Len Bias and the War on Drugs

After watching the amazing ESPN documentary series' "30 for 30"'s latest episode, "Without Bias," I was struck by the impact Len Bias' death had on awareness of the dangers of cocaine, and on the drug laws. For those of you who don't know, Bias was a standout basketball player for the University of Maryland (check out highlight footage here). Bias was often compared to Michael Jordan, who we all know is the best basketball player that we've seen- his potential was through the roof. In fact,Celtics scout Ed Badger told the press at the time, "Len Bias is the closest thing to Michael Jordan to come out in a long time." Bias was drafted number two overall by the Boston Celtics at the 1986 NBA draft, and the following day went and signed a 1.6 million dollar deal with Reebok shoe company for an endorsement. That evening, Bias returned to the Maryland campus to spend time with his former teammates- and started to use cocaine. Around 6 AM that following morning, Bias started to have trouble breathing and went into seizure. After paramedics were called, Bias eventually succumbed to a cocaine overdose.

A month later, a Maryland grand jury returned indictments against Bias's friend Brian Tribble for possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and Bias's Maryland teammates Terry Long (possession of cocaine and obstruction of justice) and David Gregg (possession of cocaine and obstruction of justice). All were found not guilty, although Tribble was later convicted of an unrelated cocaine trafficking charge.

The aftermath of Bias' death stretched out into the legal system. The Narcotics Penalties and Enforcement Act was supported by both parties and enforced stronger prison sentences for smaller amounts of drugs. From a Washington Post article: "From 1954 to 1976, it fluctuated between 20,000 and 24,000. By 1986 it had grown to 36,000. Today it exceeds 190,000 prisoners, up 527 percent in 20 years. More than half this population is made up of drug offenders, most of whom are serving sentences created in the weeks after Len Bias died. "

So is Bias to blame for our current terrible prison and "War on Drugs" situation? The laws that were passed in the wake of his death have bled into a terrible problem in their own right. PBS Frontline did a great timeline on the War on Drugs, talking in specifics about the consequences of Bias' death. We can only hope that the mandatory minimum sentences that were established can be replaced by addiction rehab options for people who are struggling with addiction. Bias also brought a new level of awareness to the dangers of cocaine- in a way, he may have saved some lives with his example. That, we can hope, will be his legacy.


Here's a preview of the 30 for 30 episode. Check your local listings for the full show.



Click here for something funny.

Sorry for the prolonged absence! But it's good to be back. Come and connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Twitter. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And we'll see you shortly.

A cocaine vaccine?

A Time Magazine article this past week spoke about the success of early trials of a cocaine vaccine. The results, although only mildly successful, seemed to point towards the idea that a vaccination against addiction could be something viable in the fight to get people well. ABC news posted a video talking with Dr. Marvin Seppela, medical director of Hazelden, about the potential effects of something like this happening. The vaccination is built to damper the "high" users obtain from using cocaine, and therefore, scale back the level of craving.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (or NIDA), has mentioned that vaccinations against addiction are one of the institutes "...top priorities." NIDA is also working on a similar vaccination towards nicotine addiction. However, an interesting fact in the article: "About 25% of the study participants did not produce cocaine antibodies when vaccinated. In about half of these cases, researchers think smoking crack was the problem." This seems interesting, since it looks as though the vaccination would only alter the affects of powder cocaine users. As is widely known, crack cocaine causes far more severe effects among addicts, so it will be interesting to see if they find a way to combat the effects of crack addiction.

One of the more interesting points, made near the end of the article, was that the vaccine would need a number of consistent "booster" shots to keep up the effects of the vaccination. Dr. Volkow says that more than likely, the best use for the vaccine would be as a mode of relapse prevention, as opposed to a new method of abstinence. Since most addicts do require a form of aftercare, such as a 12-step group, this can be used as an additional tool to help support recovery and sobriety. In the spirit of the blog, being named Addiction Tomorrow after all, we're looking forward to seeing additional research and options for addicts to get well. This is encouraging, and hopefully we can get another tool in the toolbox to fight this battle.


Here's a great video about the myths of addiction.



Here's something funny.

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How are Mexico's drug laws affecting us?

