:41:04.119



we kind of we did what we did now we're good.81300:41:05.360 --> 00:41:07.760



No, we once it hit its peak, which was twenty81400:41:07.960 --> 00:41:10.280



twelve and twenty thirteen, our government says, hey, we have81500:41:10.360 --> 00:41:14.039



a problem. So in twenty thirteen, yeah, so we've seen it.81600:41:14.280 --> 00:41:17.000



We started to regulate it more so we we've seen81700:41:17.039 --> 00:41:18.960



a significant increase. So we went from, like I said,81800:41:19.000 --> 00:41:22.199



around eighty one eighty two prescriptions per one hundred people81900:41:22.199 --> 00:41:25.079



to where we are now, which is thirty seven and82000:41:25.119 --> 00:41:27.079



a half. I believe as of twenty twenty four.82100:41:27.320 --> 00:41:29.320



Still a bit though it is.82200:41:29.480 --> 00:41:31.639



And then you know, like I said, when I travel,82300:41:31.679 --> 00:41:34.199



I actually look at the states that I travel in,82400:41:34.280 --> 00:41:39.119



and some some states are significantly high. And let's give82500:41:39.119 --> 00:41:41.360



you an example of the worst in the Well, the82600:41:42.360 --> 00:41:45.000



number one state in the United States for drug deaths82700:41:45.320 --> 00:41:47.719



is West Virginia. And if you look at the history82800:41:47.760 --> 00:41:49.840



of West Virginia, they were really ground zero for the82900:41:49.920 --> 00:41:53.039



OPIOAI crisis. So there is a correlation there. And then83000:41:53.039 --> 00:41:55.480



if you start diving into the counties in West Virginia,83100:41:56.239 --> 00:41:59.480



there were six counties that had over two hundred prescriptions83200:41:59.519 --> 00:42:03.320



per hundred people, two hundred plus prescriptions, and there's still83300:42:03.320 --> 00:42:06.119



a lot of they're still struggling in West Virginia with83400:42:07.239 --> 00:42:10.920



with overdoses and drug poisonings and and and legal opioids,83500:42:10.960 --> 00:42:13.679



and it's just it's it's going to take time.83600:42:13.960 --> 00:42:16.239



Is educating people enough though? I mean a lot of83700:42:16.239 --> 00:42:18.760



people say, well, if if you were educated, or if83800:42:18.760 --> 00:42:21.559



you're educated about how these drugs affect you, you wouldn't83900:42:21.840 --> 00:42:24.559



you wouldn't take them, or or you know, so easily84000:42:24.599 --> 00:42:27.440



take the prescription for example. Is that a true statement?84100:42:27.519 --> 00:42:28.320



Is education enough?84200:42:29.119 --> 00:42:30.760



Or or is it?84300:42:31.039 --> 00:42:33.280



I'm sorry to second part I forgot. I didn't mean84400:42:33.320 --> 00:42:36.239



to cut up sores. Here's the two part. Is education enough?84500:42:36.400 --> 00:42:39.000



And and two if they are educated, is it still84600:42:39.079 --> 00:42:41.719



enough to overcome the money behind the big farm in84700:42:41.760 --> 00:42:45.639



industry Because with all the advertisements and everything that's going84800:42:45.679 --> 00:42:49.719



on behind them peddling the drugs and associating it with84900:42:49.880 --> 00:42:54.719



this with its current with this current use case. Right,85000:42:55.039 --> 00:42:57.159



so I have a bad back, Hence I need to85100:42:57.280 --> 00:43:00.559



use brand a Right. So, is education enough? And is85200:43:00.599 --> 00:43:02.639



it enough to compete with the money that big forma has?85300:43:03.880 --> 00:43:05.679



I don't think it's enough on its own, but I85400:43:06.039 --> 00:43:10.039



certainly think it's an important uh in the in the solution.85500:43:11.119 --> 00:43:13.280



To me, this is a is not a complex solution.85600:43:13.400 --> 00:43:15.679



I think, I think it has to be a holistic85700:43:15.719 --> 00:43:17.639



I think it has to be different, you know. I85800:43:17.679 --> 00:43:20.159



think we we have to ramp up our our our85900:43:20.760 --> 00:43:26.840



efforts and our strategic focus on the two cartels. But86000:43:26.960 --> 00:43:30.920



I think the education part is is important. It's one86100:43:31.000 --> 00:43:33.719



thing that I've really dedicated you know, this portion of86200:43:33.760 --> 00:43:36.039



my life too, and it's why I started a nonprofit.86300:43:38.159 --> 00:43:42.400



I truly believe that information empowers people. I really do,86400:43:42.599 --> 00:43:45.239



especially young people. I know that we're going to be86500:43:45.280 --> 00:43:48.039



faced or I know that they're going to be faced86600:43:48.039 --> 00:43:50.199



with with a lot of decisions and and and sometimes86700:43:50.320 --> 00:43:52.039



you know, even with the right information, they're still going86800:43:52.119 --> 00:43:55.880



to make, you know, bad decisions. But it does work,86900:43:55.960 --> 00:43:57.880



and and there is a lot of research that says87000:43:57.920 --> 00:44:00.840



that people that have, especially young people, have the information87100:44:01.000 --> 00:44:05.239



are less likely not not no, but less likely to87200:44:05.360 --> 00:44:09.320



make those bad decisions. But on its own, no, I think.87300:44:09.400 --> 00:44:11.440



I again, I think we have to we have to87400:44:11.519 --> 00:44:15.199



approach us from from several different angles. And and like87500:44:15.320 --> 00:44:17.960



you said the second part of your question there, I mean,87600:44:18.440 --> 00:44:22.039



we're facing an industry that throws you know, billions of87700:44:22.119 --> 00:44:26.079



dollars and it's always, it's always that you look at smoking.87800:44:26.119 --> 00:44:27.639



