fentanyl Archives - Dr. John Rosa

Another Plea To Parents To Educate Children About Opioids

By Dr. John Rosa

When I was a teenager, my parents warned me about the dangers of drinking alcohol before I was 21.

They warned me about using marijuana and other drugs. The greatest concern of parents back then was that their kid would become an alcoholic or, through the use of marijuana, would eventually become a heroin addict. Heroin was the deadliest drug and has been until the late 1990’s with the introduction of Oxycontin.

I constantly appeal to parents to safeguard their children by talking to them about the opioid epidemic and educating them as thoroughly as possible. Children today are faced with greater stress than at any other time in history. Social pressures, peer pressure, educational expectations, sexual identity crises and more bombard today’s children. The confusion can be overwhelming if not addressed and the temptation to numb out can be powerful.

Illegal Drugs Are Running Rampant

The proliferation of illegally made drugs – laced with deadly fentanyl – that look like the real deal are flooding the streets. Children of every age are taking these drugs and overdosing on a daily basis. I am making every effort I can to help parents help their children resist the temptation to experiment with any kind of drug.

To that end, I am posting a letter from the Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse directed to parents posted on their website. Sometimes, one voice is not enough. We have to hear warnings from multiple authorities before we take them to heart. Hopefully, you can prevent your children from becoming one of the 150 people who die every day from opioids.

Dear Parents:

You have probably heard a lot about the opioid crisis in the news lately. But what are opioids, and what do they have to do with you as the parent of a teenager?

If your child has had a sports injury, dental work, or surgery, it is possible that he or she was prescribed a pain reliever that contained an opioid. Opioids can be very effective at reducing severe pain in the short term, such as after surgery, but they can be very addictive, especially if they are misused.

Children and adolescents are at greater risk than adults of becoming addicted when exposed to drugs. Particularly when used in treating children or adolescents, opioids should only be taken to manage severe pain, when no other pain medicine works, and for the shortest time necessary—and most importantly, only while under the careful watch of a trained health care provider.

In addition to opioids prescribed for treating pain, there are powerful opioids sold on the street and used solely to get high, including heroin and illicit fentanyl. These are also highly addictive. All opioids—particularly when misused to get high, when combined with other drugs like alcohol or tranquilizers, or when used for pain without proper medical supervision—can result in deadly overdoses.

While opioid misuse in teens has been going down, the rate of opioid misuse increases significantly after the age of 18, so it is critical to talk with teens early and frequently to protect them from experimenting with opioids as they transition into adulthood. Talking to your kids about drugs may not be easy, but it is important.

Here at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), we developed this guide to help parents talk with their kids. We also have a companion book, Opioid Facts for Teens, that you can share. Sometimes, just beginning the conversation is the hardest part. I hope these booklets can help.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/opioids-facts-parents-need-to-know/letter-to-parents

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Talks About How Easy It Is To Send Drugs Through The U.S. Postal Service

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker, writes about a recent 60-Minute news segments about being able to buy fentanyl online and have it mailed through the U.S. Postal Service resulting in more deaths and overdoses.

ROCKVILLE, MD. August 1, 2019: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new article on his website entitled, “Opioids Ordered On The Internet Delivered In The Regular Mail,” in which Dr. Rosa talks about how our postal service makes it easy to send drugs through the regular mail.

“You’ve heard of IoT, or the Internet of things?” Dr. Rosa asks. He then adds, “Well, I’ll like to introduce you to the IoD, or the Internet of Death.” He elaborates, “You can order just about any kind of drug imaginable on the Internet and have it delivered to your doorstep by the United States Postal Service.”

Dr. Rosa suggests, “Maybe you are already aware of this. Back in April of this year, the TV news show, 60-Minutes aired a segment entitled “Deadly Fentanyl Bought Online From China Being Shipped Through The Mail,” in which it explained that the U.S. Postal System is one of the easiest ways to smuggle drugs into the U.S.”

According to Dr. Rosa, “The segment brings to light how cheap and easy it is for addicts to buy deadly fentanyl and other fentanyl-based drugs online and get them shipped right to their door.” He goes on to say, “It’s bad enough that the drugs are so readily available right here at home. Now with greater accessibility online and through the U.S.P.S, that’s an even more deadly combination.”

