Red Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Daniels’ “Celebrity Roast of Brett Hull” takes place tonight at 8 PM EST, benefiting the Jamie Daniels Foundation, and Daniels spoke bluntly with MLive’s Ansar Khan about the serious reasons behind the roast:
Daniels cited statistics revealing more than 100,000 people in the U.S. have died from overdose in a 12-month period that ended in April of this year, and 90 percent who are addicted started from prescription drugs before age 18.
“That’s why the message has to be there – get it out of the homes, get rid of the prescription pills, you can become addicted in five days,” Daniels said. “End the shame and stigma. We have to continue the conversation. That’s what we talk about tonight. You’ll see a family who also lost their son, who are in the same position we are.”
Daniels said it’s not a moral failing, it’s a disease.
“The more people that talk about it and aren’t ashamed of it, if it’s out there, maybe we can stop it before someone dies or goes into hiding like we did as a family,” Daniels said. “We hid it. We didn’t know then what we know now. We don’t want people to follow the path we did. We had that shame and stigma.”
Daniels realizes he is fortunate to have a large platform to spread the message.
“My job gets it front and center. Not everyone can do that,” he said. “If my job helps convey that message in an easier fashion, then great, that’s what we’re meant to do. That will be (Jamie’s) legacy. These are ways to get people to keep thinking about what they can do to help in their own home, whether it be keep an eye on the kids, see how they are, see if their behavior has changed. It reminds people to get pills out of their homes. That’s continuing the conversation.”
Narcan (naloxone) is an opioid reversal agent. It needs to be an over the counter medication (OTC). If it was available routinely they would be a lot less deaths. The Daniels Foundation should consider fighting for this to come true.
They have had it on the benches for a few years, at least in pre Junior (WHL , etc). Great idea in Saskatchewan!
The problem in Vancouver, BC is that the majority of the permanent are also homeless so the have 2 problems.
The paramedics are short staffed and this id in the downtown Vancouver. Owners of these unfit to live in OLD hotels that are worst of the worst or sleep in doorways or sleep in a luxury “Put Up a tent location.
Getting to the O/D victim by street is grid locked and stretched beyond there limit (Covid). They have filmed some of the OD calls and what they go thru.
There are self serve establishments that will give a user the Drug they need, at least it posts pones (if they are willing to go into Rehab).
Sadly some just stay were the are all day, get robbed when cheques arrive or get beat to death. They are a Family.
It is worse than sad. There was a TV production about a Wings player and what he is going thru. A question where is the NHLPA or even the NHL when the players fall thru the cracks. I don’t know the numbers but it is not a large amount. Put a very small tax on liquor, gambling, etc. They are selling pot in Canada.
I am not high on the list of what s/b doing. If the Medics get there in time the patient survives another day. I hope their police and others get a Narcan kit. It does work and fast.
Do enough care to make their politician, here for everyone.
I do not see an Umbrella solution, it is very complex. It should be moved a lot faster with Politician’s campaigns.
It won’t happen, in my life time, solution are too slow want to do it and the ones that can want a bigger write off.
Hope it happens some time soon, successful Rehabs should increase