By Ben BrazilOriginal Source: latimes.comSixteen to 18 Oxycontins, 12 to 14 Norcos, two to three Fentanyl sticks and about a gram of smoked heroin. The balanced diet of a drug addict.Specifically, the daily regimen of Todd “Z-Man” Zalkins during the height of his addiction.Zalkins’ struggle with drugs and eventual redemption is the subject of a recently released documentary, “The Long Way Back: The Story of Todd 'Z-Man’ Zalkins,”by Laguna Beach filmmaker Richard Yelland.The film was named Best Documentary at the Phoenix Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

It’s currently available on all major platforms, including Amazon, Vimeo On Demand and iTunes.

For Yelland, 50, directing the film, his fifth, was an obvious choice. Losing a friend to heroin and a brother to drugs and alcohol imbued a poignancy to Zalkins’ story.“It’s unthinkable that [Zalkins] could be alive,” Yelland said. “People don’t survive opioid addictions like this.“[Zalkins] went through what other people wouldn’t survive. So people see his story and...click here to continue reading