I mean we we've made we made a lot of87900:44:27.679 --> 00:44:30.920



progress at smoking, especially for young people. And now I88000:44:31.000 --> 00:44:33.039



mean what did what did a lot of these companies88100:44:33.079 --> 00:44:36.119



do They turned their focus to like vaping and yeah,88200:44:36.159 --> 00:44:39.440



and in marijuana and things like that. So now we're88300:44:41.039 --> 00:44:46.239



we're starting the same thing with this new generation, trying88400:44:46.239 --> 00:44:48.360



to warn them just like we did back you know,88500:44:48.480 --> 00:44:50.199



twenty or thirty years ago on smoking.88600:44:50.360 --> 00:44:54.079



Right, and yeah, it's it's like these big pharma companies88700:44:54.159 --> 00:44:57.119



really have a huge hand and a social engineering or88800:44:57.639 --> 00:45:00.599



engineering of our culture. And I I think the I88900:45:00.639 --> 00:45:02.800



think the education part is important. I wanted your perspective89000:45:02.800 --> 00:45:04.920



on because the only way to change a culture or89100:45:05.039 --> 00:45:06.679



habit of culture is to start with the youth and89200:45:06.760 --> 00:45:09.119



then generationally, eventually you'll be able to make that change.89300:45:09.119 --> 00:45:11.480



So it's not gonna be overnight, but we've got to start.89400:45:11.519 --> 00:45:13.519



We've got to start and stick to the plan. Sounds89500:45:13.559 --> 00:45:15.800



like that's exactly what you're doing with with your two companies,89600:45:15.840 --> 00:45:19.280



and you're with your nonprofit and your egal six because89700:45:19.280 --> 00:45:21.679



even your egal six you train law enforcement on some89800:45:21.719 --> 00:45:22.360



of the stuff as well.89900:45:22.440 --> 00:45:25.440



Right, we do, Yeah, we we get into more you know,90000:45:25.519 --> 00:45:27.760



smother things. Leadership and smother things that I have been90100:45:27.800 --> 00:45:32.119



interest in. But but yeah, certainly, and I I agree.90200:45:32.159 --> 00:45:34.079



I mean if we can, if we can change a90300:45:34.159 --> 00:45:38.039



generation and get them to think differently than than, that90400:45:38.199 --> 00:45:40.280



sets us up for success in the future. And that's90500:45:40.320 --> 00:45:40.679



what we need.90600:45:41.159 --> 00:45:42.840



Well, back to the cartels. Are we on the right90700:45:42.880 --> 00:45:46.400



path so far? Are we? I mean labeling a terrorist organization?90800:45:46.599 --> 00:45:46.719



Is that?90900:45:46.880 --> 00:45:48.760



Is that the right? Is that the perfect way to91000:45:48.840 --> 00:45:51.199



start this by actually saying, yeah, it's a serious I91100:45:51.480 --> 00:45:51.760



think so.91200:45:51.920 --> 00:45:54.239



I yeah, I mean we got to address it. I91300:45:54.280 --> 00:45:55.679



mean we you know, and that's that's one thing I91400:45:55.760 --> 00:45:58.159



do like about you know that that we're we're actually91500:45:58.199 --> 00:46:00.639



having this conversation nationally now. It's you know, and I91600:46:00.760 --> 00:46:02.719



know that there's still people that are playing politics and91700:46:03.280 --> 00:46:05.039



because it came out of his mouth and there are91800:46:05.119 --> 00:46:07.519



people that have to just you know, oppose it just91900:46:07.559 --> 00:46:08.239



because it was him.92000:46:08.920 --> 00:46:10.960



People are very team oriented, you know what I'm saying.92100:46:11.119 --> 00:46:16.960



Yeah, and you know, uh, Derek Maltz uh. I know92200:46:17.039 --> 00:46:19.199



there's been some change the DA this last couple of days,92300:46:19.239 --> 00:46:21.480



but you know, he he I think he's still the92400:46:21.480 --> 00:46:23.679



acting administrator. I mean, he always says and I steal92500:46:23.760 --> 00:46:25.840



this line it's not a red issue or a blue issue.92600:46:25.880 --> 00:46:27.599



It's a red, white and blue issue. And I who92700:46:27.679 --> 00:46:30.199



hardly agree. I mean, we've got to take off our92800:46:30.599 --> 00:46:32.960



rs and r d's and say, hey, you know this92900:46:33.119 --> 00:46:35.760



is this is killing our country, especially our young people.93000:46:35.880 --> 00:46:39.280



And so I think, uh, I'm happy that we're having93100:46:39.320 --> 00:46:42.320



this discussion nationally, you know, I I I don't know93200:46:42.559 --> 00:46:45.679



how it's gonna end up with with us in Mexico,93300:46:45.880 --> 00:46:48.440



but but hey, you know what, both parts, both both93400:46:48.480 --> 00:46:51.039



countries are at the table talking and that's exactly what93500:46:51.119 --> 00:46:52.039



we need. We need action.93600:46:52.440 --> 00:46:55.159



Yeah, we do, absolutely, and and it's it's it is93700:46:55.280 --> 00:46:58.320



a uh, there's not it's not like a blanket solution93800:46:58.400 --> 00:46:59.920



to this. I mean, we got to change our cultural93900:47:00.079 --> 00:47:02.760



perspective on how we use drugs and how we think94000:47:02.840 --> 00:47:06.320



drugs are beneficial to us, right. I think they need94100:47:06.400 --> 00:47:09.880



to stop letting big pharma advertise like that's got to stop.94200:47:10.159 --> 00:47:13.119



