[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":12179},["ShallowReactive",2],{"sanity-FgvXuKw39a":3,"sanity-X6hHxIAhM2":12,"sanity-9u0VBfSvuE":12157},{"_createdAt":4,"_id":5,"_rev":6,"_type":7,"_updatedAt":8,"name":9,"nav_donate_link":10,"nav_fundraise_link":11},"2024-09-30T01:16:08Z","d54a3beb-5bc7-4a08-9614-a7fed5276091","a0rhxOMq2E1nfR5ge0KLAh","pages","2025-02-28T22:34:20Z","GLOBAL","https://donate.endoverdose.net/give/546264/#!/donation/checkout","https://donate.endoverdose.net/campaign/fundraise-for-end-overdose/c548625",[13,259,371,543,818,901,1157,1247,1894,1999,2264,2442,2523,2632,2770,2886,2999,3326,3555,3894,3969,4076,4162,4214,4292,4443,4527,4582,4687,4915,5110,5288,5428,5533,5657,5751,5828,5979,6273,6382,6494,6695,6831,6960,7165,7361,7493,7676,7867,8010,8150,8258,8435,8567,8803,8984,9126,9420,9815,9996,10589,10764,11091,11582,11764,11870],{"_createdAt":14,"_id":15,"_rev":16,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":18,"article":19,"author_ref":246,"category":249,"date":250,"image":251,"slug":255,"title":258},"2025-09-03T18:37:19Z","14efadc8-6032-4be7-8bd8-00496a42f36c","EBGKLO4kbTusnSqhsHriXa","news","2025-09-03T18:39:51Z",[20,31,39,49,57,65,73,81,89,97,105,113,121,129,137,145,153,161,169,177,185,193,201,209,217,225],{"_key":21,"_type":22,"children":23,"markDefs":29,"style":30},"7ebeb519705c","block",[24],{"_key":25,"_type":26,"marks":27,"text":28},"f9cd66d7eef9","span",[],"In the fast-moving world of dance music, no one can predict who will rise to the big stage next. One of those breakthrough artists is DJ and producer Ian Asher. From viral TikTok sounds to collaborations with childhood idols, Ian has carved a lane of his own, blending music with a one-of-a-kind online community.",[],"normal",{"_key":32,"_type":22,"children":33,"markDefs":38,"style":30},"32a55e17bb55",[34],{"_key":35,"_type":26,"marks":36,"text":37},"63ef5ac5a99c",[],"In this exclusive interview with End Overdose, Ian opens up about his early beginnings, years of trial and error, the global takeover of his Makeba remix, and his perspective on keeping the dance community safe.",[],{"_key":40,"_type":22,"children":41,"markDefs":47,"style":48},"7e7e52792cba",[42],{"_key":43,"_type":26,"marks":44,"text":46},"df25d4549ec1",[45],"strong","The Trampoline Park Beginnings",[],"h1",{"_key":50,"_type":22,"children":51,"markDefs":56,"style":30},"b66bf2ab2d90",[52],{"_key":53,"_type":26,"marks":54,"text":55},"388044a38d93",[],"Ian’s journey started in one of the most unexpected places.",[],{"_key":58,"_type":22,"children":59,"markDefs":64,"style":30},"d3a97608974c",[60],{"_key":61,"_type":26,"marks":62,"text":63},"845fe0e8020d",[],"“I’ve loved electronic music since I was nine or ten,” Ian recalls. “Avicii, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, and Madeon were my role models. One Christmas, after convincing my parents enough, I got my first little Traktor DJ board. I was 11.”",[],{"_key":66,"_type":22,"children":67,"markDefs":72,"style":30},"48552a9213e2",[68],{"_key":69,"_type":26,"marks":70,"text":71},"8e81e98c52f8",[],"“I DJed literally anywhere I could. Birthday parties, middle schools, sweet sixteens. My favorite gig was my residency at Big Air Trampoline Park in Irvine. I was 13 and getting paid 25 bucks a night.” He laughs. “That was a fortune back then, and I put every dollar back into more gear and software.”",[],{"_key":74,"_type":22,"children":75,"markDefs":80,"style":48},"5f5cd91b01f9",[76],{"_key":77,"_type":26,"marks":78,"text":79},"e509ebcc6d82",[45],"COVID-19 Breakthrough.",[],{"_key":82,"_type":22,"children":83,"markDefs":88,"style":30},"e7f1e0d9a0c4",[84],{"_key":85,"_type":26,"marks":86,"text":87},"62905c76bc69",[],"Just as Ian was finding his footing as a producer, the pandemic hit, and the world pressed pause. For him, that strange moment in time became a turning point.",[],{"_key":90,"_type":22,"children":91,"markDefs":96,"style":30},"fe47241825fc",[92],{"_key":93,"_type":26,"marks":94,"text":95},"a477b10f0363",[],"“I downloaded TikTok out of boredom, and after hours of scrolling, I realized every trend was tied to a sound, but no one was actually making the sounds. I gave it a try, and the videos immediately blew up. It felt like I was reading a crowd that wasn’t there. Once I figured out what people wanted to dance to in their homes, everything really started to take off.”",[],{"_key":98,"_type":22,"children":99,"markDefs":104,"style":48},"e0006d0520cd",[100],{"_key":101,"_type":26,"marks":102,"text":103},"cad9b3a9b518",[45],"The Remix Heard Around the Globe.",[],{"_key":106,"_type":22,"children":107,"markDefs":112,"style":30},"587fc54e5ac4",[108],{"_key":109,"_type":26,"marks":110,"text":111},"a0fbe6fb3cde",[],"Ian’s remix of Jain’s Makeba still dominates social media, with over 10 billion TikTok plays, more than 125 million Spotify streams, and a Remix of the Year award in 2023.",[],{"_key":114,"_type":22,"children":115,"markDefs":120,"style":30},"61276ac3c06d",[116],{"_key":117,"_type":26,"marks":118,"text":119},"a6d40a1685d1",[],"“I had no idea it would blow up like that,” Ian admits. “It was literally the first thing I made after buying a Maschine BeatPad. I flipped it, filmed it, posted it, and it just went nuts. That was the song that convinced everyone I could make full records, sell tickets, and stream at the level of any DJ.”",[],{"_key":122,"_type":22,"children":123,"markDefs":128,"style":48},"f0767e940316",[124],{"_key":125,"_type":26,"marks":126,"text":127},"f4c1775bfb6d",[45],"Reimagining The Classics.",[],{"_key":130,"_type":22,"children":131,"markDefs":136,"style":30},"9d52cfe7dae5",[132],{"_key":133,"_type":26,"marks":134,"text":135},"cbac68fe5462",[],"This summer, Ian dropped a string of major collaborations: Runaway (U & I) with Galantis, Desire with Olly Alexander, and Black Out Days with Phantogram.",[],{"_key":138,"_type":22,"children":139,"markDefs":144,"style":30},"7a8bbc07d16a",[140],{"_key":141,"_type":26,"marks":142,"text":143},"34185a09416a",[],"“Runaway came out when I was 14,” he says. “It’s iconic, and I wanted to pay tribute by making a Gen Z version that was faster and just a bit more bass-heavy.”",[],{"_key":146,"_type":22,"children":147,"markDefs":152,"style":30},"38afdc5ecc0b",[148],{"_key":149,"_type":26,"marks":150,"text":151},"1d72fa8c02a1",[],"Desire quickly followed, hitting #5 on the U.S. Viral Chart, and then came Phantogram’s Black Out Days, which debuted at #20 on the Billboard Dance Chart, marking Ian’s first official charting single.",[],{"_key":154,"_type":22,"children":155,"markDefs":160,"style":30},"2eb9351d8513",[156],{"_key":157,"_type":26,"marks":158,"text":159},"535217eeb489",[],"“These records showed me you don’t have to stick to one formula. Dance music is about reinterpretation, sampling, remixing, and breathing new life into the classics.”",[],{"_key":162,"_type":22,"children":163,"markDefs":168,"style":48},"9ccf540caa45",[164],{"_key":165,"_type":26,"marks":166,"text":167},"068436dd31c3",[45],"Dream Collaborations.",[],{"_key":170,"_type":22,"children":171,"markDefs":176,"style":30},"d1b9fa897d8f",[172],{"_key":173,"_type":26,"marks":174,"text":175},"00b5c5bae1d1",[],"When asked about his bucket-list collab, Ian doesn’t hesitate. “Calvin Harris. He never collaborates with anyone, and he’s one of my biggest role models. If I pull that off, it’s game over.”",[],{"_key":178,"_type":22,"children":179,"markDefs":184,"style":48},"be959ee99508",[180],{"_key":181,"_type":26,"marks":182,"text":183},"971e2720150f",[45],"Pre-Show Rituals.",[],{"_key":186,"_type":22,"children":187,"markDefs":192,"style":30},"4aab34a91056",[188],{"_key":189,"_type":26,"marks":190,"text":191},"fc2d2c5fed50",[],"Ian’s ritual is both surprisingly and refreshingly simple “Honestly? Two Red Bulls and a pack of Nature Valley granola bars. That’s it. I tried to switch to sugar-free Red Bull, but that was a mistake. I went back.”",[],{"_key":194,"_type":22,"children":195,"markDefs":200,"style":48},"2b3ba2ee8d24",[196],{"_key":197,"_type":26,"marks":198,"text":199},"666c34e019e8",[45],"What’s Next?",[],{"_key":202,"_type":22,"children":203,"markDefs":208,"style":30},"c767c4f15db9",[204],{"_key":205,"_type":26,"marks":206,"text":207},"b1ddc9922f8f",[],"Looking ahead, Ian’s focus is crystal clear. “More music, more shows, more moments. I want to just keep making more tracks, post them, test them live, and then head back to the studio and do it all over again. I’m in a groove right now and I don’t want to slow down.”",[],{"_key":210,"_type":22,"children":211,"markDefs":216,"style":48},"dd7083cd7f35",[212],{"_key":213,"_type":26,"marks":214,"text":215},"7fd56944d3f4",[45],"If You See Something, Do Something.",[],{"_key":218,"_type":22,"children":219,"markDefs":224,"style":30},"336c9146e4f4",[220],{"_key":221,"_type":26,"marks":222,"text":223},"a1f0fa339340",[],"“What makes this community so amazing is the sense of love you feel at these events. To anyone new, take note of that and spread it. If you see negative energy, combat it with love, and keep each other safe. If you see something, do something. That’s what makes our scene so special.”",[],{"_key":226,"_type":22,"children":227,"markDefs":242,"style":30},"0e0e5f7b9130",[228,233,238],{"_key":229,"_type":26,"marks":230,"text":232},"36e3a62194f2",[45,231],"em","**Catch Ian Asher live at ",{"_key":234,"_type":26,"marks":235,"text":237},"753540018c9d",[236,45,231],"c6abfab44d59","TIME Nightclub in Costa Mesa on September 5, 2025",{"_key":239,"_type":26,"marks":240,"text":241},"944988e1cc61",[45,231],". This hometown show promises to be unforgettable. Stay tuned for more releases, follow him on socials and check out more on our mission to keep the music scene safe at endoverdose.net.**",[243],{"_key":236,"_type":244,"href":245},"link","https://timenightclub.com/event/ian-asher-concerts-near-me-orange-county-edm-concerts-live-music-tonight-2025-sep-5-near-me/?utm_source=chatgpt.com",{"_ref":247,"_type":248},"3b0cc46e-5f4f-4b3a-9b39-bbfd57b5d4f9","reference","arts-entertainment","2025-09-03",{"_type":252,"asset":253},"image",{"_ref":254,"_type":248},"image-921c7aa9be401ed5299538040825f3612ab8baa8-2500x1298-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":257},"slug","behind-the-booth-ian-asher","Behind the Booth: Ian Asher",{"_createdAt":260,"_id":261,"_rev":262,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":263,"article":264,"author_ref":361,"category":363,"date":364,"image":365,"slug":368,"title":370},"2025-08-28T17:49:40Z","2f48f661-5089-43b5-a99c-901e33002778","lxCn4aHcR09RLBiBf4kKTY","2025-08-28T18:16:21Z",[265,273,281,289,297,305,313,321,329,337,345,353],{"_key":266,"_type":22,"children":267,"markDefs":272,"style":30},"f82cd73ca5b1",[268],{"_key":269,"_type":26,"marks":270,"text":271},"4920b573d693",[],"End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our Volunteer of the Week: Salar Hatef!",[],{"_key":274,"_type":22,"children":275,"markDefs":280,"style":30},"84fe7bfe6b9f",[276],{"_key":277,"_type":26,"marks":278,"text":279},"bc1d50794400",[],"Director of Community Engagement & Training AJ Banuelos had this to say about Salar: \"Sal has been a long time volunteer with End Overdose – an OG in the game! He was one of our first volunteers for our UCR Chapter and is still going strong today! He has done multiple events throughout the years and is definitely someone that we can always lean on while onsite. He's always willing to lend a hand when needed, and go above and beyond the call of duty. It's a great honor that we have Sal as our volunteer of the week (not to mention, he has an amazing dance game to keep the atmosphere fun and alive!).\"",[],{"_key":282,"_type":22,"children":283,"markDefs":288,"style":48},"9607951118c1",[284],{"_key":285,"_type":26,"marks":286,"text":287},"4a8927b6db00",[],"Can you tell us about yourself and your story?",[],{"_key":290,"_type":22,"children":291,"markDefs":296,"style":30},"1ed8cead3503",[292],{"_key":293,"_type":26,"marks":294,"text":295},"9ad6cf667c6e",[],"I’m 26-years-old and currently living in Orange County. I graduated from UC Riverside in 2023 with a degree in Business Management. Shortly after, I began working as a Project Coordinator at a large construction company, which has given me the opportunity to apply my education in a fast-paced, real-world environment and gain hands-on experience in managing complex projects.",[],{"_key":298,"_type":22,"children":299,"markDefs":304,"style":30},"320f53d0b38a",[300],{"_key":301,"_type":26,"marks":302,"text":303},"06924d6e5164",[],"Before that, I moved to the United States from Iran in 2014 after several years of traveling, motivated by a personal goal to reconnect with my grandfather. That journey completely changed the course of my life.",[],{"_key":306,"_type":22,"children":307,"markDefs":312,"style":30},"04f123bf6c7f",[308],{"_key":309,"_type":26,"marks":310,"text":311},"7a7569265bb1",[],"Looking back, I could have never imagined being where I am today without the support of the people around me—especially those I’ve met through this organization. Their encouragement and belief in me have played a significant role in my growth.",[],{"_key":314,"_type":22,"children":315,"markDefs":320,"style":30},"705c3aeb7499",[316],{"_key":317,"_type":26,"marks":318,"text":319},"dc45c447d07b",[],"I’ve now been living in the U.S. for nearly 12 years, and it’s truly been an incredible experience—full of challenges, growth, and valuable life lessons. Each step has helped shape who I am today, both professionally and personally.",[],{"_key":322,"_type":22,"children":323,"markDefs":328,"style":48},"cef16f943899",[324],{"_key":325,"_type":26,"marks":326,"text":327},"0220e622eae8",[],"What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?",[],{"_key":330,"_type":22,"children":331,"markDefs":336,"style":30},"4bad3dfecc27",[332],{"_key":333,"_type":26,"marks":334,"text":335},"099a44b4fe73",[],"I have always lived on a philosophical logic that no matter how much we earn or achieve in life, it means nothing until we're able to help others with our blessings. I have witnessed the sad reality of how just one time usage of a wrong substance can affect people's life, and the moment I received a call from my friend Luke Chiappetta about starting this chapter back in 2022, I knew that it just felt right to be a part of something that allows people to get help, even for those ones who might think there is no way back. I believe we were the second chapter in the country after UCLA where we did not have an existing booth within any festivals yet, but it always brought me joy to be able to help people and be a part of something bigger on the college campus.",[],{"_key":338,"_type":22,"children":339,"markDefs":344,"style":48},"8d08020e22d2",[340],{"_key":341,"_type":26,"marks":342,"text":343},"75d45dd76bbd",[],"What’s your favorite memory of volunteering with End Overdose?",[],{"_key":346,"_type":22,"children":347,"markDefs":352,"style":30},"1cd27c8d0e22",[348],{"_key":349,"_type":26,"marks":350,"text":351},"7988a72187b9",[],"I could confidently say that every single shift or festival that I have worked with EO has been super fun and engaging, it's amazing to meet the team and spend time with them towards a bigger cause; however I believe our first EDC and our first Lost Lands were core memories for me because we got a chance to camp with the EO team within RV's and we were able to share our happiness and joy together. I remember one day where I had to train the site ops at Lost Lands where they were a big group of professionals and serious staff, and I felt like I had to represent EO in the best way possible, and it turned out to be a great presentation where they asked a lot of questions and applauded me. I also remember meeting Pasquale and getting recognized because of the EO shirt. That made me really proud and happy.",[],{"_key":354,"_type":22,"children":355,"markDefs":360,"style":30},"c64447ffd48d",[356],{"_key":357,"_type":26,"marks":358,"text":359},"21a3f6bb2aae",[],"I am happy and honored that I am a part of this organization where we can be a shoulder for people to lean on and that we can offer help and assistance to people, and most importantly, save lives.