Latest news with #JohnBelushi
Gizmodo
12-07-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
The Fourth Wave: How Speedballing Is Creating a New Kind of Drug Crisis
Speedballing—the practice of combining a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine with an opioid such as heroin or fentanyl—has evolved from a niche subculture to a widespread public health crisis. The practice stems from the early 1900s, when World War I soldiers were often treated with a combination of cocaine and morphine. Once associated with high-profile figures like John Belushi, River Phoenix and Chris Farley, this dangerous polysubstance use has become a leading cause of overdose deaths across the United States since the early- to mid-2010s. I am an assistant professor of public health who has written extensively on methamphetamine and opioid use and the dangerous combination of the two in the United States. As these dangerous combinations of drugs increasingly flood the market, I see an urgent need and opportunity for a new approach to prevention and treatment. Dating back to the 1970s, the term speedballing originally referred to the combination of heroin and cocaine. Combining stimulants and opioids—the former's 'rush' with the latter's calming effect—creates a dangerous physiological conflict. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, stimulant-involved overdose fatalities increased markedly from more than 12,000 annually in 2015 to greater than 57,000 in 2022, a 375% increase. Notably, approximately 70% of stimulant-related overdose deaths in 2022 also involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, reflecting the rising prevalence of polysubstance involvement in overdose mortality. Users sought to experience the euphoric 'rush' from the stimulant and the calming effects of the opioid. However, with the proliferation of fentanyl—which is far more potent than heroin—this combination has become increasingly lethal. Fentanyl is often mixed with cocaine or methamphetamine, sometimes without the user's knowledge, leading to unintentional overdoses. The rise in speedballing is part of a broader trend of polysubstance use in the U.S. Since 2010, overdoses involving both stimulants and fentanyl have increased 50-fold, now accounting for approximately 35,000 deaths annually. This has been called the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic. The toxic and contaminated drug supply has exacerbated this crisis. Stimulants like cocaine increase heart rate and blood pressure, while opioids suppress respiratory function. This combination can lead to respiratory failure, cardiovascular collapse, and death. People who use both substances are more than twice as likely to experience a fatal overdose compared with those using opioids alone. The conflicting effects of stimulants and opioids can also exacerbate mental health issues. Users may experience heightened anxiety, depression, and paranoia. The combination can also impair cognitive functions, leading to confusion and poor decision-making. Speedballing can also lead to severe cardiovascular problems, including hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. The strain on the heart and blood vessels from the stimulant, combined with the depressant effects of the opioid, increases the risk of these life-threatening conditions. Increasing awareness about the dangers of speedballing is crucial. I believe that educational campaigns can inform the public about the risks of combining stimulants and opioids and the potential for unintentional fentanyl exposure. There is a great need for better access to treatment for people with stimulant use ddisorder—a condition defined as the continued use of amphetamine-type substances, cocaine, or other stimulants leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, from mild to severe. Treatments for this and other substance use disorders are underfunded and less accessible than those for opioid use disorder. Addressing this gap can help reduce the prevalence of speedballing. Implementing harm reduction strategies by public health officials, community organizations, and health care providers, such as providing fentanyl test strips and naloxone—a medication that reverses opioid overdoses—can save lives. These measures allow individuals to test their drugs for the presence of fentanyl and have immediate access to overdose-reversing medication. Implementing these strategies widely is crucial to reducing overdose deaths and improving community health outcomes. Andrew Yockey, Assistant Professor of Public Health, University of Mississippi. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 12 Best SNL Sketches in 50 Years of Saturday Night Live
