overdose

On the night TJ McGee overdosed from a mixture of drugs and alcohol in his freshman year at UC Berkeley, his friends found him passed out in the hallway by their shared dorm room.

The roommates tried to help, but when McGee stopped breathing, they called 911.

McGee survived and, racked with guilt over what happened that night, committed to confronting his substance-use problem. Then, in the days that followed, McGee received a surprise email from campus officials that ushered in a whole new wave of emotions.

The letter said the administration would be placing McGee on academic probation for violating Berkeley’s residential conduct rules against drug and alcohol possession, use and distribution — possibly jeopardizing his academic career.

“They made me feel as if I was a villain for the choices I made,” said McGee, 20, now a junior. “I felt shameful enough already.”

Today, McGee speaks regularly in support of California State Assembly Bill 602, which would prohibit public colleges and universities from punishing students if they call 911 during an overdose emergency, or if a peer does so on their behalf. It requires schools to offer rehabilitation options and requires students who seek emergency medical assistance to complete a treatment program.

“The bill would protect students just like me from even receiving a letter like that,” and ensures that they are given care instead, McGee said.

The bill recently passed in both houses of the state Legislature; it awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. A spokesperson for Newsom said he typically does not comment on pending legislation.

Despite a recent nationwide plunge in the number of deaths stemming from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and contaminated versions of those drugs, overdose remains the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though numbers could be revised as new data from California come in, the CDC provisionally estimates a 21% drop in overdose deaths in the state to 9,660 between March 2024 and March 2025, compared with 12,247 in the previous 12-month period. Opioid-related deaths, in particular from fentanyl, made up the bulk of California’s overdose fatalities in 2023, the most recent year for which statistics are available on the state’s opioid-prevention website.

In response, California started requiring campus health centers at most public colleges and universities to make the opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray Narcan available to students in campus residences.

McGee said that while he hadn’t taken any opioids the night of his overdose, he was administered Narcan while incapacitated.

Advocates for AB 602 say more needs to be done to increase the likelihood that college students will seek immediate help during a drug-related emergency.

It’s important for lawmakers and college officials to realize how much fear is involved when an overdose occurs — not just with the person who is overdosing but among peers who seek to help but don’t want to get a friend in trouble, said UC Berkeley student Saanvi Arora. She is the founder and executive director of Youth Power Project, a nonprofit that helps young people who’ve had adverse health experiences use their personal stories to promote policy reforms.

“California has dramatically increased investments in school-based mental health and crisis-intervention resources and access, for example to fentanyl testing strips on college campuses and access to Narcan,” Arora said. “But one big gap that we see … is that there’s still a really low utilization rate among young people and students.”

Fear of academic probation, suspension or expulsion leads some students with substance-use problems to avoid reaching out to residential advisors, instructors or school administrators for help, leaving them feeling so isolated that they see few other options besides turning to the police as a last resort or doing nothing at all, Arora said.

Youth Power Project authored a bill to combat these problems; Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), its chief sponsor, introduced it to the state Legislature this past spring. “During an overdose any hesitation can be deadly,” the lawmaker said in a statement. “AB 602 makes it clear that calling 911 will never cost you your academic future.”

Campus discipline and legal prosecution can be counterproductive if the goal is to prevent overdose deaths, said Evan Schreiber, a licensed clinical social worker and director of substance abuse disorder services at APLA Health, an L.A.-based nonprofit that offers mental-health and substance-use services and backs the bill.

“By removing the fear of consequences, you’re going to encourage more people to get help,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber and Arora said AB 602 extends to places of higher learning some of the protections guaranteed to Californians outside of campuses under the “911 Good Samaritan Law,” which went into effect in 2013 to increase the reporting of fentanyl poisoning and prevent opioid deaths.

That law protects people from arrest and prosecution if they seek medical aid during an overdose-related emergency, as well as individuals who step in to help by calling 911. It doesn’t, however, cover disciplinary actions imposed by colleges and universities.

