The 13th Step

About The 13th Step

An investigation into the widespread culture of sexual misconduct and abuse persistent in the addiction treatment industry.

Publisher

New Hampshire Public Radio

Category

news · society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

31 May 2023

Latest episode

12 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

8 of 27 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   12 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Introducing: Safe to Drink

   This episode introduces "Safe to Drink," a four-part series from New Hampshire Public Radio, exploring water contamination and the fight for answers amidst chemistry, regulations, and illnesses.

2. 

   9 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Feds Arrest Eric Spofford

   Lauren Comander discusses Eric Spofford's arrest and arraignment in federal court for his alleged role in a vandalism scheme, explaining the implications for her and her sources.

3. 

   11 Dec 2024TRANSCRIPT

   Update: The Sentencing

   A federal judge sentences Eric Labarge, the man who pled guilty to orchestrating the vandalism in retaliation for our reporting on Labarge’s friend, Eric Spofford. Lauren explains what went down in the courtroom – and how she navigated the experience as both a journalist and a victim of this crime.

Inside a recent episode

Introducing: Safe to Drink

Published 12 Feb 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] How did this happen? What led to that water delivery at the pierces house? That's what I've been trying to figure out for a few years now. What I found is a story about people who get stuck in the middle of something that doesn't feel right. I started thinking, why are all these people always such? You know what? Because in a smaller community like this, you know what the neighbor has for illnesses. Who have to find their own way through a maze of chemical companies, government regulations, and the limits of science? When there's no answers, you're just like, I'm okay, I just felt a really bad hand, you know? […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,216,434,706

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

992 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

564 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

31

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

99

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