instruction:
Generate an explanation for the given claim using the provided supporting material from the paragraph. Please consider the following points while generating an output. 1) The claim will always have supporting proof in the paragraph, and the paragraph will have a clear point of view supporting the claim. 2) There can be instances where direct correlation to the claim is not available. Make use of the sentences in the paragraph to provide a corresponding output supporting the claim. 3) The explanation should be at least one and at most twelve sentences long.
question:
Paragraph: “You could see how healthy and happy she was until she was introduced to that drug,” said Ann Marie Riggi-Hopkins, of Scranton. “As I progressed with the pictures, you could see how things dwindled. It just takes every part of your life away.” Raynor Bloom’s family was unaware of his opioid addiction until they received a call from his roommate. By then, it was too late. “I can’t tell you how long he struggled with addiction,” said his mother, Lynn Bloom, of Dunmore. Ferguson, 25, and Bloom, 29, were two of 69 people to die of drug overdoses in Lackawanna County last year, according to the most recent numbers posted to Overdose Free PA, a website that tracks county overdose information submitted by coroners. The 2017 number is expected to grow once all toxicology tests are completed. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, was the most common drug observed in toxicology tests, appearing in 36 cases. Both Riggi-Hopkins and Lynn Bloom, who suspect fentanyl played roles in their children’s deaths, join a growing number of parents, both locally and nationally, to share their children’s struggles in candid obituaries. Two or three years ago, this kind of openness in obituaries was unheard of, said Jim Hood, co-founder and CEO of Facing Addiction, a Danbury, Connecticut-based advocacy organization. He likened the stigma associated with the opioid epidemic to a time when cancer, HIV and AIDS causes of death were not included in obituaries. That the obituaries are becoming more candid could be a reflection of how prevalent the epidemic is and an understanding that people are starting to look at addiction as an illness, he said. “I think it’s cathartic for parents but also helpful for the people next door, to spread the word that this is a pernicious illness that is stealing our youth,” said Hood, who lost his son to an overdose five years ago. “The more people understand that, the more people might do something about it.” According to Legacy.com, there were hundreds of obituaries published nationwide last year that included information on the struggles and dangers of heroin and opioid addiction. The Sunday Times published about a dozen obituaries last year that included information about a struggle with addiction or named an overdose as the cause of death. Locally, those only started to appear within the last two years or so, said Christopher James, funeral director at Vanston & James Funeral Home in Scranton and James Wilson Funeral Home in Lake Ariel. Some families also are being open about it during viewings or funeral services, he said. “The people who bring it to light are doing it out of genuine concern for other people,” James said. “I think that’s what folks want to do. They want to say, this is ultimately what will happen if you don’t get help.” ‘Not suffering anymore’ Riggi-Hopkins wanted her daughter’s obituary to give strength to those in recovery or family and friends grieving the loss of a loved one to addiction. The family also wanted to send a message that, with drugs like fentanyl on the streets, the problem is getting worse. “The family wants to break the silence of addiction. To anyone reading this obituary, this demon is still out on the streets waiting to kill the next innocent suffering person thinking about using or having reservations. If we can save one or several lives to the sick and suffering and spare their families, we pray that breaking the silence of addiction works,” Ferguson’s obituary reads. The response to the obituary was overwhelming, Riggi-Hopkins said. She said she received many calls of thanks and the outpouring helped her grieve and heal. Her daughter had a good life and was going places, she said. Ferguson was blessed with a strong work ethic and, despite a quiet demeanor, a love of working with people. She got a job when she was a teenager and still in school, first at Gerrity’s on Meadow Avenue in Scranton, and later, at Hobby Lobby in Dickson City. People noticed her strong customer service skills, Riggi-Hopkins said. She started at the Dickson City store putting shelves together around the time it first opened and rose to department manager. There was talk of her managing her own store somewhere, she said. She was a great mother, too, Riggi-Hopkins said. Ferguson gave birth to her daughter, Baylee, in 2011. About two years after Baylee’s birth, something happened. Ferguson made a drastic change in friends and started acting differently, her mother said. Then, the physical changes started. She lost her job. Money went missing, Riggi-Hopkins said. About a year before her death, Ferguson hit “rock bottom,” and came clean about her drug use, her mother said. She wanted help and to change for Baylee, she said. Ferguson entered rehab at Marworth Treatment Center and completed the program, but relapsed a few