One difference between the 911 Good Samaritan Law and the version of AB 602 that passed both houses of the Legislature is that the latter does not cover students who call on behalf of an overdosing peer and who are themselves found to have violated campus alcohol and drug policies, said Nate Allbee, a spokesperson for Haney. Allbee noted that Haney hopes to add this protection in the future.

Even though AB 602 doesn’t include all of the protections that supporters wanted, the rule solves what Arora identified as a major problem: UCs, Cal State campuses and community colleges in California are governed by a patchwork of policies and conduct codes regarding substance use that differ from campus to campus, making it difficult for students to know where they stand when they are in crisis.

McGee said he wished he’d learned more about the support services that were available to him at Berkeley before his overdose. But he was already struggling emotionally and living on his own when he entered college in fall 2023.

McGee described growing up in an environment in which substance use was common. He never felt that he could turn to anyone close to him to work through feelings of loneliness and bouts of depression. It was easier to block it all out by partying.

McGee started using harder drugs, missing classes and spending whole days in bed while coming down from his benders. He wouldn’t eat. Friends would ask what’s wrong, but he’d stare at the wall and ignore them. His grade-point average plummeted to 2.3.

Some of the friends who helped McGee on the night of his overdose grew distant for a time, too dismayed over the turmoil he was causing himself and those around him.

McGee knew he needed to keep trying to salvage his academic career and earn back the trust of his peers. All he could think was: “I need to fix my grades. I need to fix myself.”

One day during his recovery, McGee sat his friends down, apologized and explained what he was going through.

Then in his sophomore year, McGee happened to be lobbying lawmakers in Sacramento over campus funding cuts when he overheard a separate group of students from Youth Power Project talking about a bill they authored that would become AB 602.

It was like eavesdropping on a dark chapter in his own life. McGee agreed to present the bill to Haney and share his experience at meetings with legislators and in hearings.

McGee’s disciplinary probation on campus lasts until the end of 2025, but working on the overdose bill has given him a new sense of purpose. A psychology major, McGee eventually took on public policy as a minor.

“I feel like I became a part of this bill and it became such a large source of hope for me,” McGee said. “It would be amazing to see this support and care implemented nationally. This is not just a California issue.”

Sheridan Smith and Daniel York Loh play Ann and Charles Ming in I Fought The Law. But filming for the ITV drama was taxing – Daniel was notably reminded of a personal tragedy.

Daniel York Loh appears in I Fought The Law – but filming for the series brought some sad memories back to the surface.

Her name was once linked to one of Britain’s most haunting murder cases. Now, Julie Hogg’s tragic story comes to the small screen in I Fought The Law, a four-part drama series written by Grantchester’s Jamie Crichton and based on For The Love Of Julie – a memoir written by Julie’s mother, Ann Ming.

Sheridan Smith portrays Ann, and the series charts her extraordinary fight for justice. “It’s what Ann came up against,” Sheridan, 44, says.

“It was one thing after another. It was relentless. I did nine weeks shooting it and I was a mess. I don’t know the strength it took for Ann to keep fighting. I’m absolutely in awe of her.”

Starring opposite Sheridan as Julie’s father Charles is Daniel York Loh. Charles Ming – “Charlie” in the show – was the steadfast mast to Ann’s boat throughout her battle for justice.

Daniel admits he hadn’t known Julie’s story before signing up. “I didn’t read the book until I got involved in the show,” he says. “As soon as I was asked to do it, I did it. Not many people are aware of it. I wasn’t very aware of it.”

Bringing Charles back to life, 12 years after his death at 88, carried its own weight. “I don’t have kids but I did have a younger brother. I lost him to a heroin overdose and I found his body,” Daniel shares.

The role also struck a deeper chord. “It reminded me of my own father in some ways,” Daniel explains. “You know, naturalised immigrant backgrounds, very British in a lot of ways but regarded as foreign. There’s a sense of displacement in that.”

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Julie was 22 years old when she vanished from her Billingham home in November 1989, leaving behind her young son Kevin. Her mother, Ann, immediately knew something was wrong. “I was convinced something had happened to my daughter from day one,” says Ann.

But police believed otherwise. “They thought she could have gone to London to start a new life,” Ann says. “It really was frustrating.” Three months later, Ann’s maternal instincts were tragically vindicated.

