the department of health and mental hygiene sponsored a recovery month state kickoff in catonsville, maryland. highlights included recognition of elected officials, display tables for local vendors and substance abuse information, as well as food and live entertainment for all to enjoy. a&e network, in partnership with the national council on alcoholism and drug dependence, hosted the recovery project rally in new york city. thousands of people from across the country joined in a historic walk across the brooklyn bridge to raise awareness and show support for recovery from addiction. the celebration took place at city hall park, and featured live music from several bands as well as appearances from a&e talent, national leaders, and special guest celebrities. alaska family services held its 2nd annual recovery celebration. several members from the community were invited to share their stories of addiction and recovery. the event also featured performances from other members of the community, as well as information tables set up with resources to help with the journey toward sobriety.

host: we hear from catonsville, maryland. david, good morning. caller: thanks for c-span and this wonderful opportunity. you actually touched on my question, but mine has to do with customer service. what do you guys do -- sometimes it is difficult when you work in government, were in the private sector they can say, ok, we will let you go, and it is a much more difficult process. host: again, we will point out that you're not the post office. you're a postal service regulator. guest: to help the line to direct people if they need a passport or -- the standards of the postal service is that you are not supposed to wait in line for more than five minutes, but we think that that is a standard that is broken more than it should be, and we encourage the service to do a better job of providing service. it is not easy. the postal service has to deal with every customer that comes in. we cannot turn people away because they are difficult or grumpy the may you might in a private company. sometimes those people take - order. again, we have a lead -- a web

host: nation on the republican line from catonsville, maryland. caller: i was wondering, how you look into the historical basis of the regulation and the birth of the fda in this area? guest: the historical revelation in what sense? host: the broader issue of the fda and dealing with any type of a drug, approving the drug, what criteria do they take to reject certain prescriptions? guest: it has always been a risk-benefit balance for the fda and we have seen the pendulum swing back and forth over the years. right now safety is a huge focus. because there are opportunities to require post market studies and a way for the fda to feel ill but sit for about drugs -- to feel a little bit safer about drug that might have a safety risk, we are seeing a bit more leeway in recent years. but overall, the emphasis on safety is certainly very high. host: let me ask you about the testing process. if you agree to take prescription drug while pharmaceutical company wants to examine the side effects, can you go back and filed a lawsuit if you have serious illness