End It For Good

Ep. 81 Mississippi’s Bold Shift in Addiction Treatment - Dr. Dan Edney

What if Mississippi could lead the nation in turning the tide on addiction?

In this episode, Christina Dent talks with Dr. Dan Edney, Mississippi’s State Health Officer and a physician specializing in addiction medicine. They dive into the quiet revolution taking place in our state—from expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to legalizing fentanyl test strips to saturating communities with naloxone.

Dr. Edney shares how Mississippi became one of only five states to reduce overdose deaths for two years in a row—and why saving lives must be prioritized. They discuss why harm reduction saves taxpayer dollars, how recovery truly happens, and what still needs to change—like ending the ban on syringe services.

You’ll also hear about Mississippi’s groundbreaking MSUD program, offering free treatment and MAT through local health departments, and why Dr. Edney believes it's time to treat addiction as a health issue.

Whether you're new to these conversations or deeply engaged in reform, this episode will leave you with real hope.

🔗 Learn more and get a free naloxone kit (for Mississippi residents only): odfree.org

🔗 Mississippi Department of Health MSUD Program: https://bit.ly/4cLYqfa

🎧 EFG Podcast Ep. 24 - The Success of Prescription Heroin - Dr. Scott MacDonald
🎧 Subscribe for future episodes: https://enditforgood.com/podcast/

Ep. 80 - A Surgeon's Plan to Heal the Harm of Drugs - Dr. Carr McClain

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Carr McClain, a seasoned cardiovascular surgeon who has seen the human toll of failed drug policy in the ER as well as the OR. He helps us connect the dots between drug policy and the health of everyday people who pay the price.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dr. McClain’s early experiences as a medical school graduate, encountering the violence tied to the underground drug market as he worked in one of the busiest Emergency Rooms in the US.
• How the criminalization of drugs has led to contamination, causing long-term damage to people's heart valves that he encounters in the Operating Room today.
• The challenges we face with the botanical kratom, and how it presents an opportunity to get things right when it comes to public health.

About Dr. Carr McClain: Dr. McClain is a cardiovascular surgeon, father of six, and husband to Pam. When he's not in the operating room, you can find him cheering on his alma mater, Duke University, where he studied before completing medical school at the University of Virginia, a residency at VCU, and a fellowship at the University of Florida.

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Ep. 79 - Crime is Money: How Banning Drugs Bankrolls Violence - Johann Hari

Today's episode is a rebroadcast of a popular show we did with New York Times Bestselling author Johann Hari, on his research about drug markets and how drug prohibition incentivizes and rewards crime and violence. We're creating the very thing we're supposed to be fighting. 

It's counter-intuitive, but the harder we crack down on the drug supply, the more crime we have seen and will continue to see. It's not chance. It's economics, and Johann breaks it down and makes it easy to understand for everyone. 

His book, “Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” helped spark the movement that created End It For Good and this podcast.

Ep. 78 - Kratom Saved Me From Opioid Addiction - Lisha Adcock

Lisha Adcock is a hair stylist from Meridian, Mississippi, who became addicted to opioids after struggling with chronic pain. After years of chaos and draining her bank account to pay for pills, she had to find a way out.

Kratom is a natural product made from the leaves of a tree in Asia. It has been used as a stimulant and pain reliever in that part of the world for hundreds of years, and has become popular in the United States as the war on legal opioids has intensified over the last 15 years.

Lisha shares her story of hope as kratom helped her overcome her opioid addiction and be able to manage chronic pain and continue to work and be present for her kids.

You can read Lisha's story here from The Magnolia Tribune and read more kratom news and stories here. 

Ep. 77 - What Would a World With More Legal Drugs Look Like? - Dr. Jeffrey Singer

Dr. Jeffrey Singer is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is the Founder of Valley Surgical Clinics, the largest and oldest private group surgical practice in Arizona. He has been in private practice as a general surgeon for more than 40 years. He is also a visiting fellow at the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix. Singer is a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the American Council on Science and Health. He writes and speaks extensively on regional and national public policy, with a specific focus on the areas of healthcare policy and the harmful effects of drug prohibition.

In this episode Dr. Singer shares his extensive knowledge on the history of prohibition, then the crackdown on prescription drugs, and what a world with more legal drugs might look like. He busts a few myths too, and some of them will blow your mind because they're opposite what we hear on the news. Dr. Singer believes a much healthier world is available to us if we move away from prohibition, let doctors be doctors, and police be police, and allow adults to have more legal, regulated options for substance use.

