From the 3/14 Show – A Congressional Representative and a Symbolic Show

USA Today recently published the 2009 highway death toll statistics to be 33,963. The latest Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) statistics from 2006 indicates over 38,000 deaths related to “overdose drug deaths”. There are no indications the death toll has decreased and that translates into drug related deaths now being the number one accidental killer in our country.
We have entered into a phase of historic proportions. We are in the midst of the largest silent epidemic in history. We have over 2000 deaths in Florida directly linked to oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl and methadone last year and our Florida state legislature needs to “debate” on what to do with the pain clinics in this state. Our country’s representatives in Washington have not offered a better example.
However, this week’s show offered great symbolism in our quest to bring dialog on the growing drug culture in America. Congressional Representative Mary Bono Mack from the 45th District of California joined the radio show. Thankfully this country has a representative in Congress who is stepping forward to help bring a greater awareness that most elected representatives have chosen not to address. Drugs are affecting every community in America in terms of personal lives, family lives and dramatic costs to our health care and judicial systems. Mary Bono Mack boldly answered why her Congressional counterparts have not made the silent epidemic no longer silent. Mary helped us understand why the conversations at our kitchen tables are not taking place in the halls of Congress.
Mary was joined by Jessica Stephen, Sandra Kresser and Gail Graves. Sandra and Gail have lost their children and Jessica is a reporter for the Kenosha News. Sunday night represented for the first time in America an open conversation, without any special interests involved, that included heartfelt solutions to the growing crises. Sunday night’s radio show had the conversation you have had in your kitchen and dining rooms.