That's got to stop. Advertisement is meant for you to94300:47:13.639 --> 00:47:15.599



recognize a brand. And if you're at the point where94400:47:15.599 --> 00:47:19.079



you recognize a prescription drug brand at that like every94500:47:19.159 --> 00:47:21.519



day in your life for like you know, oh o zempa,94600:47:21.559 --> 00:47:22.760



I'm just doing out there by the way. I'm not94700:47:22.840 --> 00:47:25.880



talking bad about it, but just saying everybody knows it now, right,94800:47:26.079 --> 00:47:27.360



So the first thing you think when you want to94900:47:27.360 --> 00:47:30.280



lose weight is ozempic. That's exactly what marketing does. And95000:47:30.760 --> 00:47:32.639



the fact that they're allowing big pharma to do that95100:47:32.719 --> 00:47:35.199



in America is ridiculous. I don't think I don't think95200:47:35.239 --> 00:47:36.960



any of the country allows that currently.95300:47:37.320 --> 00:47:40.440



No, you know, it's it's funny when I my four95400:47:40.480 --> 00:47:42.400



hour class, I do dive into a little bit of95500:47:42.760 --> 00:47:47.000



the history of the pharmaceutical industry, and interestingly enough, it95600:47:47.079 --> 00:47:49.320



actually goes back to a guy named Arthur Sackler. And95700:47:50.559 --> 00:47:53.559



if you know that name Sackler, that's because Richard Sackler95800:47:53.719 --> 00:47:56.199



was the head of Purdue, you know during the release95900:47:56.559 --> 00:47:58.800



ninety six. But his uncle is a guy named Arthur,96000:47:58.880 --> 00:48:01.920



and Arthur was a He was a doctor as well,96100:48:01.960 --> 00:48:07.440



but he was actually an advertising quote unquote genius. In fact,96200:48:07.519 --> 00:48:09.559



they say that he invented the wheel when it came96300:48:09.639 --> 00:48:11.960



to modern medical advertising, and a lot of things that96400:48:12.119 --> 00:48:18.239



he did back in the fifties are regulated today that96500:48:18.320 --> 00:48:21.159



they can't do. I mean, he was uber aggressive, I96600:48:21.199 --> 00:48:24.480



mean pharmaceutical reps. He actually is the guy that started it.96700:48:25.199 --> 00:48:27.000



They called him detail men. So he was the first96800:48:27.039 --> 00:48:32.199



guy that said, hey, we need to we can't target patients.96900:48:32.239 --> 00:48:34.760



We can't target people because they're idiots. We need to97000:48:34.800 --> 00:48:37.039



go out to the physicians and we need to keep97100:48:37.159 --> 00:48:40.079



records on them, and we need to educate the physicians97200:48:40.119 --> 00:48:42.960



that aren't prescribing enough, and we need to use the97300:48:43.000 --> 00:48:45.840



ones that are and reward them and use them to97400:48:46.119 --> 00:48:49.239



educate the ones that aren't prescribing enough. And he was97500:48:49.360 --> 00:48:52.360



just very aggressive. And if you look at his history97600:48:53.119 --> 00:48:57.840



and how successful he made the pharmaceutical industry. I mean Pfizer,97700:48:57.960 --> 00:49:00.400



I mean Terrimizing that was released in nineteen fifty. He97800:49:00.480 --> 00:49:03.079



made them a household name. This was forty thirty or97900:49:03.119 --> 00:49:05.599



forty years before Viagra came out. I mean that's just98000:49:05.679 --> 00:49:09.039



one example. A valume diazepam. I mean, he made them98100:49:09.280 --> 00:49:12.599



the first pharmaceutical to make a billion dollars in sales.98200:49:12.679 --> 00:49:15.840



That's crazy, billion dollars in sales. That's crazy, absolutely, And98300:49:15.960 --> 00:49:19.679



it was very in your face aggressive advertising. And like98400:49:19.760 --> 00:49:23.119



I said, it may not seem like it, but there98500:49:23.159 --> 00:49:26.400



are a lot of restrictions on them. You know, I98600:49:26.519 --> 00:49:28.360



think we both agree there probably needs to be more.98700:49:29.480 --> 00:49:31.840



But a lot of the current restrictions are because of98800:49:31.960 --> 00:49:35.199



some of the stuff that he invented. Uh So it's98900:49:35.239 --> 00:49:37.920



and it's just fascinating because here's here's a Sackler and99000:49:38.000 --> 00:49:41.760



then you look, you know, forty years later, his his nephew,99100:49:41.880 --> 00:49:45.119



Richard Sackler, would would make them billionaires and then run99200:49:45.199 --> 00:49:45.960



them into the ground.99300:49:46.199 --> 00:49:50.039



That just that just speaks to the That just speaks99400:49:50.079 --> 00:49:51.960



to how far they will go to make a dollar.99500:49:52.280 --> 00:49:55.440



Because if they're if they're looking at their product that99600:49:55.719 --> 00:49:59.920



that that can be addictive, for example, can be addictive,99700:50:00.039 --> 00:50:02.920



and they know this, They know that certain drugs have99800:50:02.960 --> 00:50:07.119



side effects, and they're knowingly advertising it in the ways99900:50:07.159 --> 00:50:09.840



that they do. That just tells you what they really100000:50:09.920 --> 00:50:12.079



care about. Are they really caring about treating people and100100:50:12.199 --> 00:50:15.599



offering them pain management or are they just really looking100200:50:15.639 --> 00:50:17.000



for as much profit that they can make.100300:50:18.360 --> 00:50:22.079



I'd make an argument that at least with Purdue, they100400:50:22.079 --> 00:50:24.119



were it was about profit. I mean, we know that100500:50:24.199 --> 00:50:27.280



from a lot of internal documents, and I think you100600:50:27.320 --> 00:50:29.280



could make that argument with a lot of the companies.100700:50:29.360 --> 00:50:32.320