As I mentioned in a recent post, drug violence in Mexico has been escalating to a disturbing degree, from affecting tourism numbers to actually seeing hitmen invade a Mexican treatment center and brutally kill people trying to get well. This does not bode well for the Mexican-American border, nor for the Mexican citizens as well. An article in the New York Times today talked about the new laws decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana and harder drugs in Mexico. Good questions brought up here- will US citizens go across the border for easier access to drugs? How will the Obama administration react? And how will this policy affect the Mexican citizens?

A variety of experts chimed in on this. One, Tony Payan (a political science professor at University of Texas-El Paso) mentioned that the new law was designed simply to combat the rampant police corruption- i.e. police demanding bribes to let people off for small possession charges- and NOT to curb violence. However, I really liked his viewpoint on this, quoted here: "it is a solid first step to pave the way for 1) distinguishing between drug use and drug abuse 2) paving the way for fully medicalizing abuse, that is, reinforcing the idea that we should treat drug addicts much as alcoholics and offer them help instead of prison time, and 3) focusing state resources on the production, trafficking and distribution networks." This is what we, vocal opponents of the US drug war, have been saying for years- that we should be going after the big drug kingpins and allow users better, and more comprehensive, access to drug treatment as opposed to putting them in jail.

I was, however, disappointed to see the response from Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation. She states: "Drug users are not innocent. They support the vicious drug cartels. Without their demand for drugs, the supply side has no purpose." However, this has been the response of government entities for the last 30 years, and we've made almost no progress. This is like comparing abstinence only education vs. comprehensive sex education. There will ALWAYS be demand for drugs- addiction will not go away if we someone slam the channels of drugs shut. People will find something new to be mind-altering- maybe even the internet- to fill the void. So we should be focusing more on the education of "what-happens-if" instead of "just say no."

Here's a breakdown of the new decriminalization laws:



Here's something funny.

Be sure to check out Writers in Treatment, a great new nonprofit organization in Los Angeles looking to help struggling artists get well. They'll be hosting an event here in LA co-sponsored by Hazelden; as more details emerge I'll post them. A great cause, and we're glad to see someone supporting them.

As always, follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And see you this week.

The Wire- a unique viewpoint on the war on drugs

I've been wanting to write about this for a couple of months now, but with all the addiction in the news I just haven't gotten around to it. The Wire, the recently-ended HBO series, is one of the best shows ever to make it on TV (in my humble opinion). If you haven't watched it, you can rent it or buy it on Amazon here. The show is infinitely rewatchable, so definitely a good investment.

David Simon, the creator of the show, worked for the Baltimore Sun (newspaper politics and policies are featured in-depth in the show's final season) for a time before writing a couple of books and eventually Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire. There's a great article talking about Simon's background in The Atlantic; I'll touch on some of the points there, but the article is definitely worth a read. What's great about the show is the humanizing aspect- that both cops and drug dealers have their flaws-- and their good parts. I haven't ever felt a lot of empathy for drug dealers, at least until I saw The Wire.

Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics, talks quite a bit about the dichotomy of drug dealing, and why many of the dealers on the street stay poor. Since drug dealing is like a pyramid scheme (those on top make a ton of money, but those on the low outposts can barely make as much as working at a McDonald's), it's difficult to break the poverty cycle in a drug-centered community. The Wire covers all of this throughout their various seasons, portraying all sides of the drug trade.

I love this show for a variety of reasons- a) it shows the ins and outs of battling drugs on the ground level from a police perspective; b) it talks directly about the effects of drug use and dealing on individual families; c) it shows an honest portrayal of people trying to make it out of the ghetto via the drug trade; d) the character Bugs is a great example of an addict trying to get well; and e) takes risks in dealing with the relationship of drugs and the police force. Many different opinions are expressed here, and David Simon's voice is a clear bell against the war.

If you want an inside scoop on the war on drugs, definitely check out The Wire- my favorite show ever. Never got great ratings, so I'll excuse you if you have yet to see it. But make sure you do.


Here's a great clip:



Oh and a quick note on the ongoing healthcare debate (I'll write a separate blog on this on a later date), we here at Addiction Tomorrow are in favor of an optional government sponsored healthcare plan- after all, having an option is better than not having one, and will be beneficial for the greater good. We need to make sure the private sector will be held accountable to standards of practice, but not snuffed out by a government healthcare plan. Ok, I'm off my soapbox for the day.

Here's something funny.

As always, follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And see you this week.