weeks later. She returned and then spent three months in a sober house in Dallas. Even after her daughter completed a more comprehensive program, Riggi-Hopkins said she never thought she was out of the woods in dealing with addiction. “I do understand the disease, that it’s a one-day-at-a-time disease,” her mother said. On Aug. 24, Riggi-Hopkins went with Ferguson to a job interview. She was hired. They shopped afterward and then Ferguson dropped her mother off at a friend’s house. She didn’t return to pick her up and did not answer phone calls, Riggi-Hopkins said. Riggi-Hopkins had a friend drive her home. She frantically ran upstairs to check on Baylee. Not finding her there, she ran to the basement where she found her daughter dead. Baylee lay on top of her, asleep. Beyond the anguish of losing her daughter, Riggi-Hopkins also had to explain to her granddaughter what happened. She sought help and the advice she received was to be honest. “I told her mommy took a bad drug that stopped her heart and now she’s an angel in heaven,” Riggi-Hopkins said. Baylee is doing well now, her grandmother said. The kindergartner takes piano and dance lessons. Riggi-Hopkins sees a lot of her daughter in Baylee, though the little girl is more outgoing. They talk about what happened and the good memories of Ferguson almost daily, Riggi-Hopkins said. “One thing I think that helps me is she’s not suffering anymore,” Riggi-Hopkins said. ‘Losing a generation’ For their son’s obituary, the Blooms wanted to be honest and straightforward. They included that his cause of death was a heroin overdose. “We felt that if we could make one person more aware or make one parent pay a little closer attention and notice something wrong, speak up, ask about it, do something about it, that will make Raynor give the gift of life,” Lynn Bloom said. The decision drew a mixed response from members of the family, Bloom said. Some applauded the decision and felt it was brave because it went against the norm. Others were upset and felt the obituary aired “dirty laundry,” she said. She doesn’t regret the decision. The drug epidemic affects all parts of the community, regardless of race, class or socioeconomic status, and the only way to further shine a light on it is to be honest, Bloom said. Acknowledging it helps de-stigmatize it. The less stigma there is, the more likely people will seek help, she said. “My husband and I felt that at the time he passed away that his addiction did not define him,” Bloom said. “It is what killed him.” Her son “came in the world fighting” at a mere two pounds, 13 ounces in 1988, she said. He was so small, his father, Larry, was afraid to hold him. As the years went by, he grew into a big man with a heart to match, she said. He grew up on Long Island, New York, and maintained lifelong friendships with elementary school pals made there, his mother said. He was a great brother to his siblings and had a special bond with his youngest brother, Joshua, 17. The family moved to Dunmore in 2007, and Raynor Bloom followed shortly thereafter. He got a job at GoodFellas Pizza on South Main Avenue in West Scranton, first as a delivery driver and, ultimately, as a manager, Bloom said. When the store changed hands in June, and became West Side Food and Beer, the new management kept him. While there, he earned a reputation for generosity, geniality and hard work. It was not uncommon for him to work 70-plus hours a week, Bloom said of her son. His final Facebook post, on Oct. 9, mentions an 87-hour work week. When he had free time, he enjoyed playing video games and going to concerts with friends. He loved heavy metal music, especially Pantera. His taste in tunes proved a sharp juxtaposition to his kind, gentle, giving disposition, his mother said. “He was friendly and smiling and treated everyone the same,” she said. Despite the long hours, he still found time to call home and spend time with family, his mother said. Sometimes he phoned to see what was for dinner, even if he didn’t plan on stopping by, she said with a laugh. He made it to the theater with his father and brother to see the latest “Star Wars” movies. He did not display any physical changes that would denote drug use, she said. On Oct. 17, Raynor’s roommate called the Blooms to tell them their son died of an overdose at his apartment. His parents suspect fentanyl-tinged heroin was responsible. His reasons for starting to take the drugs are a mystery, his mother said. He had some health issues, including sleeping disorders, she said, and it is possible he was self-medicating. “It was something he kept secret from his friends and family,” she said. “The fact he was doing those drugs and working those kind of hours is mind-boggling.” For now, the family is trying to cope with their loss. His death hit Joshua hard and Bloom recently started attending a grief support group. She said she thinks there should be more resources for people — those dealing with addiction, those in recovery, police and first responders and grieving family and friends. “We’re losing a generation to this and I don’t think anyone is realizing that,” she said. ___ Online: http://bit.ly/2E1O0Le ___ Information from: The Times-Tribune, http://thetimes-tribune.com/ Claim: Opioid epidemic has addiction revealed in obituaries.
answer:
The toll opioid addiction took on Miranda Ferguson is evident when her mother flips through family photos.