She discovered Julie’s body herself, hidden under the bath at Julie’s home. “It gave me strength because I’d been proven right,” Ann now says.

The investigation soon identified a suspect: William “Billy” Dunlop. He stood trial for Julie’s murder twice, but juries failed to convict on both occasions.

Then, while serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s killing. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.

For Ann, giving up wasn’t an option. She petitioned politicians for more than a decade, lobbied the media and refused to let Julie’s case fade from memory.

The cast is rounded out by Luther’s Enzo Cilenti as DS Mark Braithwaite, Doctor Who star Marlowe Chan-Reeves, who plays Ann’s son Gary, Grace actor Jake Davies as Julie’s ex Matthew, Vera actor Jack James Ryan as William Dunlop and Unforgotten’s Andrew Lancel as Guy Whitburn QC.

Ann’s determination inspired the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which introduced new exceptions to the double jeopardy rule in both England, Wales and later Scotland. Ann still calls for other countries to follow suit.

“It’s being debated in Australia,” Ann says. But she doesn’t want the change to stop. “I’d like to meet all world leaders to change this law around the world.”

In 2006, Dunlop finally pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 17 years. Though her battle has ended after more than a decade, Ann’s resentment lingers.

“I feel angry that we were never allowed to meet up with the forensic team,” she says. “Nobody was sacked. One went onto be commander. That wasn’t right. I never got an apology from the police. Nothing at all.”

This relentless fight is the backbone of I Fought The Law. For Sheridan, stepping into Ann’s shoes was a privilege and an emotional burden. “I can only imagine and think if it was my child, but it was emotionally taxing,” she says.

Sheridan fully immersed herself in Ann’s world, devouring documentaries about the case and Ann’s book. “I get mad at myself if I don’t feel the actual pain and trauma. I wanted to make Ann proud and get her story justice,” she says.

Ann was also present as a consultant on the set while filming took place in North East England. “She was a huge support and very crucial to the production the whole way through,” series director Erik Richter Strand says. “Sheridan is in every scene. She doesn’t get many breaks. We had to make that set safe, practical and comfortable for Sheridan.”

The transformation was physical as well as emotional. Sheridan swapped her brunette style for Ann’s blonde locks. But she dreaded one scene above all: the bathroom scene, where Ann finds Julie’s body. “I knew I had that coming, I wanted to get that scene out, it was a bit scary,” she says. “I knew it’d be torturous.”

Sheridan’s own experience as a mother – she shares her five-year-old son Billy with former partner Jamie Horn – gave the role an added resonance.

“It was my first role as a mum,” she says. “It’s your worst fear, isn’t it? No one should have to go through that. I was emotionally attached to the whole thing.”

“When I did Mrs Biggs, I tried to think of my mum who lost her son, my brother,” she says, referring to her older brother Julian, who died of cancer at the age of 18.

“This time, there was a different layer. Just thinking how I would have felt in that moment, if it was my little one. This was much more powerful, that’s probably why it was a bit difficult.”

Her efforts paid off – Ann couldn’t be happier with her portrayal and the pair have even gone on to form a bond. “We’re friends for life now,” Sheridan says, holding tightly on to Ann’s hand.

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Grammy winner Lil Nas X’s stroll through Studio City early Thursday morning ended in his hospitalization and his arrest on suspicion of charging at a police officer.

The 26-year-old musician, known for hits including “Old Town Road” and “Industry Baby,” was transported to a local hospital for a possible overdose, an LAPD spokesperson confirmed to The Times on Thursday. Police did not confirm the singer’s identity but told The Times that at around 5:50 a.m., officers responded to the 11000 block of Ventura Boulevard to reports of a “nude man walking in the street.”

TMZ, which first reported on the singer’s hospitalization, shared video of the singer (real name Montero Lamar Hill) strutting in the street down a mostly empty Ventura Boulevard wearing only white underpants and cowboy boots. Police alleged that the “suspect charged at officers” upon their arrival, and he was taken into custody.

