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Who would create a
radio show that directly challenges and attacks a $250
billion dollar industry that values profit over lives
and employs more lawyers than the population of many
towns? What kind of a person would go on the
radio every Sunday night at 9:00 pm EST on 860 WGUL and
tell the world the truth about the consequences that are
directly caused by the misrepresentations and sometimes
outright lies of this industry?
This kind of
person is a mild, unassuming man named Larry
Golbom. Like any rational person, Larry knows that
sometimes prescription drugs are necessary and they save
lives daily. None of us who have had a family
member saved from a serious illness by doctors and
prescription drugs, have any doubt that the drug
companies can serve a useful purpose in our lives.
However, no one can argue that this same industry has a
dark side.
Each week Larry G,
as he identifies himself on the air, exposes the dark
side, the truth about the prescription drug epidemic
that is sweeping the country. He points out that
somewhere the drug companies lost their conscience and
forgot that their purpose was to do good, not just make
profits. Of course, if making profits is your only
goal, then, like the Nazi concentration guards who were
only doing their jobs, their employees can more easily
ignore the screams and agony of their victims and the
steady stream of obituaries caused in large part by the
public not realizing that their welfare is secondary to
the profits of the drug companies.
As the director of
Novus Medical Detox Center, I daily see the ravages of
prescription drugs that chemically are little different
than heroin or cocaine and, of course, are just as
addictive and destructive. At Novus we see the
shattered lives and broken families created by people
who obtained their drugs, not in a dark alley, but at a
pharmacy using a prescription written by a doctor who is
too busy to investigate the true cause of the physical
problem the person is having and instead just prescribes
the current drug fad being promoted by the drug
companies' sales representatives.
The main purpose
of Novus Medical Detox Center is to help people withdraw
from these dangerous drugs, but another major purpose is
to educate people about the true risks of prescription
drugs. We arrange speakers for civic groups,
church groups, schools and we do radio shows.
Recently, I had
the opportunity to appear on Larry G's Prescription
Addiction Radio show. Like any two people who
share the same goals and purposes, we instantly
established a friendship. I would like to
introduce you to him using his own words from his
website.
"I, along with millions of
families, have experienced the heartbreak of a family
member addicted to a drug legally dispensed but
unethically prescribed. As a registered pharmacist for
over 30 years, I have the experience and knowledge base
to help educate the health care professions and the
public on the quiet epidemic that is affecting our
country.
We have millions of people
waking up every morning unable to function without a
prescription drug(s) to make it through the day. The
need for the drugs are not from a disease state, but
simply to prevent oneself from being sick (commonly
known as withdrawal).
Unfortunately,
the misuse is from doctors who prescribe, but do not
know the dangers and side effects of the addictive drugs
or from doctors who are blatantly greedy. Presently,
there is no family who is immune from the destruction
too many doctors are creating.
In our
state of Florida, 70% of our drug related deaths are
prescription drug related. There are countless examples
of doctors who have replaced the street corner drug
dealer. Our medical boards, pharmacy boards, police and
DEA appear to be helpless in stopping the number of
"legal" drugs reaching our streets.
Finally, heroin was legal in our country from 1898
through 1913. The parallels of Oxycontin misuse and
heroin abuse are astonishing. They both kill. Oxycontin
was introduced onto our streets in 1995 and one goal of
this show is to help stop the production of Oxycontin
and all time release oxycodone drugs."
Many of Larry's guests are themselves victims of the
prescription drug epidemic or have lost family
members. Larry does his show each week educating
his listeners to the harmful effects of prescription
drugs and saving people from addiction and
worse. Larry offers the drug companies
the opportunity to have someone come on his show and
refute his allegations but of course none have done
so.
Is it because they
are too busy to answer allegations of actions that, if
committed by you or me, would get us convicted and given
life sentences in prison? No, it is because
the allegations are true.
Some people might
ask, "Why does he do this? He is just one man on a
small radio station on a Sunday night. What can
one man do?"
Thomas Jefferson
once said that a majority is one man with courage.
It is because of the dedication and courage of people
like Larry G that the truth about the prescription drug
epidemic is coming to light and with this growing
awareness, the lives of tens of millions of people can
be saved.
If you are not in
the Tampa Bay area you can hear his show on the
internet. Go to www.prescriptionaddictionradio.com and hit "Listen Live". Or, if you
want to listen to previous shows, these are also
available on his website.
Please take the
time to visit his website and, if you support his
actions, send him an email thanking him for doing the
show.
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