question:
Paragraph: Voters in both Western states approved ballot initiatives in 2012 allowing personal possession and use of marijuana by anyone aged 21 and or older for purposes of just getting high, though public consumption of pot remains illegal. In January the world’s first state-licensed retail marijuana outlets opened for business in Colorado, and stores in Washington are set to follow suit later this year. Both states are among 20 that have already removed criminal sanctions for medical use of marijuana. The federal government still classifies marijuana as an illegal narcotic, but the Obama administration has given states new leeway to experiment with legalized cannabis. In Denver’s Civic Center Park near the state capitol, revelers on Sunday gathered to hear music and listened to speakers during a weekend event that organizers billed as the “world’s largest 4/20 rally.”  The date of April 20, or 4/20, corresponds to the numerical code widely recognized within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana. Police officers standing by on the fringes of the Denver festival issued 63 citations on Sunday, most for smoking pot in public - a ticket that carries a fine of $150. About half as many were cited on Saturday, police said. At least eight individuals were taken to a detoxification facility for treatment during the two days, police said. Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said officers have refrained from wading into the crowd to arrest violators, but instead were citing people who openly defied the public consumption ban. “Those ticketed were blatantly in violation of state law and city ordinances,” Jackson said. Organizers of the rally and city officials beefed up security at the event after three people were wounded by gunfire at last year’s rally. Separately, the Cannabis Cup, a trade show sponsored by High Times magazine, drew sold-out crowds over the weekend at a Denver convention venue. The two-day event featured marijuana sampling and workshops, such as how to open a pot shop, cultivation tips, and how to talk to children about weed, according to the event’s website. Rachel O’Bryan, spokeswoman for Smart Colorado, an organization that advocates for stricter enforcement of marijuana laws, said the cannabis industry needs to do more to police its own. “People are flouting the law by openly consuming,” she said. “We’re concerned about the message that sends to our kids.”  In Seattle, several hundred people who paid $15 a head crowded the cavernous interior of a former brewery where Rainier Beer was made for decades to attend a 4/20 gathering organized by sponsors of the city’s annual Hempfest rally. Reggae music played over loudspeakers and the air inside was thick with the sweet, skunky odor of cannabis. But no police were visible at the event, which organizers deliberately held on private space leased from the brewery owners in an industrial section of the city south of downtown. The gathering featured a workshop on how to roll a joint with an entire ounce (28 grams) of marijuana - the legal limit for personal possession in the state - as well as vendors selling pipes and other paraphernalia, and a blind-toke test in which participants tried to distinguish between different strains of pot by sampling them. Attendees ranged from middle-aged baby boomers to a younger crowd from the so-called millennial generation. A cheer from the crowd went up at precisely 4:20 p.m. local time, as many attendees milling about outside lit joints and pipes simultaneously, sending puffs of smoke into the air followed by raucous fits of coughing. One woman in the crowd accepted a joint handed her from a bearded bystander. “You look just like Jesus,” she exclaimed in an apparent reference to the event coinciding with Easter Sunday. “How does it feel to be risen?”  Doug Medina, 54, said he traveled hundreds of miles with his wife and daughter from Billings, Montana, to Seattle for the 4/20 weekend celebrations there. “It feels a little more open than it did five or 10 years ago,” he said while smoking a joint outside the brewery. Claim: Marijuana fans pack 4/20 events in Colorado, Washington state.
answer:
Thousands of marijuana enthusiasts gathered in Colorado and Washington state over the weekend for an annual celebration of cannabis culture with rallies, concerts and trade shows in the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana.


question:
Paragraph: No data comparing costs of c-section vs. vaginal birth is provided. This is surprising, given the fact that one reason experts discourage elective c-sections is high cost. The reporter does a diligent job of quantifying the results, using both relative risks and percentage of bad outcomes in the studied population. The story usefully distinguishes among results for c-sections done at 37, 38 and 39 weeks. The risk of harm in elective c-sections is the focus of the study, and the news report explains them well. Overall, good job of describing the size, methods, and implications of the study. The story does nothing to exaggerate the risks or emotional aspects of elective c-sections. The story includes quotes from only two physicians, the lead researcher and the author of a related editorial. That is not sufficient for a story of this importance and length. At minimum, an experienced OB with no connection to the study should have been consulted. The story explains the risks of having an elective c-section at 37, 38 and 39 weeks. This information can help women and their doctors determine when to schedule an elective surgery. The widespread use of c-sections is clear in the story. The report makes clear, with some level of detail, precisely how common c-sections and elective c-sections are. We can’t be sure if the story relied solely or largely on a news release. Only an author and an editorial writer were quoted. Claim: Early C-Section Carries Risks, Study Finds
answer:

This report about the risks of an elective c-section before 39 weeks of gestation does a credible job presenting the findings of a significant study. It describes the results accurately and with sufficient details. Two shortcomings:      * The story fails to include information about the cost of the surgery    * The reporter should have talked to at least one independent expert on the subject of vaginal vs. c-section deliveries.