The Los Angeles Fire Department also reported to the 3700 block of North Cahuenga Boulevard where they picked up the musician, a spokesperson confirmed to The Times. The spokesperson did not share additional information about the singer’s condition.

Police booked the singer at the LAPD’s Valley Jail section in Van Nuys later Thursday morning on suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a police officer. A representative for Lil Nas X did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

In the clips shared with TMZ, the “Call Me By Your Name” artist speaks to a driver behind the camera about a party and repeatedly tells him to put away his phone. Lil Nas X also posed with an orange traffic cone over his head, as seen in photos published by TMZ.

Lil Nas X, who broke out in 2019 with the viral “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, was hospitalized earlier this year after he said in a since-expired Instagram story that he had “lost control” of the right side of his face. He reassured fans, “It’s getting better y’all, I promise.”

On Tuesday, the singer also seemingly wiped his Instagram page of old posts and shared 26 photos and videos. Several new posts seem to point to a new chapter in his music, including a brief snippet of his song “KIMBO” featuring Lil Jon. His recent photos take a more cryptic approach, with several featuring random items scattered in different parts of a room.

Lil Nas X also posted a selfie on Tuesday of himself wearing a fur coat, bright red lipstick, and both a cowboy hat and crown. “OH NO sHES GONE MAD! CRAZY I TELL U!,” he captioned the post.

In another photo, Lil Nas X poses in front of a backlit mirror as he wears a gold gown, white cowboy boots and a tiara.

He wrote in the caption: “And just like that she’s back. We’ve all waited so long. When dreamworld needed her the most.”

Times staff writers Christopher Buchanan and Richard Winton contributed to this report.

July 19 (UPI) — Five people in Baltimore were hospitalized for a reported mass overdose incident, one week after 27 were sickened in the same area of the city because of a “bad batch” of drugs, police said.

The victims Friday were in serious condition, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said at a news conference, including addition to two who refused treatment after first responders deployed Narcan.

The 911 calls started coming just before 9 a.m. Friday and not from a concentrated area as last week, police said. Both incidents are in the historic Penn North neighborhood of West Baltimore.

“People have already heard what is out here and yet they still gotta go get it because their body is calling for it,” one man who goes by the nickname ‘Slim Rob’ told WJZ-TV. “It’s heartbreaking, man. It’s heartbreaking. You got people’s mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents out here — and the kids need them and yet they need that when you can be gone like this.”

On July 10, people were hospitalized in the incident in West Baltimore, which law enforcement officers and community advocates called a “bad batch of drugs.”

“We understand that the supply across the city is very volatile right now,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. “If you see someone who may be overdosing, help them. If you have Narcan, administer it. Call 911. Don’t walk past anyone who may be experiencing an overdose.

“You can literally save their life by stepping in. That person is a human, that person is a Baltimorean.”

Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the incidents are being investigated separately.

“We also have numerous officers working the area having to locate who the buyers were, who the sellers were and mainly who is bringing the drugs into the area,” Worley said.

Five people were arrested three days later on July 13 in the area on a charge of drug possession with intent to distribute. It’s unclear if the arrested were linked to the mass overdose, according to Baltimore police.

“I understand the frustration,” Scott said about Penn North residents, who felt their concerns have been ignored. “We’re talking about a neighborhood … that has been so disinvested in for so long. We’re not going to change that overnight.”

Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology who examined substances from last week said they contained fentanyl, a powerful painkiller; methylclonazepam, which has sedative effects; Mannitol, a diuretic; quinine, an anti-malaria drug; and caffeine.

Narcan, which is the brand name of naloxone, and fentanyl strips were distributed to the affected neighborhood last week.

“Today’s incident is a painful reminder that our work is far from over,” Scott said.

In Baltimore, opioid overdose deaths reached a high of 1,006 in 2021 and dropped to 895 in 2022 before going back up to 952 in 2023. Last year, there were 698 opioid overdose-related deaths in the city, according to state data.

“People fade away — they’ve got agendas, other things to do,” Vincent Timmons, an outreach specialist at Tuerk House, told the Baltimore Banner. “People don’t remember that area. They’re used to that.”