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"cf90ef13-140e-4ab6-a44f-29357374d13b","end-overdose","2025-08-28",{"_type":252,"asset":366},{"_ref":367,"_type":248},"image-a8ab64768cabf691c396c0538bd580ead79a7666-2240x1296-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":369},"volunteer-of-the-week-salar-hatef","Volunteer of the Week: Salar Hatef",{"_createdAt":372,"_id":373,"_rev":374,"_system":375,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":378,"article":379,"author_ref":535,"category":363,"date":536,"image":537,"slug":540,"title":542},"2025-08-22T17:50:19Z","3c16098b-3955-4620-ad1f-c7b63cde7043","W0IWyIuPpgNLhZeWRPMR9n",{"base":376},{"id":373,"rev":377},"m48tD7hpvPiGdtGrwG74Ua","2025-08-22T18:18:01Z",[380,388,396,405,413,421,429,437,445,453,461,469,477,485,495,503,511,519,527],{"_key":381,"_type":22,"children":382,"markDefs":387,"style":30},"5173db05512f",[383],{"_key":384,"_type":26,"marks":385,"text":386},"81e49202dbe4",[],"End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. Rather than proselytizing from a soapbox to Gen-Z and Millennials, we trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. Our members and volunteers are committing endless hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.",[],{"_key":389,"_type":22,"children":390,"markDefs":395,"style":30},"6d10369ab3dc",[391],{"_key":392,"_type":26,"marks":393,"text":394},"b2e8bb8c1463",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our University of Arkansas chapter! We spoke with president Alex Mykytyn about being inspired by our CU Boulder chapter, being recognized as the “Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year,” and much more.",[],{"_key":397,"_type":22,"children":398,"markDefs":404,"style":30},"a5167cb5d1e1",[399],{"_key":400,"_type":26,"marks":401,"text":403},"59c5572cd41a",[45,402,231],"underline","What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?",[],{"_key":406,"_type":22,"children":407,"markDefs":412,"style":30},"8174de84c1ab",[408],{"_key":409,"_type":26,"marks":410,"text":411},"1910f585ec1d",[],"Being from Colorado, I saw what Grace Naysmith and their team were doing at the CU Boulder chapter, and thought it was so awesome; I loved the bold and direct outreach techniques that I saw End Overdose using, and thought it’d be a hit at an SEC school like University of Arkansas. Not to mention, doing this amazing thing in such cool areas that I love- the EDM setting. Having close family and friends affected by overdose recently, I knew End Overdose was something I’d be interested in from then on. I immediately made bringing End Overdose to Arkansas a mission to accomplish.",[],{"_key":414,"_type":22,"children":415,"markDefs":420,"style":30},"9dabcbe10147",[416],{"_key":417,"_type":26,"marks":418,"text":419},"b58b2c4a4674",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president at the University of Arkansas?",[],{"_key":422,"_type":22,"children":423,"markDefs":428,"style":30},"5f952e8ee538",[424],{"_key":425,"_type":26,"marks":426,"text":427},"294478776247",[],"Like starting anything new, there’s learning curves and kinks to smooth out. But I quickly learned that delegation and having a great team works wonders. Being the chapter president, I know my job is to make sure my team and those trained understand the impact of the information they’re learning. My experience in this role has been a complete 180 on anything I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t change it. I’ve been introduced to so many people from all different walks of life. It’s been so cool to me how each time I interact with someone new, we used End Overdose as a point of unison and understanding. Being the president of this chapter has allowed me to make many new connections, spark new interests, learn about myself, and most importantly save lives! Seeing the impact our chapter has had on campus in just one year has been so fulfilling.",[],{"_key":430,"_type":22,"children":431,"markDefs":436,"style":30},"9d14443cd1e0",[432],{"_key":433,"_type":26,"marks":434,"text":435},"1eb2e16ac940",[45,402,231],"How have you developed authentic connections within the community?",[],{"_key":438,"_type":22,"children":439,"markDefs":444,"style":30},"cb095af19ce8",[440],{"_key":441,"_type":26,"marks":442,"text":443},"6e31c3ccc44c",[],"Our chapter has strengthened connections with so many different parts of the community thus far. Having members from different areas of the community, our outreach has been able to spread far and wide. Our chapter has been working especially closely with the SEAR program (substance, education, assessment, recovery) and their efforts to train and inform students about overdose. Beyond SEAR, we’ve been working a lot with Sierra Jeans, our amazing Arkansas coordinator. She’s been working so hard in all parts of the state and growing the team in Arkansas. With the help of Sierra, her volunteers, and the members of our team, we’ve attended multiple campus concerts and events, training hundreds of people. Overall, these events have let us increase awareness, build trust, and make a tangible difference in the community.",[],{"_key":446,"_type":22,"children":447,"markDefs":452,"style":30},"edf3f1d24f45",[448],{"_key":449,"_type":26,"marks":450,"text":451},"a279640285a8",[45,402,231],"What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?",[],{"_key":454,"_type":22,"children":455,"markDefs":460,"style":30},"c363e7502e05",[456],{"_key":457,"_type":26,"marks":458,"text":459},"c23df14cd7d9",[],"One huge highlight of our chapter’s work is training four major Interfraternity and Panhellenic organizations in our founding year. These organizations are home to over ten thousand students on campus, making our outreach increasingly powerful. Another major highlight our chapter members made is to attend Breakaway Nashville last October. Here, our members got hands-on leadership experience, and a taste of what End Overdose looks like outside of campus. Along with this, we were able to collaborate and work with chapters in other states such as the Emory University chapter. Lastly, our chapter was recognized by the University of Arkansas as the “Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year”, setting the tone for what’s to come.",[],{"_key":462,"_type":22,"children":463,"markDefs":468,"style":30},"d42248feb956",[464],{"_key":465,"_type":26,"marks":466,"text":467},"4f6ff3c69527",[45,402,231],"What do you envision for the future of your chapter?",[],{"_key":470,"_type":22,"children":471,"markDefs":476,"style":30},"f3560538d1bd",[472],{"_key":473,"_type":26,"marks":474,"text":475},"61263836c1e7",[],"I envision big big things for the future of our chapter, as it’s just the beginning. Even though this will be my last year at the University of Arkansas, I’m confident that my team will continue to grow and strengthen the chapter far beyond my time here. The dedication and hard work will continue to build on itself, reaching new heights and saving more lives. I plan on our chapter having a permanence throughout the community, and people know our logo when they see it. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to work with End Overdose and make a lasting impact with my team.",[],{"_key":478,"_type":22,"children":479,"markDefs":484,"style":30},"68d39c622e6b",[480],{"_key":481,"_type":26,"marks":482,"text":483},"04242e914bce",[45,402,231],"Thank you to the entire University of Arkansas team!",[],{"_key":486,"_type":22,"children":487,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":494,"style":30},"950e0957622b",[488],{"_key":489,"_type":26,"marks":490,"text":491},"686c485f91e9",[],"Alex Mykytyn - President",1,"bullet",[],{"_key":496,"_type":22,"children":497,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":502,"style":30},"8beaf45d37fe",[498],{"_key":499,"_type":26,"marks":500,"text":501},"d76962d1582b",[],"Andrea Bottger - Vice President",[],{"_key":504,"_type":22,"children":505,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":510,"style":30},"e1eb88690f50",[506],{"_key":507,"_type":26,"marks":508,"text":509},"73e7a051b3c1",[],"Clara Kate Mallery - Media Lead",[],{"_key":512,"_type":22,"children":513,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":518,"style":30},"bfe601e1c3ed",[514],{"_key":515,"_type":26,"marks":516,"text":517},"3d45b8fcb019",[],"Madelyn Abraham - Fundraising Lead",[],{"_key":520,"_type":22,"children":521,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":526,"style":30},"e2f8c04f4516",[522],{"_key":523,"_type":26,"marks":524,"text":525},"2b7eaf9233b9",[],"Weston Cook - Lead Trainer",[],{"_key":528,"_type":22,"children":529,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":534,"style":30},"5569849781e2",[530],{"_key":531,"_type":26,"marks":532,"text":533},"1a984db6823f",[],"Lexie Tombrello - Secretary and Treasurer",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-08-22",{"_type":252,"asset":538},{"_ref":539,"_type":248},"image-22ec6f64f4bd9308aaae67035a82f98556080c11-1656x823-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":541},"chapter-of-the-month-university-of-arkansas","Chapter of the Month: University of Arkansas",{"_createdAt":544,"_id":545,"_rev":546,"_system":547,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":550,"article":551,"author_ref":809,"category":810,"date":811,"image":812,"slug":815,"title":817},"2025-08-15T18:38:41Z","a334ac29-b709-4a40-a7c2-d3a42c42434a","rXFx7vJUsmlaA6iqbtkk4V",{"base":548},{"id":545,"rev":549},"8ztm3cRdTD7y7Mmk7tDuTD","2025-08-15T21:07:58Z",[552,560,568,587,595,607,619,627,639,651,659,670,681,689,700,711,719,730,738,749,760,768,779,790,798],{"_key":553,"_type":22,"children":554,"markDefs":559,"style":30},"8a6d7811f38e",[555],{"_key":556,"_type":26,"marks":557,"text":558},"841b229c108b",[],"A crucial aspect of overdose response is training not only first responders, but the average citizen who will become equipped with the knowledge and resources to reverse an overdose before emergency services arrive. This notion can be extrapolated to all forms of emergency response, whether it’s residents learning how to evacuate when responding to a wildfire, or students knowing how to find safety during the chaos of an active shooter. This information is crucial to communicate to the general public, which is where Ketaily Technical Consulting comes in.",[],{"_key":561,"_type":22,"children":562,"markDefs":567,"style":30},"83ca43162c10",[563],{"_key":564,"_type":26,"marks":565,"text":566},"47b93aab4019",[],"Founded by a father-and-son duo with over 45 collective years of experience in Southern California fire departments, Mike and Tim Ketaily are experts in all forms of emergency response, from crisis communications and risk assessments, to fire, life, and safety preparedness. Their work has made a tangible impact on institutions like community colleges throughout Southern California and is continuing to grow in size and scope.",[],{"_key":569,"_type":22,"children":570,"markDefs":584,"style":30},"fef4a00a70be",[571,575,580],{"_key":572,"_type":26,"marks":573,"text":574},"b7872a1f0292",[],"In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day, we’re proud to collaborate with Ketaily Technical Consulting on a series of videos in the coming weeks that will explain how to use naloxone when it's needed most. In advance of those videos, we’re excited to share an interview with Mike and Tim and dive into their background and expertise that powers their work throughout the state. Read on below, and if you want more information on Ketaily Technical Consulting, head to their website ",{"_key":576,"_type":26,"marks":577,"text":579},"713633a17b12",[578],"9eea5b9fca5f","here",{"_key":581,"_type":26,"marks":582,"text":583},"5a17a0f09f64",[],".",[585],{"_key":578,"_type":244,"href":586},"https://www.ketailytechnicalconsulting.com/",{"_key":588,"_type":22,"children":589,"markDefs":594,"style":30},"1f090463f3b1",[590],{"_key":591,"_type":26,"marks":592,"text":593},"09d98635600a",[45,402,231],"Can you tell me about your background as first responders? What inspired you to initially enter the field?",[],{"_key":596,"_type":22,"children":597,"markDefs":606,"style":30},"f9a89724de2f",[598,602],{"_key":599,"_type":26,"marks":600,"text":601},"87ae01ca1b4e",[45],"Mike Ketaily",{"_key":603,"_type":26,"marks":604,"text":605},"c6efe49c4ec8",[],": I spent 35 years with a large, metropolitan Fire Department here in Southern California. I retired at the rank of Captain. When I was growing up, my parents had a friend who was a firefighter and he would come over occasionally. He always told me how much he enjoyed his job and I would visit his fire station occasionally. I loved his stories and they motivated me to apply when I was 18 years old. With his help and coaching, I went through the hiring process and was hired in August of 1980.",[],{"_key":608,"_type":22,"children":609,"markDefs":618,"style":30},"812919e52470",[610,614],{"_key":611,"_type":26,"marks":612,"text":613},"ec619e5f59cf",[45],"Tim Ketaily",{"_key":615,"_type":26,"marks":616,"text":617},"92ed7b059cb0",[],": I am an active duty captain and have been working as a firefighter for over a decade. I was very fortunate to grow up in a “First Responder Family” and was exposed to a culture of safety at a very young age. I have been very fortunate to have a great mentor within the fire service and have him as a business partner now.",[],{"_key":620,"_type":22,"children":621,"markDefs":626,"style":30},"5e2d8eeca7e3",[622],{"_key":623,"_type":26,"marks":624,"text":625},"76ec2398c0e8",[45,402,231],"When did the concept for Ketaily Technical Consulting come to fruition? What was your initial vision for the company?",[],{"_key":628,"_type":22,"children":629,"markDefs":638,"style":30},"0120746e9116",[630,634],{"_key":631,"_type":26,"marks":632,"text":633},"e1cb75b41fd0",[45],"Mike",{"_key":635,"_type":26,"marks":636,"text":637},"8eaf6e17352a",[],": Tim and I started talking about forming a company like this about 4 years ago. I was doing it as a sole proprietor for many years, but the opportunity to work with Tim as a team was very intriguing and it has turned out to be a bucket list item for me. Think about it, how many dads get to work with their son, start a company, enjoy the work and really help people be safer in their places of employment? Our focus initially was on community colleges and that is now most of our clients.",[],{"_key":640,"_type":22,"children":641,"markDefs":650,"style":30},"674b0ad9b93a",[642,646],{"_key":643,"_type":26,"marks":644,"text":645},"ef7d25268e90",[45],"Tim",{"_key":647,"_type":26,"marks":648,"text":649},"11fc3928836b",[],": We were approached about a project at Pasadena City College and built the company while the work was being completed. After identifying a scope of work including training, assessments and experience we realized that there was a gap between the education system and first responders and because of our backgrounds in the fire service and education we have a unique ability to fill that gap. Our vision has changed as we have worked with more people, we want to extend our reach and make sure we can instill a culture of safety wherever we go.",[],{"_key":652,"_type":22,"children":653,"markDefs":658,"style":30},"915cb955ff1b",[654],{"_key":655,"_type":26,"marks":656,"text":657},"484ecd65bec2",[45,402,231],"Can you break down the importance of emergency training? How do you mold your methods for different settings (i.e. a residential building vs. a community college)?",[],{"_key":660,"_type":22,"children":661,"markDefs":669,"style":30},"5fa14c27b668",[662,665],{"_key":663,"_type":26,"marks":664,"text":633},"0ce73d1e9166",[45],{"_key":666,"_type":26,"marks":667,"text":668},"8ff29a9dd9a6",[],": We always knew the training was critical, but after the recent Eaton and Pasadena brush fires, it really hit home. Pasadena City College was our very first client, and they were heavily impacted by the Eaton Fire. Many of their staff and