Waking An EpidemicWaking An Epidemic
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu and Marissa talk through the Netflix documentary The Pharmacist to highlight how the opiate epidemic grew and how one father fought back. They discuss OxyContin, overdose risks, harm reduction tools and the importance of personal responsibility for anyone using or prescribed opiates.
56:08•18 Feb 2020
Waking an Epidemic: The Pharmacist, OxyContin and Owning Your Recovery
Episode Overview
- Opiate addiction can begin within days, often going unnoticed in families for around two years before signs are recognised.
- The marketing and prescribing of OxyContin dramatically changed pain treatment and contributed to widespread dependence and overdose.
- Pharmacists and doctors share responsibility, but individuals are urged to research their medications and watch for early signs of misuse.
- Naloxone is presented as an essential safety tool for anyone around opiates, with a call for follow‑up support rather than just reversal.
- Sustainable recovery is linked to hard work and lifestyle change, including movement, therapy and honest self‑assessment, rather than quick fixes.
“People can become addicted starting at day three… and have strong addictions within eight days.”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This episode of Addict II Athlete zooms in on one pharmacist’s fight against the early days of the opiate crisis and what his story means for anyone touched by addiction. Coach Blu Robinson and Athletic Director Marissa Robinson chat candidly about the Netflix documentary *The Pharmacist*, following Daniel Schneider, a Louisiana pharmacist whose son is murdered during a drug deal.
Instead of accepting “there’s nothing we can do”, he starts recording conversations, chasing leads himself and pushing authorities to pay attention. As Blu puts it, this is “the man who started pointing out flaws in the system all because of a loss and tragedy that he had.” From there, the conversation widens into a blunt look at the opiate epidemic: how OxyContin flooded communities, why some doctors overprescribed, and the role of big pharma.
Marissa notes that people can “become addicted starting at day three,” while Blu highlights how quickly tolerance and withdrawal take over, comparing opiate withdrawal to “the flu times 10 or 20 plus your bones itching.” The episode also talks through practical harm reduction, including naloxone and Vivitrol, stressing that having naloxone at home for anyone on prescribed opiates “won’t do anything to hurt” if used in doubt.
They balance critique of pharmaceutical companies with a clear push for personal accountability, urging people to research their medications, build self-awareness and look beyond quick fixes to the “hard stuff” like physiotherapy, movement and lifestyle change. This is aimed at a wide audience: family members who’ve never used substances, people in early recovery and long-term sober athletes alike.
You’ll get a mix of story, education and some hard questions: where does responsibility really begin, and what are you doing to protect yourself and those you love from the next “wonder drug”? If you’re curious about how one family tragedy helped wake up an epidemic, this conversation might be the reality check you need.
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