I mean, at least you could certainly a question we100800:50:32.400 --> 00:50:35.159



could ask. It's also around the food industry. You know,100900:50:36.360 --> 00:50:38.239



the Fielders that I actually did a show where I101000:50:38.239 --> 00:50:41.840



did deep dive on this and the ingredients that are101100:50:41.880 --> 00:50:44.599



using food here in America would never be using the EU.101200:50:44.679 --> 00:50:47.880



They're labeled as poisonous substances, but yet we're consuming them.101300:50:48.239 --> 00:50:50.679



It was about almost a three hour episode where I101400:50:50.719 --> 00:50:54.000



really dove into all this and it's ridiculous what we're101500:50:54.000 --> 00:50:56.039



allowed to use here in what the FDA says is101600:50:56.360 --> 00:50:59.719



suitable for consumption, that in the EU they wouldn't even touch,101700:51:00.039 --> 00:51:02.639



even touch even even the foods we have for example,101800:51:02.760 --> 00:51:05.280



like craft of st macaron and cheese. Yeah, if it's101900:51:05.320 --> 00:51:07.119



shipped to the EU or or let's say, even if102000:51:07.159 --> 00:51:10.559



it was to Italy, the cheese substance they use, the102100:51:10.639 --> 00:51:14.599



powdered cheese substance, is entirely different to those countries than102200:51:14.639 --> 00:51:15.639



what we're consuming.102300:51:15.679 --> 00:51:18.199



What's what's considered acceptable for us to have. So it's102400:51:18.239 --> 00:51:20.320



not like you said, it's not just the farm and industry.102500:51:20.920 --> 00:51:25.960



It's it's ridiculous that it's it's like money before health, right, money,102600:51:26.039 --> 00:51:29.400



money before looking out for the welfare of the actual people.102700:51:29.960 --> 00:51:32.760



It is. I was in I was in Germany last week.102800:51:32.880 --> 00:51:36.880



I I uh and I was I had some I102900:51:36.960 --> 00:51:39.719



had some French fries and I was eaten ketchup right,103000:51:40.800 --> 00:51:43.280



and I was like, why is this ketchup tastes like different?103100:51:44.679 --> 00:51:47.039



And and I realized it was.103200:51:47.880 --> 00:51:50.239



Like real, it was fresh, just tomatoes and maybe a103300:51:50.280 --> 00:51:52.320



little sugar. It wasn't some vinegar.103400:51:52.440 --> 00:51:55.880



Yeah. Yeah, And you know, and I actually had this103500:51:56.000 --> 00:51:59.599



conversation with someone else very similar common It's conversation about103600:51:59.679 --> 00:52:02.760



like the food. I mean, you taste the difference, right,103700:52:02.800 --> 00:52:04.360



and you come back and you read our labels and103800:52:05.320 --> 00:52:07.079



and then like you said, none of this stuff would103900:52:07.079 --> 00:52:10.039



even be legal in some of those countries, and it104000:52:10.119 --> 00:52:11.880



was Yeah, at the end of the day, this is104100:52:12.000 --> 00:52:13.000



it's it's all about.104200:52:12.760 --> 00:52:14.559



Profits for the most fun about the food when youre104300:52:14.559 --> 00:52:18.840



talk about labels. Once once they said that every every104400:52:18.920 --> 00:52:21.719



manufacturer had to actually list all the ingredients. I noticed104500:52:21.719 --> 00:52:23.679



that the labels got really tiny and I need a104600:52:23.719 --> 00:52:29.000



magnifying class to read it. They don't want Well, let's104700:52:29.039 --> 00:52:34.639



talk about your nonprofit the only two Milligrams inc. Let's104800:52:34.679 --> 00:52:36.239



talk about that and what you offer, and then how104900:52:36.360 --> 00:52:39.960



people can contact your company to procure your services.105000:52:42.199 --> 00:52:44.679



So so I I'm the executive director. I started this105100:52:45.239 --> 00:52:48.079



nonprofit officially in early twenty twenty four when we got105200:52:48.519 --> 00:52:52.159



IRS designation as a five oh one C three. Our105300:52:52.360 --> 00:52:58.559



entire board of directors is retired DEA agents. And like105400:52:58.599 --> 00:53:01.440



I said, O, our mission has been uh drug education,105500:53:01.599 --> 00:53:05.199



specifically illicit fentanyl, but we are expanding that and looking105600:53:05.239 --> 00:53:07.719



at other ways that we can that we can uh105700:53:08.000 --> 00:53:10.800



deal with with trends and things that are impacting our105800:53:10.840 --> 00:53:13.800



communities because ultimately, our our goal is to is to105900:53:14.079 --> 00:53:17.840



is to make our community safer and and uh so106000:53:18.039 --> 00:53:20.280



we're looking at ways to to expand our reach and106100:53:20.400 --> 00:53:24.159



and to get into other things other than just drug education. Uh.106200:53:24.360 --> 00:53:27.280



My website is at only two MG dot com, so106300:53:27.440 --> 00:53:30.159



it's O N L Y and then just the number106400:53:30.199 --> 00:53:33.559



two it's not spelled out, and then MG which stands106500:53:33.599 --> 00:53:38.000



for Milligrams dot com. And you can you can learn106600:53:38.079 --> 00:53:40.760



more about the presentations I do. My schedules on there.106700:53:41.760 --> 00:53:43.559



