Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert and owner of Accessible Beltway Clinics, talks about how law enforcement agents as well as complete strangers are capturing overdoses on cameras and posting to social media and news stations and wonders whether the effects are doing anything to bring the epidemic to an end.

ROCKVILLE, MD. March 4, 2019: Owner of Accessible Beltway Clinics and opioid crises expert, Dr. John Rosa, posted a new article on his website entitled, “The Opioid Crisis Goes Live On TV And Social Media,” in which Dr. Rosa questions whether this new trend is helping or hurting the opioid crisis.

Dr. Rosa states that, “More and more law enforcement offices throughout the country are wearing body cameras and capturing people overdosing live.” He continues adding, “These videos are ending up on local as well as national news shows and are going viral on social media. For some, this publicity comes as a wake-up call. – maybe not so welcome, but a wake-up call nonetheless.” “For others,” says Dr. Rosa, “this kind of unexpected publicity presents just another harsh episode in an already untenable life. But, with the opioid crisis continuing to grow and the prevalence of video equipped smart phones and the popularity of social media, “ he says, “we can expect the coverage and the humiliation to continue.”

“Imagine seeing your mom or dad, your brother or sister, your son or daughter or someone you know and love on the evening news, passed on, overdosed and possibly even dying right before your eyes,” says Dr. Rosa. He adds, “Imagine not knowing and finding out this way that your loved one is doing drugs. That is the case in some instances. Imagine seeing yourself this way.”

Dr. Rosa talks about a series in The New York Times, called Hooked In America. Dr. Rosa says in the article, “it was stated that not only law enforcement but also “strangers with cameras have started posting raw, uncensored images of drug users passed out with needles in their arms and babies in the back seats of their cars The videos rack up millions of views and unleash avalanches of outrage.””

According to Dr. Rosa, “Without question public humiliation has its effect on the addicted exposed on TV and/or social media. But, whether the effect is positive or not is the debate. By filming the overdoses and sending them to the news media, police departments say they are simply trying to reveal the brutal reality of what they see every day.” Dr. Rosa also states, “This is all wrong and only fuels the flames of stigma. Most people will view these videos and say, “look at what these people are doing to themselves.” My dream with every fiber of my heart and soul is to have people see such videos and say, “Look at what we did to you all.”

Read the entire article at http://www.drjohnrosa.com/the-opioid-crisis-goes-live-on-tv-and-social-media/

About John P. Rosa

Dr. Rosa is the Owner/manager of 14 health clinics in the Baltimore/Washington DC metro areas concentrating on musculoskeletal injuries of acute, subacute and chronic nature. He oversees the Integrative Medicine practice group which includes general medicine, Chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year.

Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating college, professional and Olympic athletes. Creator of 24/7 RnR (Relief and aiding Recovery) an FDA approved analgesic cream. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and clinic management.

Leader in Chiropractic 

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

• Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
• Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
• Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
• Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

Opioid Crisis Expert:

• White House Surrogate/Consultant
• Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
• State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
• Corporate and professional organization consultant
• Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Community Leadership:

• Board member of the National Italian American Foundation
• Volunteer at Crossroads Freedom Center – a residential facility in Maryland to help overcome addiction