Here are the 12 best SNL sketches in the 50 years of Saturday Night Live. Obviously, these things are subjective. So if you think we missed one, let us know in the comments. And now, the best SNL sketches, in our estimation, ever. Related Headlines The 12 Strangest Movies We've Ever Seen The 12 Most Captivating Prison Movies We've Ever Seen Why We Spent Our Wedding Fund Making Our Horror Movie, Sight Unseen Early Saturday Night Live sketches often felt seat-of-your pants and tended to lag at times as everyone tried to find the same pace. Not this one: A typical morning in the life of a Greek diner that refuses to adapt, it has a simple, recognizable hook and sweet slice-of-life simplicity. The rhythm is as pleasing as a morning routine. SNL is sometimes known for big characters, but almost everyone in this sketch plays it straight and real, which adds to its charm. Gilda Radner is especially good as the one customer who seems to understand the place, and Bill Murray gets the funniest moment with his panicked nodding, using only a single word. The sketch is a little more poignant when you know that star John Belushi's immigrant dad operated a struggling restaurant when Belushi was growing up in Wheaton, Illinois. Key line: "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger, four Pepsi, two chip." The great Margot Kidder, playing a bank vice president on a business trip, receives a visit from a profoundly Midwestern, profoundly decent, assuredly unsexy sex worker: Fred Garvin, male prostitute. Dan Aykroyd brings big dad energy to the role of a kindly, folksy gigolo, and Kidder is a perfect straightwoman. The setup is absurd, but everyone plays it with endearing vulnerability. Like many Aykroyd characters, Fred Garvin would provide the template for many played-straight ridiculous characters to come. This one doesn't always turn up on lists of the best SNL sketches, but it should. It also gets referenced throughout the terrific new movie Saturday Night, in which Aykroyd is played, impressively, by Dylan O'Brien. Key line: "Ma'am, you're dealing here with with a fully qualified male strumpet." A high-flying, edgy satire of breathless coverage of President Reagan's attempted assassination in 1981. This sketch is the clear highlight of the years after the departure of the original Not Ready for Primetime Players. Eddie Murphy is brilliant not only as Buckwheat, but also as the man who shot him, John David Stutts. It also foreshadowed decades of round-the-clock news coverage with just as little self-awareness as Joe Piscopo's take on Ted Koppel. Key line: "It's good to see you all. Hi! I killed Buckwheat." With maybe the simplest concept of any Saturday Night Live sketch, this piece by legendary writer Jim Downey (above) — who also stars as an eager-to-please service representative — masterfully ridicules seemingly sincere corporate ad campaigns. The execution of a very basic idea is perfect. Key line: "We will give you the change, equal to... the amount of money that you want change for." A sketch where everyone else plays it straight so Chris Farley can give it 2,000 percent as Barney, a young man determined to be a Chippendales dancer. Some — including the brilliant former SNL writer Bob Odenkirk — believe that the sketch was cruel to Farley. But listen to his many friends in interviews on Dana Carvey and David Spade's Fly on the Wall podcast and you'll hear that Farley was very much on board with the premise of the sketch — and no one has ever been more committed to a sketch. The sketch works not because of the jokes about Farley's weight, but because of how sweetly and sincerely everyone plays the situation. Watch here. Key line: "I wish I could just flip a coin and be done with it, but we can't. We're Chippendales." Everyone else — from Julia Sweeney to Phil Hartman to David Spade to Christina Applegate — just tries not to hold it together as Matt Foley, played by Chris Farley at his best, absolutely takes over. The original Matt Foley sketch was a carryover from Farley's time working with writer-performer Bob Odenkirk at Chicago's Second City. By the time it came to SNL, it was at its full frenetic brilliance. It's also a sketch with heart — we end up sympathizing with everyone involved. Key line: "He's been down in the basement drinking coffee for about the last four hours so he should be ready to go." Another sketch you probably won't fall on many lists of the best SNL sketches, but this is the perfect mix of stupid and smart. Chris Parnell plays it straight as a father concerned with his financial future. It's also perfectly timed at less than 90 seconds, which makes us love it even more. Watch here. Key line: "A lot of investments companies rushed onto the internet. But Dillon-Edwards took their time." Passions run high in August 1976 as The Blue Oyster Cult records their hit song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" under the watchful eye of rock legend Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken). Also, let's save you a Google: Gene Frenkle, the percussionist played by Will Ferrell, is not a real person. This one turns up on almost every list of the best SNL sketches for a reason. Lots of reasons, actually. Key line: "I got a fever. And the only prescription is more cowbell." Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch, always outstanding) proves that she can even ruin breakfast at Disney World. It's a flawlessly written sketch that only gets funnier as everyone involved understandably falls apart with laughter. At one point, host Lindsay Lohan has no choice but to flee the sketch altogether. We're not fans of people breaking on camera, but this one is the gold standard of breaking on camera. Every Debbie Downer sketch on SNL is great, but this is our favorite. It's one of the best SNL sketches and best SNL moments. Key line: "It's official: I can't have children." A brutal jab at men who marry much younger women, "Meet Your Second Wife" is a very dark, very funny sketch with a solid premise and plenty of perfect small jokes packed in throughout. The unstoppable Tina Fey and Amy Poehler anchor a basically perfect, sharp-elbowed sketch. Bobby Moynihan and Aidy Bryant especially stand out with subtle, skillfull turns. Fey and Poehler are responsible for many of the best SNL sketches and performances, but this one's our favorite. Key line: "Actually it's seven." A lovingly detailed, laughs-in-the-specifics sketch that suggests maybe isn't America isn't so racially divided, after all. Exquisitely acted by everyone — Kenan Thompson (pictured), the longest-serving SNL castmember ever, is superb. But Tom Hanks is especially surprising as a MAGA-hat wearing conspiracy theorist who comes off as a pretty good guy. This is one of those best SNL sketches where you catch sharp new insights every time you watch. Watch here. Key line: "What is: I don't think so. That's how they get ya." Saturday Night Live has done multiple sketches in which a local news anchors get caught up in a very curious detail seemingly irrelevant to the major breaking story they're covering. This is the best. Newscasters Beck Bennett and Cecily Strong – as well as reporter on the scene Kenan Thompson — are ostensibly covering a Tampa sinkhole, but also can't understand why a local shopper played by Margot Robbie is married to a regular-guy Matt Schatt (Mikey Day). One of the best SNL sketches of recent times and all time, this one is a perfectly written and acted game of change-the-subject. Key line: "So... you two are married to each other." If you enjoyed this list of the best SNL sketches, you might also like these 12 Wild Stories From Behind the Scenes of Saturday Night Live. Also: We understand these things are subjective. So again, please share your own list of the best SNL sketches in the comments. All images from NBC's Saturday Night Live. Related Headlines The 12 Strangest Movies We've Ever Seen The 12 Most Captivating Prison Movies We've Ever Seen Why We Spent Our Wedding Fund Making Our Horror Movie, Sight Unseen
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Speedballing – the deadly mix of stimulants and opioids – requires a new approach to prevention and treatment
Speedballing – the practice of combining a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine with an opioid such as heroin or fentanyl – has evolved from a niche subculture to a widespread public health crisis. The practice stems from the early 1900s when World War I soldiers were often treated with a combination of cocaine and morphine. Once associated with high-profile figures like John Belushi, River Phoenix and Chris Farley , this dangerous polysubstance use has become a leading cause of overdose deaths across the United States since the early- to mid-2010s. I am an assistant professor of public health who has written extensively on methamphetamine and opioid use and the dangerous combination of the two in the United States. As these dangerous combinations of drugs increasingly flood the market, I see an urgent need and opportunity for a new approach to prevention and treatment. Dating back to the 1970s, the term speedballing originally referred to the combination of heroin and cocaine. Combining stimulants and opioids – the former's 'rush' with the latter's calming effect – creates a dangerous physiological conflict. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, stimulant-involved overdose fatalities increased markedly from more than 12,000 annually in 2015 to greater than 57,000 in 2022, a 375% increase. Notably, approximately 70% of stimulant-related overdose deaths in 2022 also involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, reflecting the rising prevalence of polysubstance involvement in overdose mortality. Users sought to experience the euphoric 'rush' from the stimulant and the calming effects of the opioid. However, with the proliferation of fentanyl – which is far more potent than heroin – this combination has become increasingly lethal. Fentanyl is often mixed with cocaine or methamphetamine, sometimes without the user's knowledge, leading to unintentional overdoses. The rise in speedballing is part of a broader trend of polysubstance use in the U.S. Since 2010, overdoses involving both stimulants and fentanyl have increased 50-fold, now accounting for approximately 35,000 deaths annually. This has been called the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic. The toxic and contaminated drug supply has exacerbated this crisis. Stimulants like cocaine increase heart rate and blood pressure, while opioids suppress respiratory function. This combination can