You know, if you want my bio things like that,106800:53:43.960 --> 00:53:47.800



uh uh you can you can contact me. My information106900:53:47.960 --> 00:53:49.840



is on there. If I don't get back to you107000:53:49.960 --> 00:53:52.639



right away, it's because I'm flying or teaching, uh or107100:53:53.320 --> 00:53:56.039



or I'm on a podcast. So right, so like this one,107200:53:56.679 --> 00:54:01.920



that's right. Uh Uh, I travel throughout the US. Last107300:54:02.000 --> 00:54:06.000



year I did fifty four present main presentations in about107400:54:06.039 --> 00:54:13.920



twenty states, so that's quite a bit. I self fund107500:54:14.800 --> 00:54:18.079



a lot of what I did last year. I can't107600:54:18.280 --> 00:54:20.679



I'm not a rich person. I can't can't continue to107700:54:20.800 --> 00:54:22.559



do that, but I but I don't want money to107800:54:22.599 --> 00:54:25.400



get in the way of this. So when an organization107900:54:25.519 --> 00:54:28.760



calls me if they can't afford to fund my travel108000:54:28.800 --> 00:54:30.639



out there, and then I'll find a way somehow, and108100:54:30.760 --> 00:54:35.000



that's typically through my for profit organization, EGLE six Training.108200:54:35.519 --> 00:54:38.920



I pretty much put all that money into into only108300:54:38.960 --> 00:54:41.119



two MG because like I said, I don't want someone108400:54:41.159 --> 00:54:42.840



to say, hey, we can't afford to have you out here,108500:54:42.880 --> 00:54:45.280



and no, I mean I'll find a way to get108600:54:45.280 --> 00:54:48.400



out there because this discussion is too important not to have.108700:54:48.800 --> 00:54:48.920



Well.108800:54:48.960 --> 00:54:52.320



And as you said earlier, man, the education is very108900:54:52.320 --> 00:54:54.239



important in all this, and that's where it really starts.109000:54:54.320 --> 00:54:57.000



It really is. And yeah, and you know when I109100:54:57.079 --> 00:54:59.519



started this with actually law enforcement, because you know, like109200:54:59.559 --> 00:55:01.760



I said, I navigated in that world for thirty years109300:55:02.199 --> 00:55:05.400



and I still work in that world. But now, I mean,109400:55:05.480 --> 00:55:10.320



these are wildly popular with just the public. I still109500:55:10.440 --> 00:55:13.559



get usually specific sectors, you know, a lot of healthcare,109600:55:13.599 --> 00:55:16.199



a lot of education, a lot of people that are109700:55:16.239 --> 00:55:19.679



in the treatment recovery, you know, a lot of law enforcement.109800:55:19.880 --> 00:55:22.800



But I wish I could get more parents and just109900:55:23.039 --> 00:55:27.960



general public. That's been a struggle. I'm not alone. When110000:55:27.960 --> 00:55:30.079



I first started this, a friend of mine, retired agent110100:55:30.159 --> 00:55:34.000



out out in California said, because if you get if110200:55:34.000 --> 00:55:35.960



you get more than one percent of the of the110300:55:36.039 --> 00:55:39.440



families in the room, than good luck, because it's just110400:55:40.280 --> 00:55:42.480



not going to happen. And I remember when he first110500:55:42.480 --> 00:55:44.760



said that, I'm like, come on now, you know, and110600:55:45.360 --> 00:55:50.599



and I had I had a specific presentation I was110700:55:50.679 --> 00:55:55.280



doing just four families and I had six people show up. Wow,110800:55:55.920 --> 00:55:58.280



you know, out of several thousand people in this particular110900:55:58.360 --> 00:56:02.159



school that I was working with. So I experienced that firsthand.111000:56:02.199 --> 00:56:04.000



I mean so, like I said, most of the folks111100:56:04.079 --> 00:56:07.480



that come are you know, from those industries that I111200:56:07.559 --> 00:56:10.039



talked about. But I would love to I'd love to111300:56:10.079 --> 00:56:13.199



see more people just give a damn and really want111400:56:13.239 --> 00:56:15.480



to educate themselves. And that's one of the things that111500:56:15.559 --> 00:56:17.760



I try to tell people as well, is in all111600:56:17.800 --> 00:56:22.480



my presentations is is take this information, do some research.111700:56:23.079 --> 00:56:26.079



Call me. I'll help you with that and be a111800:56:26.199 --> 00:56:29.199



force multiplier, you know, take this information back to your homes,111900:56:29.280 --> 00:56:34.199



back to your your communities, your your rotary club, church, whatever.112000:56:34.320 --> 00:56:36.519



I mean, let's let's let's have this discussion. I mean,112100:56:36.559 --> 00:56:40.400



we're we're losing three hundred people every single day in112200:56:40.480 --> 00:56:43.000



this country to drugs. That's about one person every five112300:56:43.079 --> 00:56:45.119



to six minutes. And we know that of the total112400:56:45.239 --> 00:56:49.280



numbers that we're losing about two thirds because of one drug, fentanyl.112500:56:49.960 --> 00:56:52.119



And I can tell you, after thirty years in law enforcement,112600:56:52.440 --> 00:56:54.840



I've never seen a drug more impactful. I really haven't.112700:56:55.440 --> 00:57:00.639



I mean, this has changed the drug landscape. And education112800:57:00.840 --> 00:57:02.960



is such an important piece. And like I said something,112900:57:03.000 --> 00:57:05.480



