WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:07.519 It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBS, Boston's news radio. 2 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.439 Thanks very much to Cole. Yes, we have four hours tonight. 3 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:14.000 We'll keep you warm if you're out there traveling boy, 4 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.879 I hope you've got a heater working in the car 5 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.160 because it is continuing to be cold. They talk about 6 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:24.120 a dry January. This is a this is our cold January. 7 00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:26.600 But you have to kind of expect that because it 8 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:29.480 is no way. The last couple of winters. Things have 9 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:32.200 been maybe a little more temperate during this time of year, 10 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:35.479 but things do sort of balance out with mother nature. 11 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:38.000 At least that's been my experience. My name is Dan Ray. 12 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:40.560 I'm the host of night Side with Dan Ray, the 13 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.600 aptly named Nightside with Dan Ray. Rob Brooks, the producer 14 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:48.479 of our program, is back in broadcast headquarters, Broadcast Central 15 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:50.759 as we call it, and he will set you up 16 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:54.159 with telephone calls beginning at nine o'clock. Coming up at 17 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:58.399 nine o'clock tonight, we are going to talk about some 18 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:01.920 ice rayds here in Bar Austin. I guarantee you that, 19 00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:06.159 and we will. I don't see why anybody would be 20 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:11.719 opposed to ice raids in which criminal criminals are removed 21 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:13.799 from the country, criminals who are not supposed to be here. 22 00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:17.040 We have enough criminals ourselves, we don't need to import criminals. 23 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:21.239 And then at ten o'clock time we'd be talking with 24 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:25.439 the new Israeli Consul General to New England, Benny Sharoni 25 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:28.400 Consul General of Israel to New England, and we will 26 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:31.359 talk about the ceasefire in Gaza and what is going 27 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:35.200 on in Israel and for even more broadly in the 28 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:39.680 Middle East. But first we have four interesting guests on 29 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:44.640 different topics, like to introduce to you our first guest. 30 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:47.599 His name is Sean Collins. He's a lawyer and an 31 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:53.239 expert in long care insurance and that's something that a 32 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:56.760 lot of people have to be thinking, particularly as people 33 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:01.159 live longer and longer. Attorney Collins, Welcome to Night Side. 34 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:02.879 Thanks very much for being with us this evening. 35 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:05.000 Thanks Dan, I appreciate it. 36 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:10.360 So what exactly do you you're a lawyer and you're 37 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.360 an expert in long term care insurance. Is this part 38 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:16.680 of your practice or is this a separate interest that 39 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:17.439 you've developed. 40 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.039 So it is part of my practice. 41 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:25.199 It's pretty much all I do in my practice, and 42 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.159 I'm also working on setting up a separate company that's 43 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:31.479 you know, a non law firm to help folks with 44 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:34.439 clean filing issues, you know, try to avoid the need 45 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:35.639 of hiring an attorney. 46 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.199 So for a long time, everybody figured, hey, when you retire, 47 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:43.159 you got Medicare, and you're all set. Medicare, which passed 48 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:48.759 in nineteen sixty five. Well, Medicare does provide some benefits, 49 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:55.000 but there's a lot that isn't covered. Long term insurance, 50 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:58.080 as I understand, and if I'm wrong, since you're the expert, 51 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:00.759 please help me out. Is the sort of insurance that 52 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:05.879 people might buy. Look sometime in there, maybe forties, fifties 53 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.719 or sixties, anticipating the need as people live longer and longer. 54 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:12.599 Is that what we're talking about you and I tonight. 55 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:15.080 Yeah, that's that's exactly right. 56 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:19.639 So typically we'll cover stays in assisted living facilities, stays 57 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:22.479 in nursing homes, and these are longer term stays that 58 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:24.439 you know are not going to be covered by Medicare. 59 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:27.439 So when these policies were sold, primarily in the late 60 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:30.879 eighties through the early two thousands, they were sold to 61 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:34.360 cover folks once they needed to move into a facility, 62 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:36.560 once they needed home health care, benefits that were not 63 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:39.599 going to be covered by Medicare. So that's the idea, 64 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:42.120 is that this insurance product was going to protect their 65 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:45.960 assets from a long stay in a you know, perhaps 66 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.560 a memory care facility or again a skilled nursing facility. 