students lost their homes. The college itself was declared a food distribution center and a FEMA claims process center staffed by many of the employees that we had training. Their performance during these emergencies greatly benefitted the communities in Pasadena. We could directly observe that our training had paid off.",[],{"_key":671,"_type":22,"children":672,"markDefs":680,"style":30},"7688c570e05f",[673,676],{"_key":674,"_type":26,"marks":675,"text":645},"b23931254a46",[45],{"_key":677,"_type":26,"marks":678,"text":679},"ac6640938e93",[],": Emergency training is important but consistent emergency training is more critical. Regardless if we are training at a large scale organization or a home we strive to make training approachable, realistic and manageable. Emergencies are stressful enough, we always take a realistic approach, account for the human factor and identify areas of weakness. This attitude brings people back to the training table and makes them more knowledgeable.",[],{"_key":682,"_type":22,"children":683,"markDefs":688,"style":30},"39eb1e8ed9d7",[684],{"_key":685,"_type":26,"marks":686,"text":687},"1929e9113ab2",[45,402,231],"As a communications major, I’m extremely intrigued by your crisis communications offering. Can you walk me through that process and what you equip your clients with?",[],{"_key":690,"_type":22,"children":691,"markDefs":699,"style":30},"c7cb8f5f25f3",[692,695],{"_key":693,"_type":26,"marks":694,"text":633},"1de6556bfc75",[45],{"_key":696,"_type":26,"marks":697,"text":698},"adde5ab21021",[],": We do provide Crisis Communication Training which includes effective messaging to the public and to the employees. We also teach proper radio use, emergency notification systems, and communicating to the Incident Management Team via WhatsApp. The use of WhatsApp was a suggestion from one of our clients and it has worked out so well! Both Tim and I established a \"Family\" WhatsApp community for immediate family use. We now recommend it to all of our clients.",[],{"_key":701,"_type":22,"children":702,"markDefs":710,"style":30},"14373acee5a6",[703,706],{"_key":704,"_type":26,"marks":705,"text":645},"a60c134bac29",[45],{"_key":707,"_type":26,"marks":708,"text":709},"58e131e01e3d",[],": We try to utilize “normal” communications methods whenever we can. People are already proficient in using their phones. We give our clients avenues to get information out to their teams, out to the public and the ability to maintain situational awareness by collecting information. Communication gaps are always the number one complaint when we come into a new program. We focus a huge amount of effort in fixing this.",[],{"_key":712,"_type":22,"children":713,"markDefs":718,"style":30},"5c50be64591f",[714],{"_key":715,"_type":26,"marks":716,"text":717},"a8ec6e0884de",[45,402,231],"You facilitated a massive active-shooter training – what kind of work goes into a high-intensity concept like this?",[],{"_key":720,"_type":22,"children":721,"markDefs":729,"style":30},"3a86de903898",[722,725],{"_key":723,"_type":26,"marks":724,"text":633},"d9978a939903",[45],{"_key":726,"_type":26,"marks":727,"text":728},"9cf5b869b869",[],": I worked at Oxnard College for many years as an instructor in their Fire Academy. One of the administrators asked me to facilitate a full scale Active Shooter Exercise on campus. It took approximately 6 months of internal and external meetings with all the stakeholders; OC employees, Oxnard Fire Department, Oxnard Police/Swat, Ventura County Sheriff, AMR ambulance, and the Ventura County Fire Department. We developed a classroom training for exercise participants and selected a location on campus for the training. I enlisted the help of 20 fire academy cadets to pose as victims. I hired a \"moulage artist\" to makeup the cadets with horrific injuries and gunshot wounds. One of the campus police officers posed as the \"shooter\" with a gun with dummy rounds. We scattered the cadets all over a selected building in various spots and told them to role play their injuries. The shooter was firing off the dummy rounds. Local police and fire were staged outside and eventually were told to enter the building to neutralize the shooter and treat all the victims. The police, fire and EMT personnel loved the exercise! So did the cadets. It was featured on the local news and in the newspapers. I was super proud of the efforts of all and OC was a safer place because of it.",[],{"_key":731,"_type":22,"children":732,"markDefs":737,"style":30},"e415c524938d",[733],{"_key":734,"_type":26,"marks":735,"text":736},"8bb022e190a3",[45,402,231],"You’re partnering with End Overdose for Overdose Awareness Day. Can you talk about the importance of equipping the wider population across California with naloxone?",[],{"_key":739,"_type":22,"children":740,"markDefs":748,"style":30},"a3b14d68486a",[741,744],{"_key":742,"_type":26,"marks":743,"text":633},"92a119bcc493",[45],{"_key":745,"_type":26,"marks":746,"text":747},"63d1ab5e7b3e",[],": We are very excited about the partnership with End Overdose. Opioid overdose has become such a huge epidemic and negatively impacts so many families. Being able to provide training, situational awareness and skills to everyday people is so important. We are proud to be part of that delivery!",[],{"_key":750,"_type":22,"children":751,"markDefs":759,"style":30},"a2cb1c9ea673",[752,755],{"_key":753,"_type":26,"marks":754,"text":645},"d97df4c7b52e",[45],{"_key":756,"_type":26,"marks":757,"text":758},"9112b3317a5d",[],": The opioid epidemic is a massive problem, as a first responder I have seen first hand how opioid abuse negatively impacts families and entire communities. I have had close friends who have fallen victim to this. I believe these losses are preventable and am extremely excited for this opportunity with End overdose to save lives.",[],{"_key":761,"_type":22,"children":762,"markDefs":767,"style":30},"5f9ad323f733",[763],{"_key":764,"_type":26,"marks":765,"text":766},"ca46cc6fd89c",[45,402,231],"What do you envision for the future of Ketaily Technical Consulting?",[],{"_key":769,"_type":22,"children":770,"markDefs":778,"style":30},"ab45d5a730e6",[771,774],{"_key":772,"_type":26,"marks":773,"text":633},"3d43a26e6e61",[45],{"_key":775,"_type":26,"marks":776,"text":777},"bc11149de698",[],": The future of KTC is very bright! We currently have 10 community colleges under contract. A local city has contacted us recently to provide emergency training to their city employees. It seems obvious, but people desperately want to feel safe at their place of employment. Today's world is so unpredictable with fires, earthquakes, and active shootings. It seems like it's been one disaster after another lately. Tim and I have the experience as first responders and educators to provide a high level of quality training to make people feel safe.",[],{"_key":780,"_type":22,"children":781,"markDefs":789,"style":30},"0757704e2d6a",[782,785],{"_key":783,"_type":26,"marks":784,"text":645},"7e31c5849a94",[45],{"_key":786,"_type":26,"marks":787,"text":788},"d61951560ecb",[],": In regards to the future of KTC, I am very fortunate to work with my father. Not many people have that opportunity. We are in a unique position to assist people in emergency training and preparedness. Our goal is to continue to reach people and provide our current clients with a high level product. We have recently launched an LMS and are excited for the potential growth.",[],{"_key":791,"_type":22,"children":792,"markDefs":797,"style":30},"a8925df6dbab",[793],{"_key":794,"_type":26,"marks":795,"text":796},"6c367b646391",[45,402,231],"Is there anything else you’d like to add?",[],{"_key":799,"_type":22,"children":800,"markDefs":808,"style":30},"759b623ca619",[801,804],{"_key":802,"_type":26,"marks":803,"text":633},"b39bafe282c2",[45],{"_key":805,"_type":26,"marks":806,"text":807},"3573ac667198",[],": I can't say enough about being able to do this with my son. His knowledge is current and has led us into developing an online learning management system that we really hope is effective. We really work well together and probably talk about 5 times per day. I really enjoy teaching with him in the classroom. He is such an effective teacher and that makes me really proud. Something funny: when I first started creating the company, I was investing into it and I asked Tim to invest some into it and I asked Tim to invest. I'll never forget his response: \"I don't know Dad, $1000 is a lot to invest.” I still have his check posted on the wall and will never take it down!",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"business-health","2025-08-15",{"_type":252,"asset":813},{"_ref":814,"_type":248},"image-65831cdc6de925b89375eafcee6c9df016d125ba-667x407-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":816},"emergency-preparedness-an-interview-with-ketaily-technical-consulting","Emergency Preparedness: An Interview with Ketaily Technical Consulting",{"_createdAt":819,"_id":820,"_rev":821,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":822,"article":823,"author_ref":893,"category":363,"date":894,"image":895,"slug":898,"title":900},"2025-08-13T16:40:47Z","26018332-bd03-4ebf-b015-1579fa4bf593","Ma0kwTHPCWoR8H8KEUaZnK","2025-08-13T17:41:34Z",[824,832,840,848,855,863,870,878,885],{"_key":825,"_type":22,"children":826,"markDefs":831,"style":30},"72bda96ffbf2",[827],{"_key":828,"_type":26,"marks":829,"text":830},"c0aae1775696",[],"End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our July Volunteer of the Month: Diane Nguyen!",[],{"_key":833,"_type":22,"children":834,"markDefs":839,"style":30},"de3336280092",[835],{"_key":836,"_type":26,"marks":837,"text":838},"2739e35475ac",[],"Director of Community Engagement & Training AJ Banuelos had this to say about Diane: \"Diane is a a long time member of our Long Beach Chapter! She has a deep passion to educate and save lives! Having tabled multiple events for End Overdose, her work ethic and dedication is highly valued and does not go unnoticed! She is one of the volunteers who is always willing to be onsite, no matter where the event in Southern California. We appreciate you Diane and are eternally grateful to have you on the End Overdose team!\"",[],{"_key":841,"_type":22,"children":842,"markDefs":847,"style":30},"b22aae1c0df1",[843],{"_key":844,"_type":26,"marks":845,"text":846},"bb9434dd45c5",[],"Read on below to hear more about Diane in her own words!",[],{"_key":849,"_type":22,"children":850,"markDefs":854,"style":30},"9358b51c2634",[851],{"_key":852,"_type":26,"marks":853,"text":287},"6e9efe79ea2f",[45,231],[],{"_key":856,"_type":22,"children":857,"markDefs":862,"style":30},"ff3fc325df44",[858],{"_key":859,"_type":26,"marks":860,"text":861},"b23cd901542c",[],"I recently graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.S. in Mathematics Education. I’m currently continuing my education through the credential program with a goal to becoming a high school math teacher. In my free time, I love to bake and cook. If I’m not at home, you will find me hanging out with friends or attending a concert.",[],{"_key":864,"_type":22,"children":865,"markDefs":869,"style":30},"f58332dc4a57",[866],{"_key":867,"_type":26,"marks":868,"text":327},"2bfb1a0ccc73",[45,231],[],{"_key":871,"_type":22,"children":872,"markDefs":877,"style":30},"eb98deb8bfd9",[873],{"_key":874,"_type":26,"marks":875,"text":876},"a1cfbbdf3b8a",[],"I was first introduced to End Overdose a few years ago when I received training at one of the festivals. At the time, I didn’t realize it was entirely volunteered based. Later on, my friend Meagan shared her idea of starting a chapter in Long Beach and invited me to be part of the team. Ever since then, I’ve have actively been volunteering at events and festivals, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.",[],{"_key":879,"_type":22,"children":880,"markDefs":884,"style":30},"904faee6b630",[881],{"_key":882,"_type":26,"marks":883,"text":343},"becb9fc62ea8",[45,231],[],{"_key":886,"_type":22,"children":887,"markDefs":892,"style":30},"2acf04961102",[888],{"_key":889,"_type":26,"marks":890,"text":891},"830962508a5a",[],"One of my favorite memories of volunteering with End Overdose is honestly meeting new people, both the people we train and fellow volunteers. Hearing their stories and seeing firsthand the positive impact we are making in the community has been truly inspiring. It’s a reminder of how powerful education and training can be when we come together.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-08-13",{"_type":252,"asset":896},{"_ref":897,"_type":248},"image-d5cd1a87afdc8db9c506e7ad9ee2a8055e44fcfd-5472x2979-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":899},"volunteer-of-the-month-diane-nguyen","Volunteer of the Month: Diane Nguyen",{"_createdAt":902,"_id":903,"_rev":904,"_system":905,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":908,"article":909,"author_ref":1148,"category":1149,"date":1150,"image":1151,"slug":1154,"title":1156},"2025-08-06T17:09:11Z","b01dac5a-7801-4060-be7c-998dff63ce82","088c1NhOIUBvV1JrD0M2XI",{"base":906},{"id":903,"rev":907},"088c1NhOIUBvV1JrD0LN4l","2025-08-06T17:41:56Z",[910,918,926,930,938,946,954,962,970,978,986,994,1002,1010,1014,1022,1030,1038,1046,1054,1062,1070,1078,1086,1094,1102,1110,1118,1122,1140],{"_key":911,"_type":22,"children":912,"markDefs":917,"style":30},"fe9e98fc4a1a",[913],{"_key":914,"_type":26,"marks":915,"text":916},"8b3c2189ca5b",[],"Stan Liszewski broke onto the Arkansas scene as the vocalist of Terminal Nation, a band blending death metal and hardcore into an incandescent firestorm of high-tempo riffing and viscous breakdowns. Being at the center of the state's musical counterculture led to tangible success with Terminal Nation, but Liszewski took his position in the counterculture even further by joining Central Arkansas Harm Reduction. ",[],{"_key":919,"_type":22,"children":920,"markDefs":925,"style":30},"ea95b6996027",[921],{"_key":922,"_type":26,"marks":923,"text":924},"79b3a86364cf",[],"As the co-chair of the organization, Liszewski oversees robust education, medical servies, and the distribution of resources like naloxone and fentanyl test strips – alongside countless other essentials to the community – free of charge. CAHR is an integral player in keeping vulnerable populations in their region safe, so we spoke with Liszewski about what inspired him to join CAHR, his work to date, and what he envisions for the future of a healthier Arkansas.",[],{"_key":927,"_type":252,"asset":928},"6bfbaf93573b",{"_ref":929,"_type":248},"image-2ec78ba5c57fb7dd6574c8d76e394516c9613213-1290x952-jpg",{"_key":931,"_type":22,"children":932,"markDefs":937,"style":48},"44ac10527a52",[933],{"_key":934,"_type":26,"marks":935,"text":936},"3fa2ccc118c2",[45],"Can you tell me about your background in harm reduction?",[],{"_key":939,"_type":22,"children":940,"markDefs":945,"style":30},"b6740338bc42",[941],{"_key":942,"_type":26,"marks":943,"text":944},"7627eedacac7",[],"I feel that my background in harm reduction shares aspects with many others in these circles, yet also has distinct parts. A little over a decade ago, my father had suffered from an overdose, and I was the first person on the scene as it was happening. I had a background in nursing and in first aid, but truthfully, I had no idea he was experiencing an overdose at the time. I reached out to emergency services and started CPR until they arrived. Thankfully, he is still alive and with us today; however, he is very fortunate. At this time, he had been clean and sober for many years. I was angry with him. I felt he had let himself down, let me down, and let all of his loved ones down.",[],{"_key":947,"_type":22,"children":948,"markDefs":953,"style":30},"d3a27b85ac72",[949],{"_key":950,"_type":26,"marks":951,"text":952},"cc1cac3d2643",[],"However, I had to dissect those feelings and emotions and acknowledge my own internal biases. I felt he was being selfish at the time, but in retrospect, I was the one being selfish. He had a long road to recovery, and in living with