“According to the report,” Dr. Rosa states, “among the drugs available online is one called ‘Carfentanyl.’ It is a derivative of fentanyl used by veterinarians to tranquilize elephants. According to the 60-Minutes segment, “Carfentanyl is another 100 times more potent than fentanyl.” In the piece, the U.S. Attorney in Cleveland, Justin Herdman told correspondent, Scott Pelley, that just touching the drug could be deadly. He said, “Here (with fentanyl) you’ve got 300 grams of powder that could deliver a fatal dose to 150,000 people. Here (with Carfentanyl) you’ve got only five grams of powder which could deliver a fatal dose to over 250,000 people.”

Dr. Rosa states, “I’m not actually too surprised that you can buy drugs on the Internet. You can buy just about anything on the dark net. Even though it is illegal to do so and if you’re caught, you could go to jail.” He continues, “But what’s equally disturbing is the fact it’s so easy to send illegal drugs through the regular mail.” He goes on to explain why, “After 9/11 all private carriers like FedEx have been required to give U.S. Customs advance descriptions and tracking of foreign packages. However, the Postal Service was allowed to delay because of the enormous cost to implement the process. That leniency has lasted nearly 2 decades. Meanwhile, people are dying as a result.”

Read the entire article at https://drjohnrosa.com/opioids-ordered-on-the-internet-delivered-in-the-regular-mail/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Dr. Rosa is the Owner/manager of 14 health clinics in the Baltimore/Washington DC metro areas concentrating on musculoskeletal injuries of acute, subacute and chronic nature. He oversees the Integrative Medicine practice group which includes general medicine, Chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year.

Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating college, professional and Olympic athletes. Creator of 24/7 RnR (Relief and aiding Recovery) an FDA approved analgesic cream. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and clinic management.

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and
behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the
Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

Opioids Ordered On The Internet Delivered In The Regular Mail

By Dr. John Rosa

Welcome to the Internet of Death

You’ve heard of IoT, or the Internet of things? Well, I’ll like to introduce you to the IoD, or the Internet of Death. You can order just about any kind of drug imaginable on the Internet and have it delivered to your doorstep by the United States Postal Service.

Maybe you are already aware of this. Back in April of this year, the TV news show, 60-Minutes aired a segment entitled “Deadly Fentanyl Bought Online From China Being Shipped Through The Mail,” in which it explained that the U.S. Postal System is one of the easiest ways to smuggle drugs into the U.S.

The segment brings to light how cheap and easy it is for addicts to buy deadly fentanyl and other fentanyl-based drugs online and get them shipped right to their door. It’s bad enough that the drugs are so readily available right here at home. Now with greater accessibility online and through the U.S.P.S, that’s an even more deadly combination.

According to the report, among the drugs available online is one called ‘Carfentanyl.’ It is a derivative of fentanyl used by veterinarians to tranquilize elephants. According to the 60-Minutes segment, “Carfentanyl is another 100 times more potent than fentanyl.” In the piece, the U.S. Attorney in Cleveland, Justin Herdman told correspondent, Scott Pelley, that just touching the drug could be deadly. He said, “Here (with fentanyl) you’ve got 300 grams of powder that could deliver a fatal dose to 150,000 people. Here (with Carfentanyl) you’ve got only five grams of powder which could deliver a fatal dose to over 250,000 people.”

The 60-Minute report said they found the Chinese connection and shut down at least 40 websites selling illegal drugs in 20 languages. However, authorities cannot be sure if the lab making the drugs has been shut down.

Why It’s So Easy To Send Drugs Through The U.S. Postal Service

I’m not actually too surprised that you can buy drugs on the Internet. You can buy just about anything on the dark net. Even though it is illegal to do so and if you’re caught, you could go to jail. But what’s equally disturbing is the fact it’s so easy to send illegal drugs through the regular mail.

Here’s why it’s so disturbing. After 9/11 all private carriers like FedEx have been required to give U.S. Customs advance descriptions and tracking of foreign packages. However, the Postal Service was allowed to delay because of the enormous cost to implement the process. That leniency has lasted nearly 2 decades. Meanwhile, people are dying as a result.

Mail Order Death And Destruction

From guns to opioids, and other things I don’t even want to imagine, the Internet has opened up a world of death, destruction and darkness. Of course most of us use the Internet for legal things and it has given us access to instant information on every topic in the world. That’s an amazing and wonderful accomplishment. But, how do we protect our children and loved ones from the horrors that are so readily available? How do we avoid coming home and finding our children dead from an opioid overdose? We owe it to ourselves to discover a way to stop this access to opioids and end the devastating heartbreak.