67 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:53.039 Now, the uber wealthy, the elon musks of the world, 68 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.199 they in effect have the ability to self ensure. All right, 69 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:01.759 folks who are at the other end the economic spectrum, 70 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:06.120 they get the benefits also of Medicare, but also of Medicaid. 71 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:08.120 It seems to me that people who are in the 72 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:10.360 buying are the people in the middle, the big middle, 73 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:13.599 who do have a home that they hope to pass 74 00:04:13.639 --> 00:04:16.519 on to their kids, and all of a sudden mom 75 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:19.759 or Dad finds themselves in a long care facility that's 76 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:26.480 costing twenty thousand dollars a month. Is this a good investment, 77 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:30.800 Because like insurance, it's kind of a gamble. You hope 78 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:34.959 that you will buy adequate insurance to cover whatever you need. 79 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:38.639 At the same time you think to yourself, well, you know, 80 00:04:38.759 --> 00:04:41.120 do I really have to spend that give us the 81 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:45.240 pluses and the minuses from your perspective, from the perspective 82 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:47.839 of people who are in the middle, because again Elon 83 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:50.839 Musk is not buying any long long term health insurance. 84 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:53.959 He's all sad, and folks who are on the other end, 85 00:04:54.279 --> 00:04:56.600 they probably don't have the ability because it's an expensive 86 00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:58.600 vehicle to purchase, correct. 87 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:02.560 So then, and it's a lot more expensive now than 88 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:05.480 one it was in its heyday. So you know, the 89 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:09.199 sales of long term care insurance really peaking in the 90 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:13.079 nineties and into the early two thousands. I mean, that 91 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:16.600 was the long term care insurance heyday. There's far fewer 92 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:20.519 carriers available now, much more difficult to find coverage, their 93 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:25.959 underwriting restrictions are much higher, and frankly, it's just unaffordable 94 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.800 for most folks. People that purchase their coverage back in 95 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:30.839 the eighties and the ninety two thousands, now they maybe 96 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:32.759 got a great deal on it, and you know that's 97 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:35.120 something that they should hang on to. Now again they're 98 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.240 you know, getting hit with rate increases on their policies, 99 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:41.800 so they have a whole other headaches. But right now 100 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:46.079 it's a difficult to find coverage, and it's difficult to 101 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.600 find coverage that is not you know, very expensive. So 102 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:52.560 you know, everybody's circumstances are different. You definitely want to 103 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:54.920 talk to your insurance adjuster and see if there's a 104 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.680 plan that makes sense. But you know, one of the 105 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.199 things that I would keep in mind is I would 106 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:03.560 advise anyone to purchase a long term care insurance policy 107 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:06.839 today that gives the insurance company the ability to increase 108 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:09.000 rates in the future. So if they're going to sell 109 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:11.120 you a product today, you want to make sure that 110 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:13.959 it's a product that the rates are absolutely locked in 111 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.759 and there's no way they can go up. And if 112 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:17.959 you can't afford that, then you should probably rethink whether 113 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.439 you need to buy it. 114 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:25.199 What's the possibility that, just as in Southern California, Los Angeles, 115 00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:27.639 I think a lot of insurance companies are not going 116 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.120 to be able to cover the losses out there. And 117 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:32.800 I think a lot of insurance companies, this is my opinion, 118 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:34.720 I could be wrong. I're going to go belly up 119 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.879 because of the magnitude of the damage that has been 120 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:43.040 done in Los Angeles, outside and outside of Los Angeles. 121 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:45.920 What's the possibility that some of these long term insurance 122 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:48.600 companies that took people's money in the eighties and nineties 123 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.759 and two thousands, As people live longer and find their 124 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:55.680 need for healthcare greater. What's the chance that some of 125 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:57.079 these companies might go belly up? 126 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.240 You know, I think inst is that these companies will 127 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:03.759 go belly up. It's a bit overstated by the industry. 128 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:08.000 It's my view that the industry there there were some 129 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.160 carriers that did fail, and you know, but it's my 130 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:14.800 view that the industry is using those carriers to instill 131 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:17.279 a bit of fear mongering as a way to increase 132 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:19.399 premiums on folks that they already have locked in for 133 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:20.480 twenty to thirty years. 