him throughout that recovery time, I had to retrain my brain. Drug use, licit or illicit, is a complex and multifaceted issue. There is no \"one size fits all\" solution. His substance use at the time did not make him any less of a person. He is an incredible human being, and I would not be who I am today without him. I truly owe him so much. He was my father, and I was scared to lose him. Instead of turning to empathy or compassion, I turned to anger. He was not in the wrong; I was. That was probably the most significant influence on changing my entire perspective on drug use and discovering some of the core principles of harm reduction, before I even knew what harm reduction was.",[],{"_key":955,"_type":22,"children":956,"markDefs":961,"style":30},"61f8e89438a7",[957],{"_key":958,"_type":26,"marks":959,"text":960},"a98cfc5fc97b",[],"When the Central Arkansas Harm Reduction Project was in its infancy, I was so fascinated to have something like that in Arkansas, of all places. It was exhilarating, it felt edgy, and it was 100% a counterculture movement. I would keep hotline contact cards at my band's merch table and tried to support them when I could; however, between being a family man, school, work, running a music festival, concert promotion, and playing in a touring band, I didn't have the capacity, but I wanted to do more. I felt that I needed to give back to an organization and a movement that does so much for so many people who are generally ostracized by society. ",[],{"_key":963,"_type":22,"children":964,"markDefs":969,"style":30},"a630a0eed9c3",[965],{"_key":966,"_type":26,"marks":967,"text":968},"e34540a8dba8",[],"In early 2024, I was personally in a very dark place in my life. I was searching for purpose. I was notified that a board position has become available with the Organization, and the Organization is currently facing some significant challenges. Typically, I would've passed on the opportunity, convincing myself that I wouldn't have the time for something like this. However, I took a leap of faith, and I fell in love with it. As someone who naturally loves to push the envelope, once I found my stride in the Organization, it was off to the races. Within eight months of serving on the CAHR Board of Directors, I was elected Co-Chair alongside Deidre, my partner in crime. Here we are, eight months since becoming Chairs of the board, and the Organization has moved from barely surviving to thriving. We are constantly growing, educating, and challenging antiquated views on what harm reduction is and what it can be.",[],{"_key":971,"_type":22,"children":972,"markDefs":977,"style":48},"369707ea4391",[973],{"_key":974,"_type":26,"marks":975,"text":976},"e686add3ddf3",[45],"What's the overarching mission statement of CAHR?",[],{"_key":979,"_type":22,"children":980,"markDefs":985,"style":30},"c12c2f478a38",[981],{"_key":982,"_type":26,"marks":983,"text":984},"d1aec544763a",[],"The Organization was founded by and for people who have been impacted by drug use. We are here to provide support and compassion in a non-coercive, non-judgmental way. We recognize that everyone in life is on their own journey, and we respect their autonomy and decision-making process. Should they choose a path for recovery, we are happy to refer them to some of our incredible partners who can assist. If that is not something they're ready for, or if they aren't interested in going down that path, we are still here for them, without stigma or shame. While the term \"harm reduction\" often gets dissected, I think folks who may think they disagree with our methods don't realize that we have more in common than they want to admit. At the end of the day, we want dignity and a better quality of life for our community, we want fewer transmitted diseases, and we want fewer people dying. I question the intent of anyone who has significant opposition to that.",[],{"_key":987,"_type":22,"children":988,"markDefs":993,"style":48},"c15ad55879b6",[989],{"_key":990,"_type":26,"marks":991,"text":992},"f3110764fec2",[45],"Can you take me through how your hotline and drop-in center works? Why is it important to make these resources accessible physically and face-to-face?",[],{"_key":995,"_type":22,"children":996,"markDefs":1001,"style":30},"bd4844a76460",[997],{"_key":998,"_type":26,"marks":999,"text":1000},"1a75f17dfac7",[],"We live in a state where 41% of our population resides in rural areas. Many Arkansans face barriers to healthcare access that are rooted in transportation issues, economic disparities, a lack of resources in their region, and other factors. Simply put, this is a failure in our system. One of my favorite aspects of Harm Reduction is meeting people where they are, both in the figurative sense and in the literal sense. The hotline is a text-based service that allows people in Arkansas to connect with us, request the resources that we offer, be it safer sex supplies, contraceptives, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or anything else. We will arrange a secure and discreet drop-off for them within a few days, eliminating many of the extra steps involved in obtaining the care they need.",[],{"_key":1003,"_type":22,"children":1004,"markDefs":1009,"style":30},"96badb864b32",[1005],{"_key":1006,"_type":26,"marks":1007,"text":1008},"e820a51f5b14",[],"Our newly opened drop-in center is located in the UAMS 12th Street Health & Wellness Center, also known as the Rainbow Clinic. Being open to offering evidence-based harm reduction services in their clinic is a genuinely groundbreaking movement in this state, and we are so honored and privileged to share a partnership with them. In addition to our harm reduction services, we offer primary care services, mental health services, dental services, and a robust, high-quality food pantry —all at no charge. It's truly a remarkable thing. It's no secret for one reason or another, PWUD don't want to share their substance usage with their physicians. We are looking to change that. Relationship building and face-to-face interactions are key in building a sense of trust with our clients. We are here to demonstrate that the physicians in this clinic are not here to judge or stigmatize, but rather to provide the highest quality care available, regardless of any personal choices a patient has made.",[],{"_key":1011,"_type":252,"asset":1012},"cd2c452c1c51",{"_ref":1013,"_type":248},"image-985a3b574cfa22c6362f0d889989f5b23f9c9be4-1290x1178-jpg",{"_key":1015,"_type":22,"children":1016,"markDefs":1021,"style":48},"b350097adc22",[1017],{"_key":1018,"_type":26,"marks":1019,"text":1020},"2be304fff01e",[45],"Can you talk about your work to saturate Central Arkansas with resources like naloxone and fentanyl test strips? Are you seeing tangible results in this fight against the overdose crisis?",[],{"_key":1023,"_type":22,"children":1024,"markDefs":1029,"style":30},"64e46290571e",[1025],{"_key":1026,"_type":26,"marks":1027,"text":1028},"38657d7298ef",[],"The most important components are providing lifesaving resources and education to those who need them. However, in the world of harm reduction, you do have to play 3D chess. Since joining the board, one of my main goals has been to change the stigma and the perception of both drug use and harm reduction. The more we can normalize this and spread evidence-based information instead of fear-based scare tactics, the safer our communities can be. One of the most effective methods for changing the culture is to become omnipresent. Be everywhere. If people don't like you occupying their spaces, then take up more space. I've noticed that the more we are out in the community, the more people tell us they appreciate what we are doing. While I think there is still a long way to go, normalizing harm reduction and overdose prevention, but in a way that isn't rooted in punitive action, that is how we gain acceptance. Having tough, yet respectful conversations in places that may not always welcome our work is also critical. If you're not allowed into any spaces, it will be challenging to disseminate resources, raise awareness, and promote education.",[],{"_key":1031,"_type":22,"children":1032,"markDefs":1037,"style":30},"0cb3f5ce0a7a",[1033],{"_key":1034,"_type":26,"marks":1035,"text":1036},"37675f97bf99",[],"Since becoming board Co-Chair, we have distributed thousands of doses of free naloxone and have become an unstoppable force. It's such a gratifying, yet jarring experience when someone stops me while I am out and tells me that the Fentanyl test strips they picked up from our table at an event found traces of fentanyl in a substance, and thus, we potentially saved their life. Look at our schedule. Look at our team. I think you'd be hard pressed to find an organization in central Arkansas that's putting in more legwork to meet people at where they're at, from Raves, to Metal Fests, to Comic Cons, to Drag Shows, and deliveries at unsheltered encampments, community meals, and everywhere in between – we leave no stone unturned, because overdose is just as omnipresent. The proof is in the pudding: CAHR has been meeting diverse populations where they are at, providing training, and distributing naloxone. So much so that people tell us that it saved their lives; consequently, overdose deaths in Arkansas have declined 25%. Many people are doing great things in Arkansas with similar missions to ours, but I'd like to think CAHR has played a part in that number.",[],{"_key":1039,"_type":22,"children":1040,"markDefs":1045,"style":48},"7ee668195c33",[1041],{"_key":1042,"_type":26,"marks":1043,"text":1044},"83a7909c3412",[45],"Education is also a sizable component of CAHR – can you talk about the need to provide both resources and information so that the community is both equipped and informed?",[],{"_key":1047,"_type":22,"children":1048,"markDefs":1053,"style":30},"258d41dc413e",[1049],{"_key":1050,"_type":26,"marks":1051,"text":1052},"5f77c3b7dad3",[],"Resources are great to have, but they are only as useful as the knowledge of the person using them. Knowledge is power, and we want to ensure that individuals are trained to utilize the resources we provide them. With nasal naloxone becoming more common and accessible, it is far easier to overcome the barrier to entry, making training far easier and making the actual act of reversing an overdose easier and less daunting. Fortunately, training for intranasal naloxone use is relatively simple and straightforward, often making it easy to put a fun spin on the training, which can make such a heavy topic a little more digestible.",[],{"_key":1055,"_type":22,"children":1056,"markDefs":1061,"style":48},"30d7ff70b3ab",[1057],{"_key":1058,"_type":26,"marks":1059,"text":1060},"b138f65782b2",[45],"How would you evaluate the harm reduction landscape in Arkansas from your perspective?",[],{"_key":1063,"_type":22,"children":1064,"markDefs":1069,"style":30},"dfb116917d3b",[1065],{"_key":1066,"_type":26,"marks":1067,"text":1068},"2e06e46fa9a4",[],"I am self-aware. I understand that harm reduction has its share of detractors. However, the interesting thing is that there tends to be a hyperfocus on only certain aspects of harm reduction. What many critics fail to realize is that recovery is a form of harm reduction. Abstinence is harm reduction. Is it the only aspect of harm reduction? Of course not. There tends to be a hyperfocus on what separates harm reduction from all other substance use treatment options, rather than focusing on our common denominators and what can bring us together. It's no secret that the work we do has been saving lives, serving the most medically marginalized populations, the most at-risk populations, and the most diverse populations. Simply by flying the harm reduction flag, we are excluded from a pool of funding and resources that organizations with a fraction of our impact receive. Although data from around the world indicates that harm reduction is an evidence-based, effective form of care, it still faces barriers to funding and support. While it can be frustrating, I understand that change happens through persistence and over time. While large portions of the modern world have accepted and acknowledged the data to support harm reduction, Arkansas isn't quite there yet. And frankly, that's okay. I look forward to the day the guard changes. As Marty McFly said, \"I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.\"",[],{"_key":1071,"_type":22,"children":1072,"markDefs":1077,"style":48},"4ac8a137f995",[1073],{"_key":1074,"_type":26,"marks":1075,"text":1076},"2ac7d87f8f18",[45],"Are there any gaps you see that can be filled when organizations like CAHR and End Overdose are working toward the same mission in Arkansas?",[],{"_key":1079,"_type":22,"children":1080,"markDefs":1085,"style":30},"91371bd63f5e",[1081],{"_key":1082,"_type":26,"marks":1083,"text":1084},"0133922425fa",[],"End Overdose is doing amazing things all over the country. I think a formal partnership in Arkansas could be an exciting tag team. CAHR has a deep local donor base that is passionate about what we do. We are composed of local folks who have their foot in the door of venues, restaurants, bars, events, conferences, and more. We are out here in the trenches doing the work, leveraging existing relationships, and building new ones. I think End Overdose & CAHR have the same mission, both with our strong suits. It would be interesting to see how a two-way partnership, capitalizing on each other's strengths, could tackle the overdose problem in Arkansas.",[],{"_key":1087,"_type":22,"children":1088,"markDefs":1093,"style":48},"7dd65063d013",[1089],{"_key":1090,"_type":26,"marks":1091,"text":1092},"1ad04a36b5b7",[45],"What's your ultimate vision for CAHR in the coming months and years?",[],{"_key":1095,"_type":22,"children":1096,"markDefs":1101,"style":30},"59cb042bcf6d",[1097],{"_key":1098,"_type":26,"marks":1099,"text":1100},"4074a10e9133",[],"While it may seem ambitious, I would love to have a Little Rock-based Harm Reduction clinic, something that's broadly accepted and would even receive referrals from others. To get full value out of some of this, it may require a push for specific legislative change. From the outside, that may seem quite ambitious in a city like Little Rock, Arkansas; however, the more we are out in the community, the more we see the need for services, and the more we know the support from people in our community, I think it comes down to just going for it. Furthermore, I hope to expand our services to be more mobile-based, enabling us to reach individuals in rural areas who may have trouble accessing standard care. Again, this may seem ambitious, but I am the ambitious type, and I've already carved out a path in my head to make it work, so now it's time to manifest.",[],{"_key":1103,"_type":22,"children":1104,"markDefs":1109,"style":48},"e07905292438",[1105],{"_key":1106,"_type":26,"marks":1107,"text":1108},"5efc19ed06bf",[45],"Is there anything else you'd like to add?",[],{"_key":1111,"_type":22,"children":1112,"markDefs":1117,"style":30},"9fbe0742d773",[1113],{"_key":1114,"_type":26,"marks":1115,"text":1116},"da9c81e8aa3e",[],"I would like to thank you for your time. I appreciate the questions, thoughtfulness, and platform. If you like metal or hardcore and are so inclined, listen to my band Terminal Nation. A lot of the ethos I’ve brought into the harm reduction world were sparked there. Keep an eye on CAHR as we continue to expand. I understand that Arkansas presents its own challenges in this type of work, but I have lived in the South my whole life, and I love it here. We have wonderful people, and I believe that if you care about something, it's worth defending; I care about Arkansas, and I believe with my whole heart that Arkansas and the people here are worth fighting for. I've spent a lot of time internally struggling with the fact that our organization misses out on many funding opportunities because of the naming convention that contains a two-letter word. The thought has crossed my mind to maybe consider changing the name to fit