lead to respiratory failure, cardiovascular collapse and death. People who use both substances are more than twice as likely to experience a fatal overdose compared with those using opioids alone. The conflicting effects of stimulants and opioids can also exacerbate mental health issues. Users may experience heightened anxiety, depression and paranoia. The combination can also impair cognitive functions, leading to confusion and poor decision-making. Speedballing can also lead to severe cardiovascular problems, including hypertension, heart attack and stroke. The strain on the heart and blood vessels from the stimulant, combined with the depressant effects of the opioid, increases the risk of these life-threatening conditions. Increasing awareness about the dangers of speedballing is crucial. I believe that educational campaigns can inform the public about the risks of combining stimulants and opioids and the potential for unintentional fentanyl exposure. There is a great need for better access to treatment for people with stimulant use disorder – a condition defined as the continued use of amphetamine-type substances, cocaine or other stimulants leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, from mild to severe. Treatments for this and other substance use disorders are underfunded and less accessible than those for opioid use disorder. Addressing this gap can help reduce the prevalence of speedballing. Implementing harm reduction strategies by public health officials, community organizations and health care providers, such as providing fentanyl test strips and naloxone – a medication that reverses opioid overdoses – can save lives. These measures allow individuals to test their drugs for the presence of fentanyl and have immediate access to overdose-reversing medication. Implementing these strategies widely is crucial to reducing overdose deaths and improving community health outcomes. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Andrew Yockey, University of Mississippi Read more: Rat poison is just one of the potentially dangerous substances likely to be mixed into illicit drugs Kim Kardashian West and ecstasy: A reminder of the social dangers of the drug Nitazenes are a powerful class of street drugs emerging across the US Andrew Yockey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Marcia Resnick, Whose Camera Captured New York's ‘Bad Boys', Dies at 74
Marcia Resnick, a fine arts photographer who in the late 1970s pivoted from conceptual work to capture her febrile milieu, New York City's downtown demimonde, in a series of intimate portraits, mostly of men, including the last studio photos taken of John Belushi, died on Wednesday in Manhattan. She was 74. The cause of death, at a hospice facility, was lung cancer, her sister, Janice Hahn, said. New York City was lurching out of its fiscal crisis as Ms. Resnick began careening through Manhattan's after-hours spots, notably Max's Kansas City, CBGB and the Mudd Club. She was living the life, to be sure, but also scouting for subjects. Despite her madcap persona and punk-Lolita uniform — pleated schoolgirl skirts, thigh-high stockings and combat boots, beribboned pigtails and kohl-smudged eyes — she was deadly serious about her craft and her mission. Ms. Resnick was a skilled, CalArts-trained photographer determined to capture the scene that was swirling around her. She photographed Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of the band Blondie sprawled on their bed in their 58th Street penthouse, looking like children at a sleepover. She found the infamous lawyer Roy Cohn and Steve Rubell, the Studio 54 impresario, slumped on a sofa at the Mudd Club after sharing a quaalude; in her photo, Mr. Cohn radiates malevolence, while Mr. Rubell, his head resting on the other man's shoulder, looks joyful and beatific. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
There's always a good season to visit the US's most under-rated city
HOW: It's cold outside, so stay indoors. There are more than 80 museums - try one of the largest science museums in the US, the Museum of Science & Industry, or the Chicago History Museum. Art aficionados will love winter. Check out one of America's oldest and largest art museums, the Art Institute of Chicago, or the Museum of Contemporary Art. Though there's art all over: entire neighbourhoods, like River North, are full of it in former warehouses. And there's a diverse theatre scene with many Tony Award-winning theatre companies, not to mention the options for comedy fans who'll already know the Second City spawned America's greatest comedians, like John Belushi and Bill Murray. Winter's the perfect time to spend entire afternoons at the city's steakhouses. The best of them is Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, a Chicago institution - take a seat at the bar and enjoy the human traffic. And try another icon, Tavern On Rush, just across the road in Chicago's most fun neighbourhood, the Gold Coast. The bonus here is it's in Thompson Chicago, an underpriced, over-delivering hotel right at the heart of the best action in the city.