I've devoted this part of my life to doing and113000:57:05.599 --> 00:57:09.360



I hope that that I can be a force multiplayer113100:57:09.400 --> 00:57:11.599



and give people a foundation that they can take the113200:57:11.639 --> 00:57:15.480



information back and they can have these discussions. And at113300:57:15.519 --> 00:57:18.840



the end of the day, knowledge is power, and and that's.113400:57:18.719 --> 00:57:19.280



What we have to do.113500:57:19.400 --> 00:57:21.119



We have to make people more knowledgeable.113600:57:21.679 --> 00:57:24.920



I agree, And I hope that people don't don't avoid113700:57:24.960 --> 00:57:28.559



these sessions because they don't they don't want it to113800:57:28.679 --> 00:57:31.840



be in their face that it's confirming what they already know. Yes,113900:57:31.880 --> 00:57:35.079



there is a problem. Yeah, that could be a case too.114000:57:35.159 --> 00:57:38.119



You know, some people, some people don't want to They114100:57:38.199 --> 00:57:40.079



have an idea that there's a problem, but they really114200:57:40.199 --> 00:57:41.280



don't want it confirmed.114300:57:42.119 --> 00:57:45.400



I've had parents actually tell me out of sight, out114400:57:45.440 --> 00:57:48.719



of mind basically what I was saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,114500:57:49.039 --> 00:57:50.960



and I can. At first, I was like, you know,114600:57:51.039 --> 00:57:53.320



but now I just tell them. You realize that someone's114700:57:53.320 --> 00:57:55.519



going to have this discussion. I mean, well, if it's114800:57:55.559 --> 00:57:58.119



not you, it's you're the parent. If it's not you,114900:57:58.360 --> 00:58:00.280



then it's going to be social media. It's going to115000:58:00.280 --> 00:58:02.280



be a friend, it's going to be a drug trafficker.115100:58:02.800 --> 00:58:06.159



Someone's going to have this discussion with your child, you know,115200:58:06.679 --> 00:58:10.960



And it's just it. It makes me sad, it really does.115300:58:11.119 --> 00:58:13.760



I mean, here's an example. I won't say the school district,115400:58:13.800 --> 00:58:15.800



but I was invited to a school district that wanted115500:58:15.800 --> 00:58:19.360



to have one to provide different resources for parents, and115600:58:19.480 --> 00:58:21.960



they so it was drugs, it was teen pregnancy, it115700:58:22.079 --> 00:58:26.440



was nutrition, it was suicide, it was online predators. I mean,115800:58:26.840 --> 00:58:29.800



my goodness. They probably had ten experts in different fields115900:58:30.000 --> 00:58:33.119



come in and then they said, we get it. Parents work,116000:58:33.159 --> 00:58:34.920



they're busy, we're going to do one on a weekend,116100:58:35.320 --> 00:58:36.800



and we're going to do one on a week night,116200:58:37.599 --> 00:58:40.000



and we're going to have ten experts and all these116300:58:40.039 --> 00:58:42.440



different fields come in two different times. And I was116400:58:42.480 --> 00:58:45.440



the drug guy. You know how many folks had come116500:58:45.480 --> 00:58:49.480



in for my class zero and it wasn't me. The116600:58:49.559 --> 00:58:53.079



other classes a lot of zeros. They had seventeen parents116700:58:53.199 --> 00:58:56.800



show up total for the two different days total. This116800:58:57.000 --> 00:59:01.079



was a huge school district. Do you think when when, when,116900:59:01.199 --> 00:59:03.760



when when daughter gets pregnant or something happens, who do117000:59:03.800 --> 00:59:06.199



you think gets the blame? You know, well, you didn't117100:59:06.239 --> 00:59:08.639



do enough, you didn't do enough. No people got to117200:59:08.679 --> 00:59:12.960



get involved, and and it just it's aggravating, it really is.117300:59:13.119 --> 00:59:16.000



Do you think they should make these this information like117400:59:16.400 --> 00:59:19.480



a mandatory class like they do used to you years117500:59:19.480 --> 00:59:21.719



ago in school? Remember when I was going when I117600:59:21.760 --> 00:59:24.320



was going to school, that there was a class that117700:59:24.400 --> 00:59:26.119



you would have to attend to where they would address117800:59:26.199 --> 00:59:31.159



these these issues or it would literally be like a117900:59:31.320 --> 00:59:33.480



rally for example, where the whole school, like it's during118000:59:33.519 --> 00:59:35.000



school time and you have to be there and they118100:59:35.039 --> 00:59:37.599



would get these presentations. Are they still allowing that? Are118200:59:37.639 --> 00:59:38.199



they still doing that?118300:59:38.760 --> 00:59:40.400



Yeah? And I love when they do. I was up118400:59:40.480 --> 00:59:43.199



in rural Missouri, in the middle of the state, on118500:59:43.280 --> 00:59:45.000



the very top of the state, I don't know, probably118600:59:45.039 --> 00:59:47.320



two or three weeks ago, and I got to address118700:59:47.360 --> 00:59:49.239



a couple of school districts and that was wonderful and118800:59:49.320 --> 00:59:51.880



I love when schools do that. We even had some118900:59:52.000 --> 00:59:54.519



parents show up, which was even even better, right because119000:59:54.519 --> 00:59:58.079



they're supporting their children, they're supporting the school district. Some119100:59:58.440 --> 01:00:01.639



states have have think Oregon just came on and said119201:00:01.639 --> 01:00:05.679



they're going to require that. Now you know, I know119301:00:05.840 --> 01:00:07.480



people are going to hear this and say, oh, no,119401:00:07.679 --> 01:00:09.199



read and write, that's what we need, And yeah, we119501:00:09.280 --> 01:00:11.239



should be teaching our kids to read and write. I'm119601:00:11.360 --> 01:00:14.440



totally with you. But let me tell you, these are conversations,119701:00:14.519 --> 01:00:17.559



aren't We aren't having that we're not having in the home.119801:00:17.719 --> 01:00:19.960



