July Hot Topics: Kratom, Television, and a Fentanyl Overdose Vaccine?July Hot Topics: Kratom, Television, and a Fentanyl Overdose Vaccine?
The Right Mind Media Podcast
Jon Cohan and Abby Dean talk through recent research and headlines on TV and brain health, a potential fentanyl overdose vaccine, alcohol and stress, and kratom. The conversation blends science, humour, and concern about how these issues affect people living with addiction and seeking recovery.
27:00•26 Jul 2026
Hot Topics in Addiction: TV Brains, Fentanyl Vaccines, Alcohol Stress, and Kratom
Episode Overview
- Heavy self-reported television use in mid-life is linked with smaller brains and dementia-like changes, though causation is unclear.
- An experimental fentanyl vaccine aims to block the drug before it reaches the brain, preventing both the high and respiratory depression.
- Harm reduction is framed as keeping people alive long enough to access treatment, despite public resistance and stigma.
- Early drinking to manage stress may disrupt the brain’s natural stress systems and contribute to a persistent relapse risk.
- Kratom and its compound 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-O) can cause opioid-like problems, with rising hospitalisations and growing regulatory debate.
“"The aim is to keep people alive until they can access treatment. Until they get better."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This chat from The Right Mind Media Podcast takes that question and spins it through science headlines, everyday habits, and policy debates that affect anyone touched by addiction. Jon Cohan and Abby Dean kick things off with a study linking heavy mid-life television watching to smaller brains and dementia-like changes.
They joke about being "babysat by the TV" as kids, but also point out the uncertainty: "It may shrink your brain, or people with little brains watch a lot of TV in middle life." You’ll hear them connect binge-watching, short online videos, and dopamine hits to attention span and long-term brain health. From there, the focus shifts to an experimental fentanyl overdose vaccine.
Abby describes how it’s designed to train the immune system to block fentanyl before it reaches the brain, removing both the high and the dangerous respiratory depression. The pair emphasise it’s very early research, then weigh up practical questions about duration of protection, pain management, and public scepticism around vaccines and harm reduction. As Jon sums up, the aim is simple: keep people alive "until they can access treatment.
Until they get better." Alcohol gets a close look through a mouse study on drinking to manage stress. Abby walks through how early alcohol use interferes with the brain’s natural stress systems and may leave people at higher relapse risk even after long-term sobriety. Jon adds the everyday reality: people drink "because it works" in the short term, but the brain and body pay for it later.
Finally, they tackle kratom and its potent compound 7-hydroxymitragynine ("7-O"), sold in a legal grey area and linked to hospitalisations and opioid-like dependence. With gas-station supplements, local bans, and federal scheduling all in the mix, this segment will interest anyone worried about emerging drug trends. If you’re curious how science, policy, and lived experience intersect in addiction and recovery, this episode might spark some useful questions about your own habits and beliefs.
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