Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly – December 5

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Due to pledge be sure to check local listings. Show #1814 will be fed over PBS at 5:00 p.m. EST on December 5 (check local listings). Heroin and the Faith Community – According to the White House Office of National […]

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Due to pledge be sure to check local listings. Show #1814 will be fed over PBS at 5:00 p.m. EST on December 5 (check local listings).

Heroin and the Faith Community – According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the number of drug overdose deaths around the country has increased 118 percent since 1999, with heroin abuse reaching “epidemic” levels in cities and small towns alike. In an exclusive interview, Managing Editor Kim Lawton talks with prominent evangelical leader Rev. Richard Cizik, whose son, Richard Jr., died of a heroin overdose last year. Now Cizik is pushing faith communities-and churches in particular-to get more involved in the crisis by first acknowledging that heroin abuse is also a problem in their pews. Lawton also talks with the acting director of the White House office, Michael Botticelli, about the role faith groups can play in anti-drug efforts. (Originally aired September 5, 2014) http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2014/09/05/september-5-2014-heroin-faith-community/24028/

Drugs of Last Resort – Amid the Ebola crisis, the World Health Organization determined that it would be ethical to administer untested and unapproved drugs on an emergency basis.  Betty Rollin reports that parents of critically ill children have been wrestling with similar questions. Many desperately seek experimental drugs through the FDA and pharmaceutical companies, but there are ethical issues surrounding who gets the drugs and who doesn’t. Jason Fowler, father of 7 year- old Jack, says “Is there risk involved? Definitely, but…the other option is watching our son deteriorate and die and we’re not going to stand by and do that.” (Originally aired August 1, 2014) http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2014/08/01/july-30-2014-drugs-last-resort/23736/


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