the culture and open more doors for us. However, the fact that it's been so stigmatized is the antithesis of the culture. If you look at the bigger picture, if we changed we wouldn't be changing to fit the culture; we would be assimilating to antiquated views. The reality is that harm reduction doesn't need to try to adapt to the culture; harm reduction is the culture.",[],{"_key":1119,"_type":252,"asset":1120},"6bab27448e0d",{"_ref":1121,"_type":248},"image-14a973eb1aecfbc279f2ca80b5eb4105689d5630-2048x1638-jpg",{"_key":1123,"_type":22,"children":1124,"markDefs":1137,"style":30},"7f490451716d",[1125,1129,1133],{"_key":1126,"_type":26,"marks":1127,"text":1128},"f7eeaed2792d",[45,402,231],"Visit Central Arkansas Harm Reduction ",{"_key":1130,"_type":26,"marks":1131,"text":579},"5da092dc78c0",[1132,45,402,231],"3218058db4e7",{"_key":1134,"_type":26,"marks":1135,"text":1136},"b9316ee280d3",[45,402,231]," for more information ",[1138],{"_key":1132,"_type":244,"href":1139},"https://www.arkansasharmreduction.org/",{"_key":1141,"_type":22,"children":1142,"markDefs":1147,"style":30},"6dab06e292e8",[1143],{"_key":1144,"_type":26,"marks":1145,"text":1146},"7a8a1333bbc8",[45,231],"~Featured photo credit to Kurt Lunsford~",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"everything","2025-08-06",{"_type":252,"asset":1152},{"_ref":1153,"_type":248},"image-9c6c3758a56c912beb2a27eb934086f4866cfd98-5490x2246-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":1155},"knowledge-is-power-an-interview-with-central-arkansas-harm-reduction","Knowledge is Power: An Interview with Central Arkansas Harm Reduction",{"_createdAt":1158,"_id":1159,"_rev":1160,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":1161,"article":1162,"author_ref":1240,"category":1149,"date":1150,"image":1241,"slug":1244,"title":1246},"2025-08-06T17:50:15Z","cb834739-7841-4338-8b82-196d3b6b299d","088c1NhOIUBvV1JrD0NazC","2025-08-06T17:56:10Z",[1163,1170,1178,1185,1197,1208,1220,1232],{"_key":1164,"_type":22,"children":1165,"markDefs":1169,"style":30},"15f4fa189e09",[1166],{"_key":1167,"_type":26,"marks":1168,"text":386},"ee0b612cf795",[],[],{"_key":1171,"_type":22,"children":1172,"markDefs":1177,"style":30},"8cf678adde7a",[1173],{"_key":1174,"_type":26,"marks":1175,"text":1176},"af6add31cad4",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our UC Berkeley chapter! We spoke with co-president Shaan Gogna about his background in the Bay Area, his chapter's work on campus, and much more.",[],{"_key":1179,"_type":22,"children":1180,"markDefs":1184,"style":30},"2251e5743471",[1181],{"_key":1182,"_type":26,"marks":1183,"text":403},"ff4dbea73e17",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":1186,"_type":22,"children":1187,"markDefs":1196,"style":30},"72a2a82beca4",[1188,1192],{"_key":1189,"_type":26,"marks":1190,"text":1191},"51026177fca1",[],"Growing up in the Bay Area, the fentanyl crisis was never a distant issue, it was part of our reality. My interest in addressing this crisis began during my time at UC Riverside, where I volunteered for two years on the events team of the End Overdose chapter. After transferring to UC Berkeley and witnessing the strong foundation laid by the chapter’s previous leaders, I felt inspired to continue advancing our mission. End Overdose is an organization I’m deeply proud to be part of because it confronts stigmatized topics; such as drug use, overdose, and addiction; with empathy, education, and action. By transforming these difficult conversations into accessible, preventative, and hands-on training, we empower individuals to be prepared for real-world situations that could save lives.\n",{"_key":1193,"_type":26,"marks":1194,"text":1195},"2b1943d98ec2",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of UC Berkeley?",[],{"_key":1198,"_type":22,"children":1199,"markDefs":1207,"style":30},"0d7df5f908fc",[1200,1204],{"_key":1201,"_type":26,"marks":1202,"text":1203},"831bdd6d399f",[],"Although my time as Chapter President of End Overdose at UC Berkeley is still in its early stages, I’m incredibly excited about the direction we’re headed and the impact we can make over the next two semesters. I’m stepping into this role following the outstanding leadership of Shannon and Tyler, who built a strong foundation rooted in compassion, education, and community engagement. It’s an honor to follow in their footsteps, and I’m committed to continuing their legacy while also introducing new initiatives that broaden our reach and deepen our impact. From expanding campus partnerships to increasing naloxone accessibility and hosting more frequent trainings, I see tremendous potential for growth, and I’m eager to lead a team that’s as passionate as I am about making overdose prevention the standard, not the exception.\n",{"_key":1205,"_type":26,"marks":1206,"text":435},"c91d45c7a0c5",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":1209,"_type":22,"children":1210,"markDefs":1219,"style":30},"2c4f8b10c3ab",[1211,1215],{"_key":1212,"_type":26,"marks":1213,"text":1214},"8885d8f6f03d",[],"I’ve developed authentic connections within the community by meeting people where they are, both literally and figuratively. Through my work with End Overdose, I’ve engaged directly with students, faculty, and local organizations by hosting training sessions for organizations, tabling events, and collaborative workshops that emphasize empathy and overdose prevention. I don’t see this work as just distributing naloxone or spreading awareness, I see it as building trust around difficult conversations. Whether it's helping a student feel more confident administering naloxone or talking to someone who’s lost a loved one to overdose, I approach each interaction with respect, openness, and a willingness to listen. These relationships are built not through formality, but through shared experiences and genuine care for one another’s well-being.\n",{"_key":1216,"_type":26,"marks":1217,"text":1218},"d59affc5c3c9",[45,402,231],"What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?",[],{"_key":1221,"_type":22,"children":1222,"markDefs":1231,"style":30},"f6f42deedecd",[1223,1227],{"_key":1224,"_type":26,"marks":1225,"text":1226},"a9264cece6e3",[],"A major highlight from our chapter’s recent work was hosting Casino Night in collaboration with the ATO Fraternity. It served as a fun and approachable way to engage students who might not otherwise attend a traditional overdose prevention event. By creating a relaxed environment centered around games like poker and blackjack, we were able to start meaningful conversations about overdose awareness and reach new members of the community, all while fostering connection and having a great time.\n",{"_key":1228,"_type":26,"marks":1229,"text":1230},"65521a4dea16",[45,402,231],"What do you envision for the future of your chapter?",[],{"_key":1233,"_type":22,"children":1234,"markDefs":1239,"style":30},"2221ded8e89e",[1235],{"_key":1236,"_type":26,"marks":1237,"text":1238},"54ce95713a0a",[],"I envision our chapter growing into one of the most accessible and visible overdose prevention organizations on campus. My goal is to expand our reach by partnering with more student groups, Greek organizations, and campus health services to normalize conversations around overdose prevention. I also hope to increase the number of students trained in naloxone administration by hosting more frequent and diverse training events, training pop-ups in high-traffic areas and collaborations with cultural and professional clubs. Beyond campus, I’d love for our chapter to build stronger ties with the broader Bay Area community, including local nonprofits, clinics, and schools, and a lot more festivals to make a wider impact. Ultimately, I want End Overdose at UC Berkeley to be known not just for what we do, but for how we make people feel, empowered, informed, and supported!",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},{"_type":252,"asset":1242},{"_ref":1243,"_type":248},"image-47fbeffa5a54fd44d6302bd80b6efaf8640e349e-2048x1536-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":1245},"chapter-of-the-week-uc-berkeley","Chapter of the Week: UC Berkeley",{"_createdAt":1248,"_id":1249,"_rev":1250,"_system":1251,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":1254,"article":1255,"author_ref":1885,"category":810,"date":1887,"image":1888,"slug":1891,"title":1893},"2025-07-31T18:02:28Z","4df3baf1-5f7c-47ea-8893-17a03cdbd580","g1N9SK1ICZ17hbV8aPuRMT",{"base":1252},{"id":1249,"rev":1253},"7gSDmD9Fz4hgCtCZXjplLu","2025-07-31T19:30:23Z",[1256,1264,1272,1280,1288,1296,1308,1316,1324,1332,1340,1348,1356,1364,1368,1376,1388,1400,1411,1419,1427,1435,1443,1451,1459,1467,1475,1483,1491,1499,1507,1515,1523,1531,1539,1543,1551,1562,1570,1578,1586,1597,1601,1609,1617,1625,1633,1641,1649,1660,1668,1676,1684,1688,1696,1707,1715,1723,1731,1739,1747,1755,1763,1771,1779,1790,1798,1806,1814,1822,1830,1842,1850,1858,1866],{"_key":1257,"_type":22,"children":1258,"markDefs":1263,"style":30},"b85369d9a9bf",[1259],{"_key":1260,"_type":26,"marks":1261,"text":1262},"ac04c0600aed",[],"When it comes to the recovery landscape in Arkansas, Kyle Brewer, BS, PR, NCPRSS has been at the center of innovation – both as a professional and as someone with lived experience of substance use disorder. Starting off his career as one of the first Peer Recovery Specialists in the state of Arkansas after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, he brought his expertise to patients who entered the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences emergency department. By offering patients resources on the spot via a friendly face who could relate to them on a level of shared understanding, Brewer quickly found success in the hospital and scaled his work to other departments, then other hospitals throughout the state.",[],{"_key":1265,"_type":22,"children":1266,"markDefs":1271,"style":30},"63849db72157",[1267],{"_key":1268,"_type":26,"marks":1269,"text":1270},"9568a6276130",[],"His efforts were noticed by various addiction and recovery organizations, one being NAADAC (National Association of Addiction Professionals) where he joined to streamline and formalize the peer support and recovery process. As his career evolved from UAMS to NAADAC, then the Arkansas Supreme Court soon after, he would eventually pivot to his current position: the Clinical Liaison of Landmark Recovery.",[],{"_key":1273,"_type":22,"children":1274,"markDefs":1279,"style":30},"bf8724d3273c",[1275],{"_key":1276,"_type":26,"marks":1277,"text":1278},"7c9d9580380a",[],"As Brewer puts it, all of the aspects of his past role that he loves are wrapped up in his work at Landmark Recovery, a national drug and alcohol treatment center network with a location just outside of Little Rock in Morrilton, Arkansas. Through formalized business development and the purpose-driven work of connecting people struggling with substance use disorder to treatment, his lifelong mission to serve others is fully manifested.",[],{"_key":1281,"_type":22,"children":1282,"markDefs":1287,"style":30},"54dabddc8f50",[1283],{"_key":1284,"_type":26,"marks":1285,"text":1286},"7595577ba56e",[],"We’re thrilled to share a candid conversation with Brewer about his backstory of grappling with addiction, the evolution of his career, and his vision for recovery in Arkansas.",[],{"_key":1289,"_type":22,"children":1290,"markDefs":1295,"style":30},"8ea05fcccd81",[1291],{"_key":1292,"_type":26,"marks":1293,"text":1294},"6dab00839ec8",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Can you tell us about your background in Arkansas and what inspired you to pursue your bachelor's in addiction studies?",[],{"_key":1297,"_type":22,"children":1298,"markDefs":1307,"style":30},"f27d793d9e9b",[1299,1303],{"_key":1300,"_type":26,"marks":1301,"text":1302},"3ad1cb48a8c8",[45],"Kyle Brewer:",{"_key":1304,"_type":26,"marks":1305,"text":1306},"100d1ac9a472",[]," I abused alcohol and drugs as a teenager. As an adolescent, I got in trouble a few times [and was put on] probation. Went to treatment. But I maintained my academics. And that was always something that was going in my favor. I always showed up and went to school. But after I went to treatment when I was 17, I came back, I started hanging out with a different group of friends and I went off to college to UCA. I learned that I'm a registered Native American, I’m a quarter Oneida, so I had the ability to receive a scholarship for college. I went to UCA and my freshman year I had my wisdom teeth removed, so they prescribed me an opiate for the pain. From that point onward, I started abusing pain pills pretty bad. When figuring out my major, I started in the psychology department because I've always enjoyed talking to people. I think the brain is a fascinating thing. Every individual and the way they process and think is very unique. Like a snowflake, it's so complex. It's just a really beautiful thing.",[],{"_key":1309,"_type":22,"children":1310,"markDefs":1315,"style":30},"8c60b9ead420",[1311],{"_key":1312,"_type":26,"marks":1313,"text":1314},"491f1fcca24d",[],"So I've always found psychology and human beings to be interesting. I was always that person at the party in deep conversation with a group talking about life. And so I've always liked just engaging and having conversations with people and getting deep. That's what got me interested in the psychology department. I was going throughout college, doing my thing. I joined a fraternity. And you get a big bro, like a mentor, someone already in the fraternity. When I was talking to him, he told me he was in the addiction studies program and I didn't even know it existed. That’s a really broad major that you've really gotta go on and get a master's and even a doctorate in if you really want to do something with it. And so I've had a lot of substance use and incarceration, things like that surrounding addiction. Most everybody besides my mom and my little sister has had their own battle with addiction. Family members in and out of the penitentiary, all my childhood and adolescent years, visiting them. So I thought, going into the addiction studies program, my initial motivation was that this is my way of helping others. I've seen how this can impact people and their families and so I wanna help other people.",[],{"_key":1317,"_type":22,"children":1318,"markDefs":1323,"style":30},"a1ac13297a12",[1319],{"_key":1320,"_type":26,"marks":1321,"text":1322},"fdf2b392ec93",[],"And then just to be frank with you, drugs were interesting to me. Not only did I enjoy doing them, but I enjoyed learning about them. So that's really what got me focused on the addiction stage program versus general psychology.",[],{"_key":1325,"_type":22,"children":1326,"markDefs":1331,"style":30},"00c8daae7146",[1327],{"_key":1328,"_type":26,"marks":1329,"text":1330},"31912eb500a7",[],"This whole story makes sense today. Everything I do lines up with my degree, but as it was unfolding, it didn't make any sense, honestly. In my personal life, I was abusing prescription opiates daily. That just got worse throughout college. Somewhere along the way, as with opiate addiction, it stopped being about the high and it started being about, I have to take this or I get sick, or I'm gonna go into withdrawal. Trying to do everything I can to not go into withdrawal.",[],{"_key":1333,"_type":22,"children":1334,"markDefs":1339,"style":30},"0c34f7c5ffdc",[1335],{"_key":1336,"_type":26,"marks":1337,"text":1338},"92b1ae5772a1",[],"Around my senior year when I was spending thousands of dollars and burning through scholarship money within a couple months, my family started realizing that something was going on, and so my mom just thought that if she enabled me and got me to graduation day, that I would get a degree, I would get a job, I would grow up, and I'd put all that behind me.",[],{"_key":1341,"_type":22,"children":1342,"markDefs":1347,"style":30},"65fafecce5f7",[1343],{"_key":1344,"_type":26,"marks":1345,"text":1346},"bea50bd1c03c",[],"So that’s what allowed her in her mind to enable me. I