Emmy-Winning Chef Andrew Zimmern on the Hidden Dangers of Alcohol

"If vodka was invented today...it would be harder to get than heroin."

Dec 08, 2024

This week, I had the privilege of speaking with Andrew Zimmern, the Emmy-winning, four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, and passionate global advocate.

While I didn’t plan for the conversation to take this turn, we spent a lot of time discussing the often-overlooked dangers of alcohol. I was struck by Zimmern’s argument that alcohol can be even more dangerous than some illicit drugs. Drawing from his own experiences as a recovering addict and alcoholic, Zimmern presents a thought-provoking case:

As you can imagine, this video “short” only scratches the surface of our discussion. I encourage you to watch our full conversation. In addition to alcohol, we also discuss:

Zimmern’s struggles overcoming addiction, and how he continues to help those struggling with addiction.
Attending parties at Paisley Park estate, and whether Prince's death could raise awareness about fentanyl poisoning.
Why addiction is so common in the notoriously wild restaurant industry.
And MUCH more!

Watch our FULL conversation here:

The fentanyl epidemic in North America and the global reach of synthetic opioids

This week, I had the opportunity to attend a Brookings Institution Forum in Washington, DC, on the fentanyl epidemic. Unfortunately, childcare duties made me a little late, but the discussions that followed were incredibly thought-provoking.

One key takeaway was that the traditional "war on drugs" approach—focused on policing and enforcement—is unlikely to solve the addiction problem. The supply of fentanyl is simply too vast and pervasive to stop through law enforcement alone. Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, discusses that point here.

A topic that also resonated with me was something I had discussed with chef Andrew Zimmern: the challenge of some elite liberals pushing impractical policy solutions. For example, Zimmern talked about the resources spent on banning foie gras in California, while at the Brookings forum, Keith Humphreys, a prominent Stanford University professor, highlighted San Francisco’s controversial 2020 billboard that actually encouraged people to use drugs—in a group setting.

Much of what I heard at the forum reinforced what we already know: fentanyl is deadly. However, there were some striking moments that made me reflect on the realities of addressing this crisis.

For instance, on The Poisoning podcast, I often ask my guests if they have Narcan (naloxone) on hand. On today’s episode, Chef Zimmern gave an honest response: "Well, yeah, we have it in the office," he said, but you could tell he wasn’t entirely sure where it was kept. I don’t say this to criticize him; I say it because it highlights a crucial point: if you don’t know where it is when you need it most, how effective is it?

In my own community, I’ve had to provide naloxone to people—even to healthcare providers! Some of my colleagues didn’t carry naloxone with them. While the stigma around naloxone has certainly decreased, it still isn’t where it needs to be. The average person isn’t going to walk into a recovery center and ask for it. Similarly, most people aren’t going to stand in line at a pharmacy and ask for it, particularly when you consider the high cost. I paid $77 for a box of the Teva brand at CVS earlier this year.

I bring this up because it’s a simple, but crucial, truth: naloxone cannot save a life if you don’t have it when you need it. It’s something I repeat to colleagues and friends because the stakes are too high, and the crisis is too urgent.

In conclusion, I do want to praise Brookings’ senior fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown and the entire Brookings Institution for heading up this forum and looking for solutions. You can watch the forum and read the reach papers here.

News roundup…

Mexican Cartels Lure Chemistry Students to Make Fentanyl

As you might recall, the other week, we talked with Drazen Jorgic, a Reuters senior correspondent based in Mexico City, about how his outlet was able to have the precursor chemicals required to make fentanyl mailed to New Jersey and Mexico.

As it turns out, the cartels are now working to cut China out of the equation.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, the cartels are recruiting college chemistry students in the hopes they will be able to learn how “to synthesize the chemical compounds, known as precursors, that are essential to making fentanyl, freeing them from having to import those raw materials from China.”

As The Times reports,

A chemistry professor at a university in Sinaloa State said he knew that some students enrolled in chemistry classes just to become more familiar with skills needed to cook synthetic drugs. The professor, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said he had identified students who fit that profile by their questions and reactions during his lectures.
“Sometimes when I am teaching them synthesis of pharmaceutical drugs, they openly ask me, ‘Hey, professor, when are you teaching us how to synthesize cocaine and other things?’” he said.

Asking your chemistry professor when you get to learn how to synthesize cocaine is about as suspicious as taking flight lessons without wanting to learn how to actually land a plane. Talk about sketchy.

Finally…

Thank you for reading this newsletter. And don’t forget to check out past episodes of the podcast, including conversations with:

Journalist Ben Westhoff, the author of 'Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic.'
Tony Mattivi, Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), shares his insights and experience.
Rolling Stone senior writer Paul Solotaroff who authored a piece called “Inside Snapchat's Teen Opioid Crisis.”
Former Army Intelligence Officer Dale King, who uses CrossFit to treat addicts.
Ed Bisch, founder of Relatives Against Purdue Pharma RAPP, who took on Big Pharma after his 18-year-old son Eddie overdosed on Oxycontin in 2001.
Dr. Kristin Martin, an accomplished osteopathic physician with extensive experience in emergency medicine, family medicine, and addiction medicine.
Former Alabama and Georgia strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran, who talks about his battle with addiction.
Charles Fain Lehman, a crime and drug policy researcher at the Manhattan Institute, who discusses marijuana legalization.
Reuters senior correspondent based in Mexico, Drazen Jorgic.
Freelance journalist Philip Eil talks about his debut book, “Prescription for Pain: How A Once Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer.’”

Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple. And please tell a friend.

Together, we can stop the poisoning!