134 00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:20.959 Now. 135 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:22.920 That's not to say that there aren't certain carriers they're 136 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:25.240 going to have that have bigger problems than others. But 137 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:29.079 for the most part, these carriers can withstand losses. And 138 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:30.839 maybe they're not going to make the profits they want, 139 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:32.800 maybe they're going to make you a bit less money, 140 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:34.439 but they're not going to go belly up. 141 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:40.560 But you talk about the heyday the eighties, the nineties, 142 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.920 in the early two thousands, was that the baby boomer 143 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:47.759 generation looking ahead and saying, hey, we got to worry 144 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:50.639 about mom and dad when they get into the seventies, 145 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:54.160 eighties and perhaps beyond. Is that why it was such 146 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:57.759 a good time for these insurance companies becauld people walking 147 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.000 in the do and say, I want to buy long 148 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:00.959 Trump Care insurance. 149 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:03.720 I think so because they were they were in a 150 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:06.519 position where, you know, back in the eighties and the nineties, 151 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:08.720 they could the baby boomers could go in and purchase 152 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:11.399 a policy for their parents, still right, So they could 153 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:14.000 get a policy for their parents, and then they're also 154 00:08:14.120 --> 00:08:16.360 looking at I want to maintain my independence, and they're 155 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:18.639 buying a policy for themselves. So I know that that 156 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:21.079 was happening a lot where folks were purchasing policies for 157 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.160 their parents that were in their seventies when they maybe 158 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:24.079 were in their forties. 159 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:26.839 So I think that's exactly right. 160 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:29.399 So Sean, let me give you a chance. What is 161 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:31.720 the service that you can provide? And we only got 162 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:33.879 about a minute and a half left, But if folks 163 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:38.240 want to fight avail themselves of your services, what service 164 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:40.759 do you provide? Who do you help and how? 165 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.440 So I help sure, So I help I help folks 166 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:48.519 that are having a difficult time navigating the claim process. 167 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:50.480 So as an attorney, you know, most of the time 168 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:53.200 when when I hear from people, things have already been 169 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:55.200 a mess. They may have been fighting with the insurance 170 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:57.600 company for a year trying to get the claim covered, 171 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:00.000 and you know, all kinds of reasons just to why 172 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.000 of these claims get denied. It's a lot more complicated 173 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:06.399 than than it may first appear. And I think the 174 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:09.600 claim process has gotten much more difficult over the last 175 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.919 you know, five to ten years. So people give generalized 176 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:15.960 advice about how to deal with the claim process. Generalized 177 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:18.879 advice doesn't work. You need to look at your particular 178 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.320 insurance policy, and there's thousands of different variations of the 179 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:25.799 insurance policies in the language. So you know, I'm starting 180 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:28.919 a company that will be will be a non law firm. 181 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:31.840 It's going to be a patient advocacy organization. And the 182 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:33.840 idea is that if you can get infect with us, 183 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.919 we can help navigate you through the claim process and 184 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:39.440 you know, hopefully things should go smoothly and you won't 185 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:41.279 ever need to hire a lawyer. If you want to 186 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:42.919 get in touch with us, you can email us at 187 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:48.080 info at Safe Harbor l TC dot com or give 188 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:51.080 us a call at one eight eight eight six one 189 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:53.639 one zero nine zero eight. 