High Truths on Drugs and Addiction Dr. Roneet Lev

Heather and Randy Bacchus
 Heather Bacchus is a dedicated advocate and mother, whose life was forever changed by the tragic loss of her son, Randy Michael, to suicide as a result of Cannabis Induced Psychosis on July 17th, 2021. Randy’s struggles with marijuana use began at the tender age of 15, eventually leading to a diagnosis of cannabis use disorder by the time he was almost 17. Heather and her husband were deeply shaken by Randy’s passing and embarked on a journey of discovery, delving into the complexities of today’s potent cannabis products and their detrimental effects on the adolescent brain.
Through exploring Randy’s personal videos and journals, they uncovered his battles with marijuana-induced psychosis, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Determined to prevent further tragedies, Heather and her husband founded the non-profit organization, Be Extraordinary, Be You, which empowers youth to embrace their true selves and avoid substance use.
Heather and Randy’s mission is fueled by the profound belief that sharing Randy’s story, grounded in scientific research, can help educate students and parents alike, empowering them to make informed decisions regarding substance use.
In addition to their advocacy work, Heather and Randy are proud parents to three daughters and licensed Realtors in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Heather often emphasizes their commitment to ensuring people find happiness in their homes, believing that a positive home environment, free from drugs, is essential for overall well-being.

 
Gerard Carroll, MD, is the Program Director for the EMS Fellowship at Cooper University Hospital. He is passionate about utilizing physician field response to translate the bedside, apprenticeship model of medical education into the field. His interests include addiction medicine and the role of urban EMS caring for underserved populations. As an undergraduate at Brandeis University, Dr. Carroll became passionate about Emergency Medical Services, and following graduation became certified as a Paramedic . He worked for nearly a decade in the New York City 911 system and was recognized for his service on the morning of the 9-11 attacks. He then earned his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School where he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He completed Emergency Medicine Residency at Temple University Hospital and completed a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services at Cooper University Hospital. He is triple board certified in Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medical Services, and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Carroll loves the practice of academic Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services and is not satisfied with the status quo. He believes strongly that EMS is a practice of medicine and as such needs to constantly be refocused on patient outcomes while optimizing its place in the healthcare system. He helped spearhead the movement of addiction medicine into the field by educating paramedics about Opioid Use Disorder and training them to rescue patients in withdrawal with Medication Assisted Therapy using buprenorphine. Dr. Carroll loves the varied practice environments of EM and EMS making academic, rural, prehospital, austere disaster deployment, and even cruise ship medicine a part of his regular medical practice.

The headlines in 2017 was “Iceland knows how to stop teen substance use – but the rest of the world is not listening.”
In 1997 – 40% of Iceland’s adolescents got drunk in the past 30 days, one of the highest teen alcohol problem in the world.
 After a national prevention program consistent over 20 years, the trend has been reversed to just 5%.
A side effect of the program also measured decreased tobacco, cannabis, as well as decreased bulling, violence, theft, sexual abuse.

What is Iceland secret?

 
Inga Dóra Sigfúsdóttir
Inga Dora Sigfusdottir is Professor and Founding Director of the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis at Reykjavik University, and Research Professor in Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. A sociologist, her research focuses on understanding how biological and social factors interact to influence the development of risky behavior among adolescents, including substance use, suicidal behavior, unprotected sex, self-inflicted harm, and delinquency. Dr. Sigfusdottir has been the Project Director in Iceland for the European School Survey Project of Alcohol and other Drugs and for the European Cities Against Drugs Youth in Europe Project. She is currently the Principal Investigator of a life course study funded by the European Research Council which is investigating the effects of stress on biology, emotion and behavior throughout childhood.

Michelle R. Peace, Ph.D.
Forensic Toxicologist
Dr. Peace received her B.A. in Chemistry from Wittenberg University, a Master of Forensic Science from George Washington University, and her Ph.D. from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Dr. Peace is a forensic toxicologist and a Full Professor in the FEPAC-accredited Department of Forensic Science at VCU and is one of the founding faculty for the Department. She served as Associate Chair and Chair for nearly a decade. Dr. Peace has also served as a manager in a private forensic drug testing laboratory and has worked as a scientist for Procter & Gamble, where she holds 3 patents.
Dr. Peace has been funded by the National Institute of Justice since 2014 to study the efficacy of electronic cigarettes, particularly as they pertain to substance use and abuse. Her research has highlighted emerging issues of electronic cigarettes as a tool for vaping drugs other than nicotine and has characterized the merging of the cannabis and e-cigarette industries. Her current project is a clinical study to assess the impact of vaping on roadside impairment evaluations for suspected DUI and drug testing.
Dr. Peace is a Past President of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists and is a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She is a member of the National Safety Council’s Alcohol, Drugs, and Impairment Division. She was nationally recognized for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring by the Society of Forensic Toxicologists.
Dr. Peace speaks regularly to train law enforcement and probation/parole officers, addiction specialists, attorneys, health system personnel, and primary and secondary education administrators on relevant issues regarding the mechanism of vaping and e-cigarettes as a tool to deliver drugs other than nicotine, as well as the effects of CBD and THC. She has provided testimony and opinions to develop scientifically relevant and robust policy and legislation at the state and federal levels, and she consults with companies and school systems as they re-develop smoking policies to include vaping.
Dr. Peace has testified to the Food and Drug Administration and the Virginia General Assembly regarding issues of quality assurance, public health, and public safety with the emerging cannabis industry. She has been featured in the New York Times, Consumer Reports, and AARP. The American Chemical Society and Discover Magazine featured her and her research in 2018 and 2019 as some of the most timely, interesting, or influential research in the nation.

Jason Graham, MD was appointed Chief Medical Examiner of New York City by Mayor Eric Adams in April 2022. In this role, he oversees investigations into deaths in New York City, and the operation of the largest public DNA laboratory in the nation. He previously served as Acting Chief Medical Examiner since December 2021 and as First Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, the second highest leadership position within OCME, since 2013.


Dr. Graham joined the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in 2006, and later served as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the borough of Manhattan. With a particular focus most recently on the investigation of overdose fatalities, he leads OCME’s response to the opioid epidemic in coordination with local, state and federal partners. Dr. Graham established the OCME Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group in 2016 and currently serves as Chair of the city’s RxStat Overdose Fatality Review Committee led by the OCME since summer 2021.


A native of Tennessee, Dr. Graham graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He then completed general surgery internship and anatomic pathology residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta prior to subspecialty fellowship training in forensic pathology at the Emory/Fulton County Medical Examiner program. Dr. Graham is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in both anatomic and forensic pathology. He holds faculty appointment currently as Chair for the Department of Forensic Medicine at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Graham has published in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals in the areas of forensic science, medicine, and pathology, and he is a member of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the National Association of Medical Examiners.