graduated, and there's a picture that I always show that I'm doing presentations and it's my graduation day and, I'm smiling, I have my family around me. I'm the first in my family to graduate from a four year university, so it looks like, on the surface it would be a really exciting, joyful day, and you would probably scroll through social media like the posts and say congratulations.",[],{"_key":1349,"_type":22,"children":1350,"markDefs":1355,"style":30},"a8df80e01907",[1351],{"_key":1352,"_type":26,"marks":1353,"text":1354},"394e4b523048",[],"That's what it looked like on the surface, but, what was going on underneath that? The other story was how I'd woken up that morning and because we're partying for graduation, I'd used all my pills and I was in panic mode, anxious, and my hands were starting to sweat and my stomach was starting to be upset.",[],{"_key":1357,"_type":22,"children":1358,"markDefs":1363,"style":30},"09bcc64ea954",[1359],{"_key":1360,"_type":26,"marks":1361,"text":1362},"28ad2e620b1c",[],"I knew I had to find something so I could feel well, and not be sick all day and participate in my graduation. I remember frantically scrolling through my phone and finally finding seven hydrocodone, 7.5 milligrams, chewed those up, by no means was that getting me high anymore. That just kept the withdrawal symptoms at bay for me to pick up my degree and participate in activities. The inspiration behind the addiction studies was initially because of all the stuff that I'd seen it put my family through, then I had my own personal interest in drugs, counseling, talking to people and trying to help others.",[],{"_key":1365,"_type":252,"asset":1366},"3761d2f75c57",{"_ref":1367,"_type":248},"image-f7d7999c9209d7902f105cf94a0a3ff9b69f6ecf-1455x745-jpg",{"_key":1369,"_type":22,"children":1370,"markDefs":1375,"style":30},"aba08a32c981",[1371],{"_key":1372,"_type":26,"marks":1373,"text":1374},"af0966cafdd8",[45,402,231],"EO: That's super interesting. I got sober my senior year of college, and there’s pictures of me in my early senior year where I looked as happy as can be, when in reality, I was like bottoming out in addiction. It's bizarre, the image we project versus what's happening internally.",[],{"_key":1377,"_type":22,"children":1378,"markDefs":1387,"style":30},"223bd3c36c08",[1379,1383],{"_key":1380,"_type":26,"marks":1381,"text":1382},"6f4d67654166",[45],"KB:",{"_key":1384,"_type":26,"marks":1385,"text":1386},"0e885eb12355",[]," Yes, the surface does not tell the story a lot of the times, and especially when it comes to addiction. You could be in a multimillion dollar house, in a very successful career and have a family, and all the things, but still be in the middle of a substance use disorder. Just because your life isn't in shambles and you’re not homeless or in jail, that doesn't mean you don't have an issue with substances. I like to talk about stigma. We have this idea from just media or movies or just, growing up, just having these kinds of skewed perceptions about different issues in our society. I feel like we often don't associate success and doing well, and smiling and happiness, with someone in active addiction.",[],{"_key":1389,"_type":22,"children":1390,"markDefs":1399,"style":30},"e0728cbf9a17",[1391,1395],{"_key":1392,"_type":26,"marks":1393,"text":1394},"694db1cc5897",[45],"EO:",{"_key":1396,"_type":26,"marks":1397,"text":1398},"199ca0ef018a",[]," Absolutely. I would love to hear about your early professional days, working as a peer recovery specialist, how that process evolved.",[],{"_key":1401,"_type":22,"children":1402,"markDefs":1410,"style":30},"289ff0e8ff68",[1403,1406],{"_key":1404,"_type":26,"marks":1405,"text":1382},"bf36be171feb",[45],{"_key":1407,"_type":26,"marks":1408,"text":1409},"d8544f5ddb89",[]," In 2017, after I graduated college in 2013, all the things happened. I'd moved on from pills to heroin to snorting to shooting up all the things, destroying everything. I found myself in a homeless shelter in Little Rock in 2017. I went to a hospital and was faced with a decision on what I needed to do when I left there, because I didn't have anywhere to go. No options. So I went back to that homeless shelter, entered into their nine month, faith-based, recovery program. I stayed there for a year. That's where I got my foundation for recovery, for faith, for the lifestyle that I live today.",[],{"_key":1412,"_type":22,"children":1413,"markDefs":1418,"style":30},"b803b54a18fb",[1414],{"_key":1415,"_type":26,"marks":1416,"text":1417},"0a5926f787f2",[],"After being there for a year, I started working at a church. The peer support and recovery support program, and just the peer specialist position in general, was brand new to Arkansas on the substance use side; it was just getting started.",[],{"_key":1420,"_type":22,"children":1421,"markDefs":1426,"style":30},"395aa75cb0ea",[1422],{"_key":1423,"_type":26,"marks":1424,"text":1425},"356a203faade",[],"I had someone approach me at an event where I spoke at our church. I shared my story and they asked if I wanted to go through peer support training. I was happy with what I was doing. I just looked at it as maybe an opportunity to have more resources and tools to help more people.",[],{"_key":1428,"_type":22,"children":1429,"markDefs":1434,"style":30},"6eb09b19f824",[1430],{"_key":1431,"_type":26,"marks":1432,"text":1433},"b98b4efde284",[],"I went through the training, not knowing that three months later, there would be a job opportunity at UAMS in the emergency department. A friend of mine sent it to me and said, man, this looks like something that's right up your alley that you would enjoy doing. So I applied. I got that job. So I was the first person in the state of Arkansas to be stationed as a peer support specialist in an emergency department hospital setting. There was no playbook, nobody had done it in the state. But I did have an attending physician, Dr. Mike Wilson, who wrote the grant and got the funding for the position. He was my direct supervisor, believed in mental health and addiction recovery, and the possibility in that and being a little innovative and thinking outside the box. And he also didn't micromanage me, so he allowed me to figure out what this looks like and how to do it best.",[],{"_key":1436,"_type":22,"children":1437,"markDefs":1442,"style":30},"5c2c9aa9ef82",[1438],{"_key":1439,"_type":26,"marks":1440,"text":1441},"e4575fbabfe2",[],"Over that first year, we worked with a little over 500 people that I came in contact with through the emergency department. So someone would come in for an overdose or drug and alcohol withdrawal or psychiatric issues. If there was substance use involved in it, I would be watching the track board in the emergency department. I would approach the room, knock, introduce myself as a peer support specialist, say I'm a person with lived experience, and have a conversation. If they're willing to talk, just talk through what was going on, relate to their story, and if they were willing or interested in doing something, we would complete a plan and get them accepted into treatment. We would set them up with resources, create the plan, and they went directly to the treatment facility or a support group and left with my cell phone number.",[],{"_key":1444,"_type":22,"children":1445,"markDefs":1450,"style":30},"9357305d0eb5",[1446],{"_key":1447,"_type":26,"marks":1448,"text":1449},"0b5ccf080624",[],"Three months into that, the social work and case management department found out about me. They enjoyed working with me, and it integrated throughout the entire hospital.",[],{"_key":1452,"_type":22,"children":1453,"markDefs":1458,"style":30},"6b827ac7ea15",[1454],{"_key":1455,"_type":26,"marks":1456,"text":1457},"54561fdd65b1",[],"UAMS is a large hospital, a level one trauma center in Little Rock, and a university teaching hospital. It’s a very large organization, so I would not only work in the emergency department, but I would be like an extension of the psychiatry consult team. While on the medical floor, I spent a lot of time on the behavioral health unit, the psychiatric research institute. If there was substance use involved and someone was interested in recovery, they would call me. I would visit with people in the emergency department, but I'd also go visit with people while they were admitted in the hospital and help create plans or just encourage them. Build a relationship that was mainly trying to implement a new program in a large hospital system with different disciplines for attending physician, residents, social workers, patient care techs, nurses, and just navigating that in a way where it was collaborative, it was supportive of the patient, but they had no experience with a peer support specialist. It was the first time in the state. So being mindful that the experience I leave these professionals with is gonna have an impact on how they view this particular role.",[],{"_key":1460,"_type":22,"children":1461,"markDefs":1466,"style":30},"637be648a401",[1462],{"_key":1463,"_type":26,"marks":1464,"text":1465},"a0499ff17bfa",[],"Wherever they go in their next job, I want them to have had a good experience and believe in this role and the power of this position being part of the team. Mostly just direct services, connecting people to treatment, providing one-on-one support, following up with them once back in the community. That was the first year – I was one of the first peer support specialists in the state, and that was my main focus providing direct services to people.",[],{"_key":1468,"_type":22,"children":1469,"markDefs":1474,"style":30},"fffd1d0e3776",[1470],{"_key":1471,"_type":26,"marks":1472,"text":1473},"8b54fafbf03c",[],"Due to the amazing team at the hospital, it was very successful. We worked with over 500 people within the first year connected, 150 directly to treatment, and we were distributing nasal spray naloxone through this program. They would get a box of two doses of nasal spray whenever they left the hospital, so they didn't have to go to the pharmacy – we gave it to them there. I would also give them training on Narcan and how to use it. So we distributed a lot of naloxone over that first year.",[],{"_key":1476,"_type":22,"children":1477,"markDefs":1482,"style":30},"bf9919ada3d5",[1478],{"_key":1479,"_type":26,"marks":1480,"text":1481},"ffea798e30d6",[],"But other hospitals across the state were becoming interested in this. And the state that was funding DHS, that was funding the position was interested in implementing in other hospitals. So then it went from providing direct services to consulting with other hospitals to help them implement this position system of care, whether in the emergency department or an inpatient behavioral health unit. I started helping people build and implement peer support programs. Then NAADAC came into the picture.",[],{"_key":1484,"_type":22,"children":1485,"markDefs":1490,"style":30},"8e63f07869a6",[1486],{"_key":1487,"_type":26,"marks":1488,"text":1489},"8c62953d866e",[],"It was after about a year and a half working for UAMS, where we had worked on this three tier credentialing model for peer support specialists. There was the core level, advanced level, and peer supervisor. The idea is a peer specialist needs a peer supervisor, not necessarily a clinical supervisor who’s never worked in this role. There are distinct differences between clinical and nonclinical roles. They don't have lived experience, and don't necessarily understand it. Peers need peer supervisors. We created a career ladder for individuals to pursue three levels of credentials.",[],{"_key":1492,"_type":22,"children":1493,"markDefs":1498,"style":30},"f307f1537f47",[1494],{"_key":1495,"_type":26,"marks":1496,"text":1497},"1de9caa776a4",[],"And so they, the state, decided to partner with NAADAC – The National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals – to build out that program and implement it across the state, put structure, organization, and legitimacy behind it. Before NAADAC, it was just a training model.",[],{"_key":1500,"_type":22,"children":1501,"markDefs":1506,"style":30},"2300bbc77d6a",[1502],{"_key":1503,"_type":26,"marks":1504,"text":1505},"eac94ad59d34",[],"There were these trainings that were offered and there were criteria that you had to meet, but no certification or credential and no back-up, no credibility behind it at that point. When they partnered with NAADAC, they wanted NAADAC to hire an in-state person that had been through it. Because I had been through all three levels, I was one of the first 10 peer supervisors in the state of Arkansas. They wanted someone that had been through the whole model that the DHS knew that they worked with and trusted.",[],{"_key":1508,"_type":22,"children":1509,"markDefs":1514,"style":30},"29b08ae99766",[1510],{"_key":1511,"_type":26,"marks":1512,"text":1513},"8857460060ee",[],"NAADAC hired me and I met with their executive director a couple of times, and her name's Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, who was the executive director of NAADAC at the time, and really hit it off with her. I took that job and UAMS wanted me to stay. They knew I couldn't pass on the opportunity, so I stayed on with them part-time just so they had the ability to continue giving out my phone number, and in certain cases have me come talk to people, and just to continue to have me as a resource.",[],{"_key":1516,"_type":22,"children":1517,"markDefs":1522,"style":30},"30f07fd7cf5f",[1518],{"_key":1519,"_type":26,"marks":1520,"text":1521},"1308383fe9c7",[],"I stayed on with them part-time, but switched to NAADAC as my full-time job, and that was to take that training program that they had built in Arkansas and develop it into a really organized, streamlined, and structured legitimate certification and credentialing program that included testing, the whole application process, and membership process for NAADAC. It included building out and writing codes of ethics and creating an ethics review committee for the state. And so that, again, took me into this more of a leadership role, and building a statewide program for the peers themselves. So it went from working with individuals and providing services to people that are needing support in providing that type of support, and working with the workforce, and investing in the people providing the services. The NAADAC job took me from Arkansas. But then that naturally also put me onto the national scene and what was going on nationally.",[],{"_key":1524,"_type":22,"children":1525,"markDefs":1530,"style":30},"09a7d2fb0367",[1526],{"_key":1527,"_type":26,"marks":1528,"text":1529},"97777018d155",[],"We were looking at this three-tiered model as something we could implement on a national level to provide a career ladder and workforce opportunities for peer specialists that get tired of working an entry level peer support job for $15, $16 an hour and they decide they're gonna go back to school because they need to get a licensure or they need to get some credentials so they can make more money.",[],{"_key":1532,"_type":22,"children":1533,"markDefs":1538,"style":30},"5a6a244b8826",[1534],{"_key":1535,"_type":26,"marks":1536,"text":1537},"4473f8b75954",[],"I wanted to provide space for people good at this job, that care about this job, that have lived experience, that they can make a livable wage without having to go and pursue some other discipline. And so I started going around the country. I started attending conferences, started getting asked to present and speak at conferences on this model and workforce development, leadership, peer support, sharing my story. It's allowed me to go to so many different places that were always on my bucket list of places to travel around the country, like California, DC, Vegas, and New York. My recovery and my journey through working in this space is what has opened up the doors and allowed me to go to all those places multiple times to do advocacy work, presentations and training. That's the progression. Early on it was just working directly with