So if a school can can can bring someone in119901:00:20.119 --> 01:00:22.440



like me or anyone who come in and give their120001:00:22.639 --> 01:00:27.320



children accurate information to help them successfully navigate some of120101:00:27.360 --> 01:00:30.280



these challenges are going to face, then why not? I mean,120201:00:30.360 --> 01:00:32.880



why can't we get behind this? And that's why I120301:00:33.000 --> 01:00:36.440



created my Shattering Dreams presentation. It was specifically for students,120401:00:36.599 --> 01:00:39.599



is to give them the information, and and and and120501:00:40.480 --> 01:00:43.519



again empower them to make better decisions when they're faced120601:00:43.559 --> 01:00:43.920



with these.120701:00:43.920 --> 01:00:47.400



Question and maybe maybe these sessions that for example, like120801:00:47.440 --> 01:00:51.400



what you offer should be something that let's say district120901:00:51.400 --> 01:00:53.599



administration at a school should have. It should be like121001:00:53.639 --> 01:00:57.760



a mandatory. You know, hey, school starting again, summer's over,121101:00:58.320 --> 01:01:00.679



let's get you know, it's all part of their professional121201:01:00.719 --> 01:01:04.840



development training, right, they should integrate this as part of121301:01:04.920 --> 01:01:08.239



that have have you Have you seen any district do that?121401:01:08.840 --> 01:01:11.039



A few? Yeah, yeah, and there are I mean, I121501:01:11.320 --> 01:01:14.320



know some folks in the same space. You know, my121601:01:14.480 --> 01:01:17.280



space has been kind of a lot of adults, a121701:01:17.320 --> 01:01:20.039



lot of law enforcement. I know some some people that121801:01:20.119 --> 01:01:23.960



are specifically focused in that in that space for for students,121901:01:24.000 --> 01:01:25.719



and they've been pretty successful.122001:01:26.679 --> 01:01:29.559



Well that's that's a positive. Yeah, that's a positive. And122101:01:29.599 --> 01:01:31.239



then when you when you do these big rallies what's122201:01:31.800 --> 01:01:33.440



out of school is do you get a positive reaction122301:01:33.519 --> 01:01:34.480



from from students there?122401:01:35.199 --> 01:01:39.039



Yeah? And let me tell you it, it really drives me.122501:01:39.159 --> 01:01:41.159



It really does. When you when you have a student122601:01:41.239 --> 01:01:44.039



come up to you. I had a college student come122701:01:44.119 --> 01:01:46.559



up to me at a different event that I was at,122801:01:47.559 --> 01:01:52.599



probably a month after I did this particular session and122901:01:53.519 --> 01:01:54.880



he was like, hey, connect and I didn't even know123001:01:54.920 --> 01:01:56.400



who it was. He was like, can I tell you something.123101:01:56.440 --> 01:01:58.159



I'm like yeah, and he goes, I saw you speak,123201:01:58.239 --> 01:02:02.039



and you know, I've been really, you know, making some123301:02:02.159 --> 01:02:04.199



really bad decisions in my life, and you made me123401:02:04.280 --> 01:02:07.320



think about some things and and you know, thank you,123501:02:07.480 --> 01:02:09.239



you know, I mean, and I was almost in tears.123601:02:09.280 --> 01:02:11.320



I mean, just even thinking about it really just kind123701:02:11.360 --> 01:02:12.920



of moves me. And I can't tell you how many123801:02:12.960 --> 01:02:14.840



young people who have come up to me in middle123901:02:14.880 --> 01:02:17.760



school students and just hug you and say, you know,124001:02:18.000 --> 01:02:21.320



thank you, you know, because they're getting really impactful information124101:02:22.400 --> 01:02:25.320



and that no one's given given them before. And that124201:02:25.880 --> 01:02:29.440



I tell you that that has been the overwhelming response124301:02:29.519 --> 01:02:31.840



I have had. I have had zero and I hope124401:02:32.119 --> 01:02:34.920



I'm not jinxing myself here. I've had zero negative response124501:02:35.480 --> 01:02:36.760



from talking to young people.124601:02:37.159 --> 01:02:40.440



It's just that's good. Oh, it's been a wonderful experience.124701:02:40.480 --> 01:02:44.480



We need we need to continue the education. We definitely124801:02:44.559 --> 01:02:48.280



need to change how prescription drugs are handled in America period.124901:02:50.000 --> 01:02:52.480



And yeah, the cartels are definitely a problem that we125001:02:52.559 --> 01:02:55.000



need to get a hold of, especially if if they're125101:02:55.039 --> 01:02:57.320



the ones who are responsible for I mean the majority125201:02:57.360 --> 01:02:59.719



of all drugs that are that are being imported into125301:02:59.719 --> 01:03:03.239



the US or smuggled into the US. It's it's crazy,125401:03:03.960 --> 01:03:06.199



it's it's not an easy issue to get a hold of.125501:03:06.400 --> 01:03:08.920



I mean, you know better than I. You were in125601:03:09.039 --> 01:03:13.599



law enforcement. This is what you did before we before125701:03:13.599 --> 01:03:15.199



we go, though, I got to ask you, have you125801:03:15.320 --> 01:03:17.960



seen a positive change at all in getting a handle125901:03:18.000 --> 01:03:19.639



on the situation? I mean we talked a lot, got126001:03:19.639 --> 01:03:22.079



a lot of history, But have you seen a positive126101:03:22.199 --> 01:03:24.239



change or are we in the same place? Are we126201:03:24.320 --> 01:03:27.440



taking steps backwards? Where do you see us at now?126301:03:30.079 --> 01:03:32.519



