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Substance Free 02043 is a podcast whose mission is to reduce substance use among youth through the use of personal stories, current information and educational topics.
23 Episodes
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Hannah Walsh was just 12 years old when she began dabbling with alcohol. It was on the heels of losing her older sister, a devastating tragedy for her family. Hannah knew from the start that her relationship with alcohol would become problematic. "I knew that if I was going to drink again after that, I needed multiple. I wasn't going to bother with one beer ever again," she said. Alcohol became more and more of the main event in her life, and she reached the breaking point after college. "I t...
Kevin Rosario began using drugs and alcohol when he was just 13 years old. Before long, he was selling drugs to pay for his habit, getting into trouble with the law and finding himself in and out of rehab. During all of this, he came close to losing his life in a violent incident. Listen as he shares the details of what led him down this path, why he considers the substances to be secondary and what he believes are the most effective ways for parents and kids to make healthy choices.
Cameron and Hunter Flores are brothers who, coincidentally, both began dabbling in alcohol and marijuana at 13 years old. Little did they know this seemingly harmless recreational use would lead them on parallel paths to full-blown, long-term addiction to opioids, meth, heroin, cocaine, crack and other illicit substances. They were in and out of rehab, had brushes with the law and survived life-threatening situations. Remarkably, they were both able to become sober after these experienc...
Aileen Walsh and Liz Miller hold positions that represent the creative solutions towns are coming up with to meet a growing demand for mental health intervention services. Aileen is the Community Crisis Response Clinician and works for the Police Department. Her role is to go out on calls with patrol officers to assist with psychiatric and behavioral emergencies in the field. She provides initial intervention services to individuals in need and follows up with crisis case managem...
Rory and Chris Earley both grew up in homes with alcoholic parents. When they got married and started their own family, they thought about ways in which they would do things differently in raising their own children. Rory is sober, and Chris drinks on occasion. But it is more than just about examining their relationship with alcohol. "We're all about a boring household," says Chris. "It's a simple home. It's the healthiest environment that we can manufacture." Listen to Rory and Chris talk ab...
From a young age, Senator Patrick O'Connor has been passionate about public service, so it is only natural that he would serve his community as an elected official. For the past eight years, he has worked with his constituents and his colleagues on Beacon Hill to address various public health issues, like the opioid crisis. His experiences living and learning overseas guide his collaborative approach, and the people he has known who have struggled with the disease add an element of per...
Kathleen Mahoney has an enormous territory and a huge responsibility serving as a Nicotine Compliance Officer for several towns on the South Shore of Massachusetts. She must stay on top of state law and local regulations for each community and ensure that retailers are not in violation. One of her primary tasks is to make sure youth are not given access to age-restricted products. The landscape is constantly changing, and new products are regularly being introduced to the marketplace. Kathlee...
In 2017, Hingham resident Lori McCarthy co-founded the Herren Wellness Center in Seekonk with acclaimed speaker and former basketball star Chris Herren. Both of them are in recovery from substance use, and their mission was to provide a holistic service that would positively impact the lives of individuals and their families. Lori talks about the process of getting the center opened, describes her own personal journey of recovery and stresses the importance of encouraging young people to abst...
Roger Oser has been the principal of the William J. Ostiguy High School in Boston for the past 17 years, incorporating his extensive background working with youth to his role. Ostiguy High is a recovery high school that was founded by Willie Ostiguy, who is a previous guest on this podcast. The school provides a safe and supportive school environment for young people who want to make a positive change in their relationship with drugs and alcohol. The school works closely with school d...
Chris Herren is known for playing in the NBA for teams like the Boston Celtics, but he was a basketball phenom starting at a young age. Chris broke records; he had a book written about him when he was just 16; and he attended Boston College on a full scholarship. However, all of that success was taken away by an addiction that plagued him from his teen years when he drank "the beer he never wanted" at 14 years old. Drugs and alcohol threatened to destroy Chris' life and harm the ones he lo...
