Welcome to The Joe Mullins Show — celebrating the vibrant spirit of Florida, America's innovators, and the absolute best place to live, work, shop, and play! Hosted by county commissioner, entrepreneur, and 14-year recovery warrior Joe Mullins.
In this powerful, no-holds-barred episode, Joe sits down with one of the most forward-thinking sheriffs in the country: Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma. Forget the old stereotypes — this isn't just about locking people up. It's about saving lives.
Joe shares his own jaw-dropping journey: two degrees, a master's, a prominent medical family, gated-community life... and a brutal spiral into cocaine, vodka, Klonopin, Ambien, Vicodin, and an eight-ball-a-day habit that almost killed him. Doctors kept prescribing more pills instead of real help. Sound familiar?
Sheriff Lemma flips the script: "This isn't about making bad people good — it's about making sick people well." He breaks down the science (hello, amygdala hijacking!), the Big Pharma role, the shift to fentanyl cartels, and how his team pioneered jail-based medical treatment + cognitive therapy — so successful, inmates begged to stay longer to finish the program!
They dive into game-changing Florida laws (murder charges for dealers, protections near rehab centers), partnerships with AdventHealth, Project Overdose, Victoria's Voice Foundation, and why empathy + accountability is crushing overdose deaths in Seminole County.
If you've ever wondered:
- Why "Just Say No" doesn't work once addiction starts
- How addiction hijacks even the most "put-together" brains
- What real recovery looks like behind bars (and why it's saving taxpayer dollars)
- How families can stop hiding the disease and start healing...
This episode is your wake-up call. Raw stories, hard truths, hope, and actionable steps to fight back.
Listeners: If you're struggling, reach out. There's help. There's hope. Contact the Seminole County Sheriff's Office or local resources — don't hide in the dark.
Subscribe for more inspiring Florida stories, bold conversations, and freedom advocacy. Like, comment your thoughts, and share if this hits home — someone needs to hear it.
Find Joe at themullinscompanies.com
Live, Work, Shop, Play Florida!🌴
#OpioidCrisis #AddictionRecovery #FloridaStrong #SheriffLemma #JoeMullinsShow #MentalHealthMatters #RecoveryIsPossible #EndTheStigma #FloridaFirst #DrugEpidemic #SoberLife #CriminalJusticeReform #LiveWorkShopPlay #RealTalk #HopeAndHealing
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com