people, trying to help them get connected to resources. Then it went to working with the workforce and trying to develop a stronger workforce and investing in people providing those services.",[],{"_key":1540,"_type":252,"asset":1541},"f1f2b6f29433",{"_ref":1542,"_type":248},"image-0f89b76376747f7069b42e16965e11bfbacf60d3-3024x4032-jpg",{"_key":1544,"_type":22,"children":1545,"markDefs":1550,"style":30},"e78aad4c2cdd",[1546],{"_key":1547,"_type":26,"marks":1548,"text":1549},"6a0b766b036e",[45,402,231],"EO: How does it feel going from boots on the ground, in-hospital peer recovery work, to helping implement an infrastructure? That's a huge evolution from being one of the first in the state to now overseeing a national infrastructure.",[],{"_key":1552,"_type":22,"children":1553,"markDefs":1561,"style":30},"2d36ffa83f28",[1554,1557],{"_key":1555,"_type":26,"marks":1556,"text":1382},"1b6eb048c7b9",[45],{"_key":1558,"_type":26,"marks":1559,"text":1560},"9c49faf570ae",[]," How does it feel? Being in recovery, we help people. You give back. You serve others. There’s always that element of no matter what my job is, I'm always gonna have opportunities to help people directly.",[],{"_key":1563,"_type":22,"children":1564,"markDefs":1569,"style":30},"db421698ea41",[1565],{"_key":1566,"_type":26,"marks":1567,"text":1568},"e62bb5c12a98",[],"And for a while, I maintained part-time employment at UAMS, still had calls that kept me involved with that part of the work. But it was a transition. I enjoyed it because I think I'm good at leadership administration and organization. I could offer different levels of this work as far as implementing programs, but there's that passion and meaning behind being boots on the ground working with individuals seeing them turn their life around and being part of that journey.",[],{"_key":1571,"_type":22,"children":1572,"markDefs":1577,"style":30},"2a84b3eed4ae",[1573],{"_key":1574,"_type":26,"marks":1575,"text":1576},"46b8c03cc1fb",[],"I have a really good network here in Arkansas, but I've built a similar one across the country where I know people and have been built and invested in relationships at all these different places that I've been able to travel and the organizations that they work for.",[],{"_key":1579,"_type":22,"children":1580,"markDefs":1585,"style":30},"7f98c75986b4",[1581],{"_key":1582,"_type":26,"marks":1583,"text":1584},"b446dd904d20",[45,402,231],"EO: Definitely. And I know you did work in the courts as well. Can you tell me about that experience?",[],{"_key":1587,"_type":22,"children":1588,"markDefs":1596,"style":30},"ba2e71c5f925",[1589,1592],{"_key":1590,"_type":26,"marks":1591,"text":1382},"c284f67ad70a",[45],{"_key":1593,"_type":26,"marks":1594,"text":1595},"d0dac62a0958",[]," I took a job in the beginning of 2024 with the Supreme Court of Arkansas with the AOC – the administrative office of the court is within the Supreme Court. I worked in the legal department for specialty court programs. Drug courts, DWI courts, mental health courts, veterans treatment courts, et cetera. And so my job was doing advocacy work. From the state level, providing training and technical assistance to those courts and their staff, securing grant funding and administering those funds. It’s definitely different because the legal system is a different monster. I learned courts are even more difficult than hospitals to infiltrate, if you don't know somebody strongly on a drug court team or the judge, getting in there as a resource and being a bridge between that courtroom and the community. There's a little bit of a disconnect where there's resources, they're available, but they're just not a strong relationship between the community resources and the courts.",[],{"_key":1598,"_type":252,"asset":1599},"eeec03cd50f4",{"_ref":1600,"_type":248},"image-8d06a0d8a05dd7b789d8f7034b72424290ec36c8-3024x2249-jpg",{"_key":1602,"_type":22,"children":1603,"markDefs":1608,"style":30},"29ce48648200",[1604],{"_key":1605,"_type":26,"marks":1606,"text":1607},"b59f5ae2f4ec",[],"It's a highly political space. I worked for the Supreme Court and the director of the AOC is a mentor of mine. We secured a grant to install naloxone boxes in every single circuit in district court across the state. And with that we had thousands of cases of nasal spray Narcan. So we drove to literally every single district in circuit court in the state of Arkansas, dropping off and installing those boxes and dropping off the naloxone on those drives.",[],{"_key":1610,"_type":22,"children":1611,"markDefs":1616,"style":30},"fe94d88cf01a",[1612],{"_key":1613,"_type":26,"marks":1614,"text":1615},"99a90a3e7c1b",[],"I enjoyed it. Every opportunity I've been given, I always enjoy it because I bring a unique perspective. I'm able to hold my own and have conversations with state agencies, judges, lawyers, and public defenders, someone in active addiction. I can be in those settings and have the conversation and communicate in the way that resonates with them.",[],{"_key":1618,"_type":22,"children":1619,"markDefs":1624,"style":30},"a6489dbd7ea0",[1620],{"_key":1621,"_type":26,"marks":1622,"text":1623},"0a8407265df4",[],"When I was working for the courts, I did a lot of training. The first time I ever did it, I opened a presentation with four pictures of my mugshots. He was like, “This is the first time, maybe the only time you'll ever see an AOC employee do any kind of presentation where they're showing their mugshots.” It was a really cool opportunity to be able to improve the court systems and especially specialty court programs. I learned a lot about those programs myself.",[],{"_key":1626,"_type":22,"children":1627,"markDefs":1632,"style":30},"6c0a58946322",[1628],{"_key":1629,"_type":26,"marks":1630,"text":1631},"5b2484b36eb9",[],"I'd never gone through one myself, but they're very successful. Their success rates are very high. They are very difficult programs, very long, and lots of responsibilities for the participants. But their charges can be dropped and their records can be sealed, so there's high incentive to do so.",[],{"_key":1634,"_type":22,"children":1635,"markDefs":1640,"style":30},"d802b627cbe5",[1636],{"_key":1637,"_type":26,"marks":1638,"text":1639},"ee22b820aaf3",[],"I'm going around to each courtroom and each drug court and being able to see the participants and talk to the drug court teams, [seeing] all these people doing amazing work and participants putting in effort to turn their life around.",[],{"_key":1642,"_type":22,"children":1643,"markDefs":1648,"style":30},"b633d46d7508",[1644],{"_key":1645,"_type":26,"marks":1646,"text":1647},"b325ba377f34",[45,402,231],"EO: I wanted to ask about the landscape of addiction and overdose resources in Arkansas. From what you've told me it feels intricate and comprehensive. How can people in Arkansas best provide these resources? Whether that's naloxone, whether it's treatment, how, everyone can band together behind this singular mission of addressing the overdose crisis and addiction.",[],{"_key":1650,"_type":22,"children":1651,"markDefs":1659,"style":30},"1b171b67fb26",[1652,1655],{"_key":1653,"_type":26,"marks":1654,"text":1382},"c944f0dad529",[45],{"_key":1656,"_type":26,"marks":1657,"text":1658},"a47eeeafd13f",[]," There are a lot of great places doing great work. A lot of times it's siloed off. The recovery connections meeting I facilitate, one of the big pillars is collaboration. Acute behavioral health, detox, residential treatment, PHP, IOP, sober living, and the recovery community in general. All different parts in the continuum of care, but oftentimes aren't in close connection, relationship or communicating with one another when working with the same individual.",[],{"_key":1661,"_type":22,"children":1662,"markDefs":1667,"style":30},"eecefb1b5b2e",[1663],{"_key":1664,"_type":26,"marks":1665,"text":1666},"04285141ce40",[],"I think there's always room for improvement and we try to increase opportunities for networking and collaboration in this field. Both professionally and personally, the baseball game is a great idea, having a professional meeting is great, but also something fun, making memories and enjoying yourself providing spaces for more collaboration, it's not about competition. Plenty of people need help.There are unfortunately so many people that are suffering from substance use disorders that, it'd be great for us all to work ourselves out of a job one day, but as it is right now, there we don't need to look at one another as organizations or companies as competition.",[],{"_key":1669,"_type":22,"children":1670,"markDefs":1675,"style":30},"8c2ac1690589",[1671],{"_key":1672,"_type":26,"marks":1673,"text":1674},"1d293a501f1b",[],"We need to be collaborating in a patient-centered way that’s all about the client. What do they want? What's best for them and how can we work together? Individually you can be strong and have resources, but banded together, you're much stronger. You have many more resources, you can streamline the continuum of care, and make the experience so much better. So that'd be one thing I'd say is just collaboration. I think that something that y'all do really well is you're a kind like your marketing and media engaging with younger folks.",[],{"_key":1677,"_type":22,"children":1678,"markDefs":1683,"style":30},"64986e7602c3",[1679],{"_key":1680,"_type":26,"marks":1681,"text":1682},"9e4c1d066082",[],"Naloxone, training, distribution. We can't get enough of that. We need easy access to naloxone, and it shouldn't be this thing where you have to worry about stigma going to the pharmacist or you have to worry about just even asking for it, even if it's not for yourself. If it's for a family member or a friend, just everybody should have it. It should be like Tylenol people's homes or in their vehicle. Everybody should keep it on you. Hopefully you never have to use it. But if you do, you could literally save someone's life.",[],{"_key":1685,"_type":252,"asset":1686},"642148a8681f",{"_ref":1687,"_type":248},"image-c73deedd7619227290cf6f6585d4476586d5786d-4032x3024-jpg",{"_key":1689,"_type":22,"children":1690,"markDefs":1695,"style":30},"720ad2495283",[1691],{"_key":1692,"_type":26,"marks":1693,"text":1694},"340f0f633fc2",[45,402,231],"EO: I would love to hear about your work with Landmark Recovery and how both your lived experience and career experience led into this role.",[],{"_key":1697,"_type":22,"children":1698,"markDefs":1706,"style":30},"642a2cfd68c8",[1699,1702],{"_key":1700,"_type":26,"marks":1701,"text":1382},"34a9ea5d6620",[45],{"_key":1703,"_type":26,"marks":1704,"text":1705},"a4cc3e44f343",[]," Everything I described about my professional opportunities this job brings all those into one role. While I was working for the courts, my boss knew that unless some really great opportunity opened there, that it was a short term thing for me. We were all on the same page while I was there. I was reflecting on my previous jobs and asking myself, what did I really enjoy about them? What do I think that I was good at in those roles – my job title is a clinical liaison. But in the field, it's the business development person where your job is building relationships, maintaining relationships, networking, doing presentations, and then when someone needs help and needs to get into treatment, they call you.",[],{"_key":1708,"_type":22,"children":1709,"markDefs":1714,"style":30},"e2237f9537e1",[1710],{"_key":1711,"_type":26,"marks":1712,"text":1713},"3b5f03fd22fd",[],"Over the years, I have built all of these different relationships, whether it's from working at UAMS or helping other hospitals implement programs, to training and developing the peer support workforce on all of those roles, and then across the country and all these opportunities. I’ve built relationships along the way, and I think that I’m good at maintaining relationships and investing in them and prioritizing them.",[],{"_key":1716,"_type":22,"children":1717,"markDefs":1722,"style":30},"1f7b504f887e",[1718],{"_key":1719,"_type":26,"marks":1720,"text":1721},"6520cafbb484",[],"Because again, it goes back to that original thing about how I think people are so unique and amazing and I just think that any opportunity to have a relationship with somebody, don't take it for granted.",[],{"_key":1724,"_type":22,"children":1725,"markDefs":1730,"style":30},"fe6d8df02d41",[1726],{"_key":1727,"_type":26,"marks":1728,"text":1729},"ff1d994952c3",[],"Everything in my life could be pointed to two things. It could be pointed to my relationship with God and a relationship with somebody he's put in my life. Every opportunity has happened through those two things, you never know who you meet and what you may be able to do for them and vice versa.",[],{"_key":1732,"_type":22,"children":1733,"markDefs":1738,"style":30},"f244d66019e7",[1734],{"_key":1735,"_type":26,"marks":1736,"text":1737},"2a9957a8489b",[],"All those relationships and that network learning to navigate systems of care, hospitals, treatment facilities, learning how to do that, has prepared me for this. I came into this role with all these relationships already in place.",[],{"_key":1740,"_type":22,"children":1741,"markDefs":1746,"style":30},"cf22e1af500c",[1742],{"_key":1743,"_type":26,"marks":1744,"text":1745},"699a5ee5a365",[],"I'm very familiar with how to navigate treatment. How to navigate recovery resources, how to navigate the legal system because of my previous jobs. I've done hundreds of presentations and public speaking engagements, so marketing and talking in front of people is the thing that I feel comfortable and natural with doing.",[],{"_key":1748,"_type":22,"children":1749,"markDefs":1754,"style":30},"71810c14f20c",[1750],{"_key":1751,"_type":26,"marks":1752,"text":1753},"74f0f70723eb",[],"This job has really taken all of those pieces and that's what I really loved. I'm not a go to the office every day kind of person. I like to be in the community connecting with people. I like to support and help people. My goal at the end of the day is, how can I use all the relationships I've formed over the years to make it as easy as possible for somebody to access treatment and recovery resources? When they ask for help, past the barrier of shame, embarrassment, judgment, hopelessness, and stigma.",[],{"_key":1756,"_type":22,"children":1757,"markDefs":1762,"style":30},"0e0460bdf75e",[1758],{"_key":1759,"_type":26,"marks":1760,"text":1761},"352f85d16aba",[],"In my opinion, it should be the easiest thing to do. But unfortunately, it's across the board that getting into treatment can be very difficult. You can get met with obstacles, resistance and challenges. I don't have transportation or we only do admissions eight to five Monday through Friday.",[],{"_key":1764,"_type":22,"children":1765,"markDefs":1770,"style":30},"5d9ee0a4916a",[1766],{"_key":1767,"_type":26,"marks":1768,"text":1769},"5f3f348e0e67",[],"One of the things I love about Landmark Recovery is our system is designed to move towards the individual. We don't expect you to have everything together and to be operating at a hundred percent to move towards us. We move towards them. It's a very easy, simple process. If you call, we do a screening over the phone, which is about 10 or 15 minutes, and if you're ready, our transportation team is on the way to your address. Depending on how far you live, we provide transportation from all across the state and surrounding states. So depending on how far you live, that really determines how long it's gonna take for us to get there. Because when you're ready, that window of willingness, motivation and opportunity can close fast. If it's Sunday at nine o'clock at night and you want treatment, we can make it happen. We'll have you in treatment tonight at the facility. That's been my favorite job thus far. I definitely loved all the other opportunities but this one, combines all the things I loved about the other jobs into one. I still support the state DHS with the peer program, providing insight, consultation and support. We're in the middle of evaluating the peer