Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Advocate, Youth Substance Prevention Advisor, but most importantly, MOM!  Awareness of Fentanyl poisoning is important to me because… Luca didn’t want to die. He had so much more love to give to the world. He lived to make people smile and help others. Had he been given a Percocet like he was told he would still be alive. I am angry with Ryan (Luca’s murderer) because he knew how deadly fentanyl was while selling it to a 13yr old boy. I am angry at him for taking so much from me, but I’m furious about what he took from our community. Luca had so much potential and he loved Redding. 

I started trying to write my victim impact statement and realized it was much more of a community impact statement. By living out loud and sharing the beautiful things Luca did for our community on a much larger scale hopefully I can inspire others to try to make a difference in the world...

To protect his identity and his family's safety... Rick ( fake name) agreed to share his story about his experience on the frontline combatting the many issues surrounding the Fentanyl crisis that overwhelms our country ... as a federal agent and also the painful story of losing his own son to this poison that has infiltrated America!  

Listen and Learn on Episode titled ...Frontline Cartel Combat!

Derek S. Maltz, has dedicated his life to  28 years of dedicated service (DEA)

Maltz was the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Special Operations Division (SOD) and previously held the position as the Chief of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Mr. Maltz is also a national security, safety executive who appears on national news networks as a subject matter expert.  While Maltz has long advocated for families, he has also been a champion of law enforcement’s fight against global drug trafficking and terrorism.  In 2023, Maltz testified at the United States House Judiciary Committee meeting The Fentanyl Crisis in America: Inaction is No Longer An Option.

He conveys his messages clearly, concisely and directly.  He says it , the way it is!

When I went to treatment 15 years ago, I was convinced that addiction wasn’t a disease. And that, if it were a disease, it was self-inflicted. Many of the patients I care for today often have the same feelings, blaming themselves and living with shame despite the knowledge we have today. If more people truly understood it was a brain disease and not a moral failure, I believe we could end the stigma and save more lives.

 Dr. Charles Smith, Addictionologist at our Recovery First Treatment Center in Florida, explains why addiction is a brain disease and not a moral failing, and why labeling it as such is so important in reducing that shame and stigma that prevent those who struggle with addiction from getting help. Read the article 👉 https://loom.ly/Fksus64

Great resource for patients and families on addiction A-Z. 

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Addiction-Know-Science-Stigma/dp/173723520X

Ed Bisch has been battling over 20 yrs Purdue Pharma for the crimes they committed by raising awareness.

My son passed in 2001 and I have been seeking accountability from

Purdue Pharma and the #SacklerCartel ever since. Please see and follow

Relatives Against Purdue Pharma RAPP for more information.

Freida MacDonald is the founder of *Know Hope North Carolina*, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing stigma, honoring lives lost to addiction, and connecting individuals to recovery resources. After losing her two sons—Stephen to gun violence and Michael to fentanyl—Freida turned her grief into purpose, advocating for harm reduction, increased access to resources, and ongoing support for individuals and families. Through her work with *Know Hope NC* and the Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina, Freida has helped countless individuals find hope and healing.

 Recovery Resource Advocate and Outreach Specialist at Alcohol Drug Council of NC and Founder at Know Hope North Carolina.

Jaime Puerta is a United States Marine Corps Veteran, and is also the Co-Founder and President of V.O.I.D., "Victims Of Illicit Drugs", a California 501C non-profit dedicated to educating parents and children about the dangers of illicit drug use, and also about the dangers that abound on social media platforms. Jaime also sits on the Advisory Board of A.C.C.O. "The Alliance To Counter Crime Online", and is Co-Chair of “Facing Fentanyl Now.org”. Jaime became involved in the fight against Fentanyl when his only son Daniel passed away due to Fentanyl Poisoning on April 6, 2020.

In 1999, after losing his son Danny in a drug-related shooting in New Orleans and lacking answers from police, a small town pharmacist – Dan Schneider – beats the odds when he embarks on a pursuit to find and bring his son’s killer to justice. But months later, the ripple effects of his son’s addiction and tragic death would find him again when a troubling number of young, seemingly healthy people began visiting Dan’s pharmacy with high dose prescriptions for OxyContin. 

Sensing a crisis long before the opioid epidemic had gained nationwide attention, Dan stakes a mission: Save the lives of others within his community...then take the fight to Big Pharma itself!

His mission still carries on today in his relentless fight to bring awareness and education of the illicit Fentanyl crisis plaguing our country causing countless of deaths to our kids and young adults.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIG_5j_xuyc

After losing my beloved youngest child Zach (17 years old) on 12-27-2020 to a counterfeit prescription pill made of illicit fentanyl, I have made it my mission to warn and educate others on this deadly crisis. I serve on the Parent Advisory Committee for the family run non-profit organization Song For Charlie and I also serve as an Outreach Coordinator. Our focus is on public awareness through social media campaigns and promoting a counterfeit pill curriculum called “Fake and Fatal” that was developed by the Beaverton School District in Oregon. The program is precise and timely and is being offered for FREE to all districts in the country. I also develop presentations for community awareness events aimed at warning parents and kids of the growing crisis of fentanyl poisoning. 

"Momma, all I want is a normal life"... Peyton was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 16.  Age 19, he had a full hip replacement due to the extensive treatments that he received battling cancer.  He was prescribed pain medications to ease his excruciating pain.  This began his battle with an opioid addiction.  He died at age 23 from illicit fentanyl poisoning.

His story is unique and special... as he was as an individual.  Peyton's mother, Kelly Presley is an advocate and feels very strongly that transparency is so important in addressing the many issues of addiction.   With transparency,  people can develop empathy and compassion towards conquering STIGMA. 
It is up to each individual to open their minds, hearts and souls ... Listen & Learn!

Steve Filson retired from a 31-year career with law enforcement.

Most importantly, Steve is Jessica’s Dad. Jessica was his 29-year-old daughter poisoned on January 22, 2022, along with her boyfriend, Nicholas, due to fentanyl poisoning. He and other bereaved parents formed VOID ~ Victims of Illicit Drugs is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization, to provide education and awareness resources to the dangers of illicit drugs, in particular FENTANYL. VOID is additionally interested in the research of existing and development of alternative treatment methods to assist those battling addiction. 

https://stopthevoid.org/

Please view our video documentary below to learn more about this scourge we know as Illicit Fentanyl confronting our communities nationwide.

https://youtu.be/iJgPmrLjkuo?si=IkU6EeN72I3m4rS7

Bereaved mother and activist devoted to raising public awareness of the dangers of black-market fentanyl on a new population of unsuspecting young people. This fentanyl crisis has gone outsides the boundaries of the addiction community killing growing numbers of unsuspecting people of all ages and populations, this fentanyl crisis is a new problem and it's not just about "addiction" anymore.

The shock of hearing your child has died is a pain like no other. For Wendy, that devastating moment came, the toxicology report revealed the brutal truth: straight fentanyl poisoning. Like most parents, Wendy had never heard of illicit fentanyl before it took her child's life.

After losing her son, Wendy found herself asking the haunting question: "Why have I not heard about this deadly drug before it took my child?"

That question transformed her grief into purpose. Wendy now runs Matthew's Voice, a nonprofit dedicated to educating teens and young adults about the dangers of counterfeit pills. 

Through school presentations, community outreach, and developing public service announcements, Wendy is fighting to ensure Matthew's legacy saves others. Her message is clear and urgent—no recreational drug is safe in today's world. One pill can kill.