Genny Soper lost her son one night in what she calls "an accident that was completely avoidable." Clay had just finished his freshman year of college and was at a party. He texted his mom to say he was going to stay the night and even joked with his friends as he put himself to bed. However, Clay never woke up. He and his friends had taken prescription drugs with alcohol, and this combination took Clay's life. His friends never dreamed something like this could happen...
Lori Tobin is a former smoker and watched as both her parents died of smoking-related illnesses. She kicked the habit many years ago and has been living a healthy life since. However, when she saw former students in her hometown vaping, she felt called to prevent young people from doing harm to their bodies. Lori collaborated with the local cable access station and created an impactful documentary. In it she interviews kids who are addicted to vaping and their parents, experts in the...
Officer Jermaine Galloway, aka Tall Cop, has been working to combat drug and alcohol abuse problems in communities all over the country and the world for decades. Officer Galloway uses his vast knowledge of availability of substances and trends in their use to educate people and to provide strategies to those who find themselves on the front lines. He has advice for parents and young people alike about how to stay safe around drugs and alcohol by using common sense reasoning, not scare tactic...
Lenny Clarke is a familiar face to many, both for his work in the comedy industry as well as in film and television. Lenny is also known for the fundraising work he does as a way to give back out of gratitude for everything he has been through himself and for all of the people who have supported him. "I make people laugh, but I take my sobriety very, very seriously," he says. Tune in and hear about Lenny's personal experiences and learn what advice he has for parents and kids on how to s...
It's only fitting that a new way of addressing the opioid crisis was launched in the birthplace of our country. Officials in Plymouth County, MA were at the forefront of this innovative approach. In 2015 when the number of opioid deaths began skyrocketing, District Attorney Tim Cruz and Sheriff Joe McDonald took a hard look at what was going on in their county and launched the Plymouth County Drug Abuse Task Force which brought key stakeholders from all sectors of the community together....
Steve Sweeney has been dubbed the legendary King of Boston comedy, but he wears many hats. He is an actor, producer, writer and comedian. And while his humor may not always be for the faint of heart, his personal recovery journey and the work he currently does in the correctional system is guaranteed to warm your heart. Steve has been in recovery from addiction to substances for over 30 years. He draws upon his experiences when he talks with inmates in the Plymouth County and ...
Willie Ostiguy paved the way in the recovery community by founding the first recovery high school in Massachusetts. Since then he has opened several sober houses for men and one for women. Willie is a person in recovery himself. In this interview, he talks about his personal story as well as his family's history of substance use issues. He also describes the skills he used in raising his own children. Communicating with your kids and being diligent about knowing their whereabouts ar...
Amy Tee has been a fixture on the Boston comedy scene for decades. In this raw and honest interview, she discusses the challenges she faced during childhood, what led her to pursue a career in comedy, how her battle with substances began and the ways in which she copes with her mental health today. Amy grew up as an obese child who was teased and bullied incessantly throughout her life. Being thrown into lockers and called names was an everyday experience. After losing weight and beginning ...
Laura Stack of Johnny's Ambassadors talks about the risks of modern marijuana and its impact on the developing teen brain. Laura is extremely knowledgeable about the various new forms of marijuana (i.e. waxes, dabs, shatter), how marijuana differs in potency from even 10 years ago and the science behind marijuana's addictive nature. Laura also shares her personal story. She is from Colorado and lost her son to suicide after he became psychotic, paranoid and delusional as a result of his add...
Karen Beatty has been the health teacher at Hingham High School, Hingham, MA., for over 20 years. She talks about a unique prevention program that she incorporates into her 10th-grade health classes and its impact on her students. She also shares information on past and current trends in youth substance use and also delves into the critical role parents play in preventing that use. Ms. Beatty oversees the administration of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in grades 7, 9 and 11 in the Hingham Pu...
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