Learn more at https://enditforgood.com/

Ep. 76 - Less Yelling, More Questions: How to Walk With Your Loved One Through Addiction - Jan Moore

Jan Moore lost her only son to an overdose almost ten years ago, and her journey of healing led her to go back to school and become a licensed professional counselor who has worked with people struggling with addiction as well as their families since then. Today she shares her story as well as talks about Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Invitation to Change, and how families can be healthier as well as helping their loved one be healthier. She's passionate about teaching families how to truly help, and helping them as they lay down the battle for control and embrace an approach of influence. 

Jan is a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Hattiesburg, MS. She has lived in Hattiesburg for about forty years. She is married to James Moore and has two children, one of whom is deceased. Prior to becoming a counselor, she worked as an elementary school teacher and an admin assistant at a local hospital.  She worked in an inpatient substance use disorder facility for five years after getting her master's degree. She has been in private practice for the last several years. In both settings, she has gotten experience working with people with substance use disorders and dual diagnoses as well as their families.

Jan talks about:
Invitation to Change: https://cmcffc.org/approach/invitation-to-change
CRAFT training and support: https://alliesinrecovery.net/
Motivational Interviewing: https://motivationalinterviewing.org/understanding-motivational-interviewing

You can reach Jan through Journeys Counseling here: https://journeyscounselingcenter.clientsecure.me/

Ep. 75 - Harm Reduction: Marvelous, Misguided, or Misunderstood? - Dr. Dan Ciccarone

In today's episode, Dr. Dan Ciccarone joins us to talk about the Three Waves of the opioid epidemic, what Harm Reduction is, what it isn't, and where we've gone wrong with it. Dr. Ciccarone has studied drugs and addiction for more than two decades, combining his passion for people's individual lives as a medical doctor and his interest in data as a researcher. He is the Justine Miner Professor in Addiction Medicine in the department of Family and Community Medicine, at UCSF. He has been principal or co-investigator on numerous National Institutes of Health-sponsored public health research projects, including his current Synthetics in Combination study. He is a recognized international scholar on the medical, public health, and public policy dimensions of substance use, risk, and consequences. He consults for numerous private and public entities including the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the CDC and the FDA.

For over 20 years, Dr. Ciccarone has been actively involved in expanding the use of clinical harm reduction technologies and services such as naloxone, buprenorphine, and drug checking. He has provided harm reduction-based clinical services at several San Francisco syringe exchanges and is currently the volunteer Medical Director of Remedy Alliance, the US’ largest not-for-profit wholesale distributor of naloxone.

To learn more about Dr. Ciccarone's work visit: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/daniel.ciccarone

Ep. 74 - Many Pathways to Recovery Means More People Reach the Destination - Bryan Mauk

Christina Dent and Bryan Mauk discuss what the research actually says about different types of drug treatment and what helps more people recovery. Did you know that some mutual aid groups have their participants introduce themselves as "a competent person" rather than "an addict"? Does it make a difference in outcomes? What about sober living options for people on medication? We dive into this and more!

Learn more about EFG at https://enditforgood.com/

Ep. 73 - A Passion for People: From a High School Kid Befriending Homeless People to End It For Good's CEO - Bryan Mauk

Bryan Mauk's Friday nights in high school were spent making friends with people experiencing homelessness. During his college years, he drew 1/4 of his fellow students into the same ministry. Bryan has spent two decades working to serve and empower people who are often forgotten. He is a visionary and a builder who loves to cast big ideas and then execute them for maximum impact. His work has spanned homelessness, re-entry, social entrepreneurship, and most recently helping low-income communities have access to affordable computers and internet. On the episode we get to know Bryan and the path that led him to us as our new CEO!

Learn more about Bryan: http://enditforgood.com/bryan

Ep. 72 - My Recovery Journey: From Prison to Nike - Jordan Rogers

Jordan Rogers built a career in brand marketing at Nike after recovering from heroin addiction and a year of incarceration 21 years ago. While he has gotten to work with some of the best athletes and artists in the world, his heart and passion stay close to the brokenhearted and those in addiction and incarceration. He tries to use his gift as a communicator to bring about change and freedom for those impacted by addiction and incarceration. He started his own business two years ago and now is a keynote speaker, sports marketing consultant, and content creator.

On the episode we dive into his story, his learnings, and how being 2 decades past his prison experience has changed how he views it. Jordan is a fantastic communicator and thought leader, investing in so many people who have been through the challenges he has.

You can connect with Jordan Rogers at https://www.jordanrogers.xyz/

Get Christina's book Curious at https://enditforgood.com/curious/