190 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.600 Well, I'm going to ask you Sean Is give that 191 00:09:57.799 --> 00:09:59.360 email address one more time. 192 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:06.279 Please sure it's info at Steve Harbor ltc dot com. 193 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:10.519 Okay, when when we finish up what you're about to 194 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:15.720 finish up, please give both that email and that phone 195 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:18.080 number to my producer, Rob, who you spoke with before, 196 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:20.120 because there will be some people who might have missed 197 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:23.399 it and they'll be able to call Rob during the 198 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:27.039 next forty five minutes and get that contact information if 199 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:29.240 they are so inquined. Thank you very much, and I 200 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:32.240 thank you for what you do because there's a lot 201 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.080 of people out there who going to find themselves in 202 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.519 trouble for a good reason. A lot of us are 203 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:41.559 living longer than our parents did, and that's why I 204 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.600 fear that some of these companies, unless they have really 205 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:49.960 leveraged themselves properly, are going to be problematic. Sean Collins, 206 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.120 thank you so much for having joined us tonight, and 207 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:54.759 stay online and give that info to Rob so he 208 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:56.759 can have it if anyone wants to call in during 209 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:58.080 the next hour. Thank you so much, sEH. 210 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:00.639 I appreciate it, very appreciate it, and thanks a lot. 211 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.840 You're very welcome. We get back when we talk about 212 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:07.559 an old drug which provides a new problem for people 213 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.720 who have it, who are who are addicted, and we're 214 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:14.519 going to talk about nitrous oxide which is making a 215 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:18.759 comeback and what you can do about it if you 216 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:22.240 find yourself attracted to it. We have a couple of 217 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:23.960 other topics coming up. We're going to be talking with 218 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.559 the Gambino crime family associate after the eight to thirty 219 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.159 news is going to be talking about a big air 220 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:31.919 show coming up in New Hampshire. I think you're going 221 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:33.240 to want to know about it. And as they say, 222 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:36.600 we'll get to our topics of the night with phone calls. 223 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.159 Going to talk with Ed Flynn Boston City Council about 224 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:41.000 the ice sweep that has occurred in Boston in the 225 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:42.519 last day or so. And also going to be talking 226 00:11:42.519 --> 00:11:45.360 about the Israel Hamas ceasefire in the Middle East with 227 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:49.399 the Consul General of Israel to New England. My name 228 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:51.320 is Dan Ray. This is Nightside. We will be right 229 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:52.159 back right after this. 230 00:11:53.320 --> 00:11:56.320 Now back to Dan Ray line from the Window World 231 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:59.559 Nightside Studios on w b Z, the news radio. 232 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.799 Back in the days, back in the old days, there 233 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:10.039 was a drug called nitrous oxide. Apparently it's now making 234 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:14.240 a comeback. With us as my guest, Michael Mulfin he's 235 00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:19.519 an addiction expert. He overcame addiction and is now sober. 236 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:23.399 His real job is as a home builder. So kind 237 00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:28.679 of an interesting combination, uh combination, Michael, What exactly is 238 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:30.080 nitrous oxide? 239 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:33.440 Well, good evening, Dan, and thank you so much for 240 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:36.240 having me on. Yeah, it's an old one. It's it's 241 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:40.440 an old it's an old drug, and it's nitrous oxide 242 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.919 is for your listeners, when you go to the dentist 243 00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:47.879 and they give you laughing gas or something to uh, 244 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:49.360 you know, to calm you down. 245 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:51.159 Uh, that's what it is. 246 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:53.639 I mean, that's exactly what it is. And what it 247 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:54.080 does is. 248 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:57.879 It it calms the brain down, and and the more 249 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:03.080 you use it, you actually hallucinate and disassociate from your 250 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.080 you know, your from your body. And that's where the 251 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:06.559 attraction is for addicts. 252 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:11.159 So how how is it ingested? I mean is this 253 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.879 I mean, they were they were kids back twenty years ago, 254 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.200 thirty years ago that used to uh try to sniff 255 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:23.279 what was it aerosol dispensers. Is that what we're talking about? 256 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.960 Yeah, So my personal experience, I used to do that 257 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:29.440 and there's a you know, rush or airplane glue to 258 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.600 get that instant high all the way down to the 259 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:35.320 old markers, you know, the markers we used to you know, 260 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:38.240 to sniff the liquid paper, the white liquid paper, and 261 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:42.600 but this is, you know, on steroids, a lot stronger 262 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:47.480 and and today our our kids, our college students, anyone. 263 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:52.120 It's easy accessible because you can now purchase them online. 264 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:56.159 You can also purchase it in local smoke shops, you know, 265 00:13:56.279 --> 00:13:58.919 these smoke shots that are selling kret them that they're selling, 266 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:02.600 you know, the thh you know, see vape pins and 267 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.320 all that. You can also get what they're called whippets. 