I have seen a positive change. I mean we're not126401:03:34.280 --> 01:03:36.719



We're nowhere out of this mess. I mean we are126501:03:36.760 --> 01:03:40.639



an illicited fentanyl crisis. And you know, we're, like I said,126601:03:40.639 --> 01:03:42.679



we're losing three hundred people a day and the majority126701:03:42.679 --> 01:03:45.239



of these people are because of this one drug. We're126801:03:45.280 --> 01:03:48.079



having this discussion more. I think that's a healthy thing,126901:03:48.760 --> 01:03:50.480



you know. I think that's going to hopefully lead to127001:03:50.599 --> 01:03:54.239



more solutions and more people that are that are you know,127101:03:54.559 --> 01:03:58.239



hitting the ground and actually trying to work towards solutions.127201:03:58.280 --> 01:04:01.840



So yeah, I'm optimistic. I think we have seen some progress,127301:04:01.960 --> 01:04:05.199



and I think we need have a long way to go.127401:04:05.400 --> 01:04:07.039



I think, you know, one thing we didn't talk about127501:04:07.119 --> 01:04:09.320



was the stigma. You know, how we how we treat127601:04:09.360 --> 01:04:12.039



people that are struggling with substance use disorder, with addiction.127701:04:12.960 --> 01:04:16.480



You know, I think that's slowly getting better, but it's uh,127801:04:18.079 --> 01:04:19.800



you know that's going to be part of of of127901:04:20.039 --> 01:04:21.960



of the solution is how do we deal with that128001:04:22.079 --> 01:04:27.119



as well. Yeah, the bottom line is I've seen a128101:04:28.519 --> 01:04:31.360



I think it's more positive, but it's been a slow movement.128201:04:31.440 --> 01:04:31.760



How's that.128301:04:32.280 --> 01:04:34.159



Well, at least at least you're seeing it as a128401:04:34.239 --> 01:04:37.920



positive as someone who's still involved. At least you're seeing128501:04:38.199 --> 01:04:41.719



things start to go into go the right direction and128601:04:41.880 --> 01:04:45.800



get a handle on all this. So well, I think128701:04:45.880 --> 01:04:48.519



that's my time, your time for now. Doesn't mean we128801:04:48.519 --> 01:04:50.639



won't connect again. I think we will. I'll stay in128901:04:50.719 --> 01:04:53.880



touch with you. I'd like to have you back. But yeah,129001:04:53.920 --> 01:04:57.440



thank you, Brian. And again, tell everybody your websites and129101:04:57.519 --> 01:04:58.960



I'll try to put all that our show notes as129201:04:59.000 --> 01:05:00.599



well as when they listen to this day. Have the links.129301:05:01.039 --> 01:05:04.280



So again you have only two milligrams inc. And then129401:05:04.360 --> 01:05:08.719



of course you have the Eagle six training and uh, yeah,129501:05:08.880 --> 01:05:11.960



thank you very much. Want anything else you want to add.129601:05:12.039 --> 01:05:14.880



No, I appreciate that your time and and happy to129701:05:15.039 --> 01:05:17.719



reconnect any time. Uh. If someone wants to get in129801:05:17.840 --> 01:05:19.960



touch with me, only two MG is the best way129901:05:20.000 --> 01:05:22.840



to to read more about it or more about me130001:05:23.000 --> 01:05:26.760



and and and contact me. And I'm happy to happy130101:05:26.800 --> 01:05:28.199



to help in any capacity I can.130201:05:28.320 --> 01:05:31.719



Okay, well, appreciate it, and uh, thanks for adjusting your130301:05:31.760 --> 01:05:34.079



time for melgizing.130401:05:34.159 --> 01:05:34.480



All good.130501:05:34.599 --> 01:05:37.039



Yeah, man, Hey, great conversation, a lot of good info.130601:05:37.159 --> 01:05:40.360



Thank you very much for being on the show. Appreciate it. Okay,130701:05:40.440 --> 01:05:42.960



World of Bladies listeners as always, thanks for listening, and130801:05:43.039 --> 01:05:46.360



don't forget to like, subscribe, share the show, and click130901:05:46.400 --> 01:05:47.599



the notification button.131001:05:48.480 --> 01:06:00.280



Have a great day, your content, feel intention intemption as131101:06:00.400 --> 01:06:06.280



all get do do do do do Do Do Do131201:06:06.440 --> 01:06:17.400



Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do do

Brian Townsend Profile Photo

Brian Townsend

Brian Townsend is a retired Supervisory Special Agent and former Resident Agent in Charge with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), dedicating 28 years to law enforcement.

With the DEA, Brian held leadership roles managing people, programs, and resources. His expertise helped dismantle drug trafficking organizations and safeguard communities. He was also assigned to the DEA Training Academy, where he managed several training programs and developed the leadership/development unit—DEA's primary resource for leadership development for its 10,000+ workforce. He created curriculum, built needs assessments, and ensured the program's success.

Currently, Brian is the founder and principal of Eagle 6 Training, providing speaking, training, and consulting services to businesses and law enforcement entities worldwide. He also serves as a Law Enforcement Training Coordinator for the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center (MOCIC), a Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) Center supporting law enforcement in nine states.

Most recently, Brian launched Only 2mg Inc. 501(c)(3), where he leverages his extensive experience and knowledge in the opioid field. He is regularly invited to speak across the United States about fentanyl, focusing on raising awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of the opioid epidemic and illicit fentanyl crisis. His presentations shed light on the evolving drug landscape and its devastating impact.

Brian’s insights have been featured in numerous news organizations and publications, including F… Read More