268 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:10.080 And they're little canisters that you can open up and 269 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:13.759 you inhale it and it gives you this instant high 270 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:15.320 and it can be very dangerous. 271 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:19.480 And how did this make a comeback? I guess if 272 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:22.759 at some point it must have fallen out of fashion. 273 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:26.480 Well, you're right, fell out of fashion. But it makes 274 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:31.559 a comeback really because the Internet and these smoke shops, 275 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:35.840 these smoke shops are getting their hands on anything that 276 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:39.279 is not illegal. It's just right in the middle of 277 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:42.200 the gray line. And they sell these things, you know, 278 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:45.240 and they call them whippets, you know, or hippie crack 279 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.159 is what they call it and these kids are you 280 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:50.879 know ingesting it? And what happens is this is my 281 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:55.279 personal opinion, it's a gateway drug into hallucingens. I mean, 282 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:58.519 it's a gateway drug into mushrooms. It's a gateway drug 283 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:02.519 into LSD asset. Because an attict wants they're triggered, they 284 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.559 want more and so they want more of the experiencing. 285 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:06.840 It's very dangerous. 286 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:10.279 So if it is. Look, I know that marijuana is 287 00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:15.240 legal in Massachusetts. We have not only medical but recreational dispensaries. 288 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:18.559 I think we're about to open up cannabis cafes here 289 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:24.840 in Massachusetts. So how does that decision by the voters 290 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:28.039 and by the politicians. How does that then open up 291 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.440 the door to something that I don't think the voters 292 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:33.600 of the politicians really are aware of. How does that work? 293 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:38.039 I mean, how that stuff legal to be sold in 294 00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:40.720 when we think of as pot dispensaries. 295 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.679 Right, let me answer it this way, speaking from a 296 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:47.200 recovering addict. Okay, it's a great question. How was asked 297 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:49.679 before in the talk show just recently that if we 298 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:54.000 were to magically build a wall around the entire United States? Okay, 299 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:58.720 would that help the drug epidemic. Yeah, it would help 300 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:02.000 a little bit, but the real problem is, I'm still 301 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:05.039 going to get high. I Am going to find a way. 302 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:09.000 To get high. So it's on the attic himself. 303 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:10.759 You know. We can vote and do all the things 304 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:13.720 we want to, but what we need to do is 305 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:16.879 is we need to stop focusing on addiction and start 306 00:16:16.919 --> 00:16:20.919 focusing on why the addiction. And that's where we'll start 307 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.600 getting the change. And it's one attic in recovery helping 308 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.840 another one. It's starting to get people on your show, 309 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:33.080 your successful show, sharing success stories of how we've overcome. 310 00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:35.720 And that's where we don't have to go to the 311 00:16:35.799 --> 00:16:38.279 ballot box. We just go right to the people and 312 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:43.399 the true stories of redemption and restoration. And that provides 313 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.759 hope because it is a deadly epidemic. 314 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:50.360 Oh. Look, we've seen the sentinel, you know, numbers which 315 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:54.519 have been pouring across the southern border for now years 316 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:58.480 and there are so many I've done stories with parents 317 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:03.600 who lost two kids the same night, you know, with fentanyl. Look, 318 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:08.640 you don't have to convince me on this, but look, everybody, 319 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.240 I like cores light and a and a glass of 320 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:14.839 red wine with dinner. So I'm not the perfect person either, Okay, 321 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:18.119 but I can handle it and I take and it 322 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:19.079 doesn't impact me. 323 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:22.359 Well, the reason why, the reason why I love what 324 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:24.240 you said right there is you had to have a 325 00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:27.279 core light and a glass of wine. Okay, but it's 326 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.440 not your source. It's not that's it's not your source. 327 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:34.680 And that's what addiction is is that once something becomes 328 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.200 my source, and I'm chasing these visible things to fix 329 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:41.200 my invisible problems, then I'm an active addiction. 330 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:43.359 Okay, you know what, Michael. 331 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:45.799 I need to talk to you more, and I think 332 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:47.720 my audience needs to talk to you more. And so 333 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.720 we do four interviews in the eight o'clock hour here 334 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:51.319 in Boston. 335 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:52.079 Uh. 336 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:56.599 And then I'd love to have you back and to 337 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:59.519 talk to some of my listeners because I know that 338 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:01.440 my listen news have kids who are in trouble, and 339 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:03.400 I know so my listeners in trouble, and so my 340 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:06.480 best callers are people who are reformed addicts. I have 341 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.400 friends of mine who were heroin addicts. I have friends 342 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:11.519 of mine, and I saw them through recovery, and I 343 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.039 worked with them and and to some and supported them. Okay, 344 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.400 they did it on them their own but I think 345 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:21.279 support is very important, uh, and I'd love to have 346 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.759 you back. So how can folks get in touch with 347 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:26.279 you in the meantime, what's the best way? 348 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:27.000 Uh? 349 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:31.160 You you have you have a website, we do. 350 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:33.720 We have a huge platform, and that's all we talk about. 351 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:36.680 We've been doing this for seven years and it's it's M. 352 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:40.960 It's M two. That's the letter M, the number. 353 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:41.960 Two the rock. 354 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:45.759 T h E r O c k dot com. Visit 355 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:47.759 our website and you can follow us. 356 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:52.240 Okay, so M to the rock. So M two t 357 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:57.319 H E r O c k dot com or dot 358 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:01.200 org dot com dot com. Michael, we'll have you back. 359 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:04.319 Thank you for what you do. Congratulations on your recovery. 360 00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:07.000 You're an inspiration and can be an inspiration of some 361 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:09.880 of my audience who may be dealing with some problems 362 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:11.759 with their own family. And we'll get you back and 363 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:15.599 we'll talk to as well. Thank you very much. Michael Molfin, 364 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:21.480 an addiction expert. It's M two b Rock all one 365 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:24.359 word dot com. Coming back on nights side, right after 366 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.839 the news at the bottom of the hour, and we're 367 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:28.480 going to talk with a form a member of the 368 00:19:28.519 --> 00:19:33.440 Gambino crime family. A life of crime that has turned around. 369 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:36.039 So we got a couple of stories of recovery here tonight. 370 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:39.079 That's an uplifting. Later on we'll talk about thunder over 371 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.160 New Hampshire. We're not talking about thunder thunder. We're talking 372 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:44.039 about an air show. We'll get to all of that, 373 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:46.839 and then we'll get to our talk portion of the program, 374 00:19:46.839 --> 00:19:48.720 beginning right after the nine o'clock news. My name is 375 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:50.640 Dan Ray. This is night Side with Dan Ray on 376 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:54.799 WBZ Boston. We are an iHeartRadio station. You can check 377 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:57.200 us out on the iHeartRadio app. Listen to us from 378 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:00.680 anywhere in the world, as can your friends and relatives 379 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.160 who might listen anywhere in the world. Back on Nightside 380 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:03.480 after this. 381 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:10.599 You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio. 382 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:15.559 Thank you, Nicole. Pleasure to welcome Robert Brelli to Nightside. 383 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:21.119 Robert is a former Gambino Family crime member and associate. 384 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.920 Robert Brelli, Welcome to Nightside. 385 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:25.480 How are you well. 386 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:27.599 I'm doing well. Thank you for allowing me to be 387 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:30.720 on your show. Do appreciate all that you're doing well. 388 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.960 I had an opportunity to watch a previous interview. You 389 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:38.880 sound like a very interesting person, and maybe we'll do 390 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.119 this at a little longer format at some night. But 391 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:43.920 we got about eight or nine minutes here just to chat. 392 00:20:44.759 --> 00:20:47.440 I did a lot of work out here as a 393 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:51.359 television reporter in the nineteen nineties and into the two thousands, 394 00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:57.799 going after corrupt FBI agents here in Boston who framed 395 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:03.720 men who were mafia associates up here for murder they 396 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:09.160 had nothing to do with. So I understand your lifestyle 397 00:21:09.240 --> 00:21:13.160 and I understand your story probably better than most talk 398 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:15.599 show hosts. So tell us about it. I understanding you're 399 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:18.079 a young guy. You're growing up in Brooklyn, New York, 400 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:22.000 and you really got involved with with the big leaguers, 401 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:24.880