support program and seeing what changes might need to be made. I'm on the National Steering Committee for the Center of Addiction Recovery Support and represent region six. It used to be called the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence, it’s now called the Center of Addiction Recovery Support. I still do some consulting with implementing peers and hospitals and supervision models. But as far as my day job, this role has been my favorite that I've had thus far.",[],{"_key":1772,"_type":22,"children":1773,"markDefs":1778,"style":30},"9671433ac2b8",[1774],{"_key":1775,"_type":26,"marks":1776,"text":1777},"e696b1090811",[45,402,231],"EO: Amazing. I've heard you talk about making treatment as accessible and as easy as possible for someone who has that window of willingness. You've also talked about the need for collaboration between entities in treatment and recovery. Are there any other paths you envision for the future of peer support and treatment in Arkansas?",[],{"_key":1780,"_type":22,"children":1781,"markDefs":1789,"style":30},"4581ae0e5eb2",[1782,1785],{"_key":1783,"_type":26,"marks":1784,"text":1382},"412c3c9691ce",[45],{"_key":1786,"_type":26,"marks":1787,"text":1788},"e93bdc62acf3",[]," Having peer support specialists in treatment centers in Arkansas is an important thing.There's a couple that have people that have gone through the training on staff, but they're in a different role because in Arkansas there's not a billing mechanism for peer support services. So they're not actually a peer support specialist when it comes to their role within the facility.",[],{"_key":1791,"_type":22,"children":1792,"markDefs":1797,"style":30},"b54f56e78190",[1793],{"_key":1794,"_type":26,"marks":1795,"text":1796},"9011f78fe1a3",[],"But I think that having peers and people with lived experience that have this training and certification into the clinical setting is very important. I don't know what will actually happen until we find a way to start billing insurance for their services.",[],{"_key":1799,"_type":22,"children":1800,"markDefs":1805,"style":30},"1e48c3acc87e",[1801],{"_key":1802,"_type":26,"marks":1803,"text":1804},"ff82b56b8fda",[],"At the end of the day, that's what it comes down to a lot of times, is the bottom line and being able to generate revenue. So I think that sustainability is something that I'm always focused on when it comes to the peer program in Arkansas. How do we sustain this program without grant funding?",[],{"_key":1807,"_type":22,"children":1808,"markDefs":1813,"style":30},"e1019533c119",[1809],{"_key":1810,"_type":26,"marks":1811,"text":1812},"d0efde4c0813",[],"How do we get to a place where this position generates revenue? For the most part, it's a cost savings for the hospital when I'd make cases and present to hospitals about implementing this type of program. I'll talk about cost savings. If we can keep this individual that comes to your emergency department every two weeks from returning for six months, how much money did that save the hospital? And if that person gets into recovery and never comes back, they start seeing a primary care provider. They start getting their regular check. There's no need for them to come to the emergency department outside of a legitimate emergency.",[],{"_key":1815,"_type":22,"children":1816,"markDefs":1821,"style":30},"4fc155c6cb21",[1817],{"_key":1818,"_type":26,"marks":1819,"text":1820},"2b0617a9342a",[],"They're not showing up every couple weeks, you're saving the hospital a lot of money. When it comes down to it, you're saving your staff's time and a lot of attention. You're also saving taxpayers money, because taxpayers are funding some of the hospital's programs and research. I think funding sustainability and the research and data components tell the story. It's great to tell the narrative, but in a lot of ways, in a lot of places it doesn't mean anything. You can't back it up with numbers, and show the real impact. Research is an important element to the work we do that maybe there’s not as much of here in Arkansas.",[],{"_key":1823,"_type":22,"children":1824,"markDefs":1829,"style":30},"7aa2137a93f4",[1825],{"_key":1826,"_type":26,"marks":1827,"text":1828},"4e680db06a45",[45,402,231],"EO: Is there anything else you want to add?",[],{"_key":1831,"_type":22,"children":1832,"markDefs":1841,"style":30},"620f97e4be7d",[1833,1837],{"_key":1834,"_type":26,"marks":1835,"text":1836},"0d0a8fdd5148",[45],"Kyle:",{"_key":1838,"_type":26,"marks":1839,"text":1840},"1fae454fb512",[]," If I can ever help, If I can provide any type of support or resources, do not hesitate to call. How can I make it when you call, whether it's you, with your family, or a social worker, how do I make that process easier and more efficient for you past the part of being willing to ask for help? Let me clear the path using my relationships to make it as easy as possible because. They're the only person that can walk the road. They’re the only person that can put the work in that's required, but I know that there are certain things that I can do to remove obstacles and barriers that can make it a little bit easier for them. If I can help, please reach out. ",[],{"_key":1843,"_type":22,"children":1844,"markDefs":1849,"style":30},"0fd98c8a0c23",[1845],{"_key":1846,"_type":26,"marks":1847,"text":1848},"64bacd413c4d",[45,402,231],"REACH KYLE DIRECTLY",[],{"_key":1851,"_type":22,"children":1852,"markDefs":1857,"style":30},"fdf9b27e5e03",[1853],{"_key":1854,"_type":26,"marks":1855,"text":1856},"cf5dccb52916",[],"(C) 501-794-9930 ",[],{"_key":1859,"_type":22,"children":1860,"markDefs":1865,"style":30},"20862ae6b2cf",[1861],{"_key":1862,"_type":26,"marks":1863,"text":1864},"e1452dad5d3c",[],"(E) Kyle.brewer@landmarkrecovery.com",[],{"_key":1867,"_type":22,"children":1868,"markDefs":1882,"style":30},"54993772e8c6",[1869,1873,1878],{"_key":1870,"_type":26,"marks":1871,"text":1872},"13fb3c5da10c",[45,402,231],"VISIT LANDMARK RECOVERY ",{"_key":1874,"_type":26,"marks":1875,"text":1877},"25967481464f",[1876,45,402,231],"3902f0749f14","HERE",{"_key":1879,"_type":26,"marks":1880,"text":1881},"d2598fedbd6e",[45,402,231]," FOR MORE INFORMATION",[1883],{"_key":1876,"_type":244,"href":1884},"https://landmarkrecovery.com/",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"b980ed38-3718-4575-9e36-88835be6aeda","2025-07-31",{"_type":252,"asset":1889},{"_ref":1890,"_type":248},"image-336f5c1c134a73e684b63cae2cbf871cad0f4409-2133x1119-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":1892},"the-power-of-lived-experience-an-interview-with-kyle-brewer-bs-pr-ncprss","The Power of Lived Experience: An Interview with Kyle Brewer BS, PR, NCPRSS",{"_createdAt":1895,"_id":1896,"_rev":1897,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":1898,"article":1899,"author_ref":1991,"category":1149,"date":1992,"image":1993,"slug":1996,"title":1998},"2025-07-16T16:39:07Z","01af4cc7-6dfe-4e6d-925a-9f20970b5570","x0ldlkijNt10eyLbFcz4Yl","2025-07-16T16:43:54Z",[1900,1907,1915,1922,1930,1938,1946,1953,1961,1968,1976,1983],{"_key":1901,"_type":22,"children":1902,"markDefs":1906,"style":30},"c3b0d521f923",[1903],{"_key":1904,"_type":26,"marks":1905,"text":386},"331234495792",[],[],{"_key":1908,"_type":22,"children":1909,"markDefs":1914,"style":30},"e1b6b9cfc445",[1910],{"_key":1911,"_type":26,"marks":1912,"text":1913},"d6b49361e117",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our Mizzou chapter! We spoke with president McKenna Mozingo about what inspired her to start her chapter, her goals for the Mizzou chapter on campus, and much more. ",[],{"_key":1916,"_type":22,"children":1917,"markDefs":1921,"style":48},"4ef123334c35",[1918],{"_key":1919,"_type":26,"marks":1920,"text":403},"dc4af6fbb471",[],[],{"_key":1923,"_type":22,"children":1924,"markDefs":1929,"style":30},"2be9c095ddbd",[1925],{"_key":1926,"_type":26,"marks":1927,"text":1928},"9dac9d1cecfd",[],"I started following End Overdose on social media years before I applied for the chapter program. End Overdose stood out to me because they go beyond simply providing life-saving resources: They take active steps to dismantle stigma and create community. After growing up in Columbia, going to Mizzou and seeing how overdose-related death and drug use has affected my community, I decided to apply to create a chapter at Mizzou. I knew college students in my area would benefit from End Overdose and the various resources it brought.",[],{"_key":1931,"_type":22,"children":1932,"markDefs":1937,"style":48},"3fe32fc7a195",[1933],{"_key":1934,"_type":26,"marks":1935,"text":1936},"9cd105285217",[],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of Mizzou?",[],{"_key":1939,"_type":22,"children":1940,"markDefs":1945,"style":30},"340fff12337d",[1941],{"_key":1942,"_type":26,"marks":1943,"text":1944},"3d9e0186cea1",[],"My experience as chapter president of Mizzou has been humbling and also incredibly thrilling. What started as an idea 1 year ago, has grown into a passionate community of Mizzou students who are dedicated to creating a safe space for their peers. It’s been very rewarding watching my vision evolve into a collective vision. Volunteering has taught me a lot about myself and my community. While I’m consistently learning and growing, I'm fortunate to have a team that is also passionate about public health and overdose prevention. I’m incredibly grateful for our team and their passion, and am excited to watch the chapter develop in the coming years.",[],{"_key":1947,"_type":22,"children":1948,"markDefs":1952,"style":48},"eb559d9b21e1",[1949],{"_key":1950,"_type":26,"marks":1951,"text":435},"bba5ea5d997b",[],[],{"_key":1954,"_type":22,"children":1955,"markDefs":1960,"style":30},"3f4ef512693d",[1956],{"_key":1957,"_type":26,"marks":1958,"text":1959},"a60a95b77d10",[],"Through tabling on campus, we’ve been able to meet various other student organizations and people in the community. Naturally when you’re talking about such a serious issue, you meet with people who have experienced difficult things and recognize you as a safe space to have these conversations. This has allowed our chapter to really expand into the community in a meaningful and intentional way. I love being able to share our organization with people who we’ve just met, and I believe that working together to mitigate this crisis has created a sense of unity throughout the community!",[],{"_key":1962,"_type":22,"children":1963,"markDefs":1967,"style":48},"7ad7a1374042",[1964],{"_key":1965,"_type":26,"marks":1966,"text":1218},"26258b6a1dda",[],[],{"_key":1969,"_type":22,"children":1970,"markDefs":1975,"style":30},"7ed958f9c408",[1971],{"_key":1972,"_type":26,"marks":1973,"text":1974},"c96ba6b030dc",[],"We’re still a relatively new chapter (celebrating our first birthday on July 18th!) so this year our main focus was building our chapter up. Despite getting a slow start, I’m very proud of our team and what we’ve been able to accomplish. We’ve trained 450 people, and distributed 568 doses of naloxone, and held 6 events in the past year!",[],{"_key":1977,"_type":22,"children":1978,"markDefs":1982,"style":48},"08643b3e4fce",[1979],{"_key":1980,"_type":26,"marks":1981,"text":1230},"0b4a515a5e10",[],[],{"_key":1984,"_type":22,"children":1985,"markDefs":1990,"style":30},"b68eef616a3b",[1986],{"_key":1987,"_type":26,"marks":1988,"text":1989},"0bfa8ed909ac",[],"I look forward to seeing how our chapter grows and expands in the coming years. In the future, I hope that our chapter creates a lasting relationship with Greek life at Mizzou, and is eventually able to train all Greek organizations on campus! Additionally, I would love to see our chapter expand our outreach into high schools. I think it’s incredibly important to bring these resources to youth and provide them with life-saving knowledge.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-07-16",{"_type":252,"asset":1994},{"_ref":1995,"_type":248},"image-fa82ee38acf89bc5a616766e68a2446f70849f65-3024x1853-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":1997},"chapter-of-the-week-mizzou","Chapter of the Week: Mizzou",{"_createdAt":2000,"_id":2001,"_rev":2002,"_system":2003,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2006,"article":2007,"author_ref":2256,"category":810,"date":2257,"image":2258,"slug":2261,"title":2263},"2025-07-14T17:24:27Z","f45afa1c-a444-4e6d-bfb0-70504e066ca2","62BBB6K1buXnUalQjwxp0X",{"base":2004},{"id":2001,"rev":2005},"x0ldlkijNt10eyLbFYLVAQ","2025-07-14T17:40:45Z",[2008,2016,2024,2032,2049,2057,2065,2073,2081,2089,2097,2105,2113,2121,2129,2137,2145,2153,2161,2165,2173,2181,2189,2197,2205,2213,2217,2225,2233,2240,2248],{"_key":2009,"_type":22,"children":2010,"markDefs":2015,"style":30},"9f9cfd184117",[2011],{"_key":2012,"_type":26,"marks":2013,"text":2014},"4968ffc46347",[],"The Wolfe Street Foundation – Arkansas's oldest and largest nonprofit recovery resource – is a vital reprieve nestled in the heart of Little Rock. As the host to an extensive list of recovery and 12-step programs alongside recovery residences and a youth empowerment program, the organization has continued to evolve to meet the needs of the ever-shifting addiction landscape. With initiatives like one-to-one peer recovery support services, they’ve equipped themselves to address rapidly evolving challenges like synthetic opioid dependency as fentanyl and other analogues spread through local Arkansas communities.",[],{"_key":2017,"_type":22,"children":2018,"markDefs":2023,"style":30},"d3ff0cd5c572",[2019],{"_key":2020,"_type":26,"marks":2021,"text":2022},"1ec883e4cb63",[],"The nonprofit is led by executive director Justin Buck – an Arkansas native who’s sustained a lifelong passion for nonprofit initiatives to heal local communities. After losing multiple family members to suspected overdoses and the position opened for executive director at The Wolfe Street Foundation, applying to the role made perfect sense as he saw the intangible value of an organization whose resources could save lives.",[],{"_key":2025,"_type":22,"children":2026,"markDefs":2031,"style":30},"529fcabfc371",[2027],{"_key":2028,"_type":26,"marks":2029,"text":2030},"7ba0a15ea12b",[],"Since 2021, Buck has steered the Wolfe Street Foundation through a new decade with sharp insights that not only continue to strengthen the foundation of his nonprofit, but create keen insights on how fellow organizations and government entities can band together to address addiction with a unified purpose.",[],{"_key":2033,"_type":22,"children":2034,"markDefs":2046,"style":30},"4854475da8d0",[2035,2039,2043],{"_key":2036,"_type":26,"marks":2037,"text":2038},"fb99986ed3de",[],"End Overdose spoke with Buck about his background, how the Wolfe Street Foundation continues to evolve, and his ultimate vision for recovery in Arkansas. If you’re based in Arkansas and are interested in learning more about the Wolfe Street Foundation, head over to their official website ",{"_key":2040,"_type":26,"marks":2041,"text":579},"0673a03e64bd",[2042],"22af68c21995",{"_key":2044,"_type":26,"marks":2045,"text":583},"32a872bd2810",[],[2047],{"_key":2042,"_type":244,"href":2048},"https://www.wolfestreet.org/",{"_key":2050,"_type":22,"children":2051,"markDefs":2056,"style":48},"01e1137a9802",[2052],{"_key":2053,"_type":26,"marks":2054,"text":2055},"6f4891c020d7",[],"Can you tell us about your background and early days of work experience in Arkansas?",[],{"_key":2058,"_type":22,"children":2059,"markDefs":2064,"style":30},"a8d891ff04ba",[2060],{"_key":2061,"_type":26,"marks":2062,"text":2063},"ea63171b2543",[],"I’m a life-long, fourth or fifth-generation Arkansan. I grew up in Garland County - still the leader in Arkansas for overdose mortality and a hotspot for methamphetamine. My dad had a small business that taught me early how to sell just about anything to just about anybody; I sold my first pocket knife when I was maybe 9 or 10. I always thought I’d leave Arkansas, but a whirlwind senior year in high school landed me at a local college with a child by age 19. I managed food service at an amusement park and fast-food restaurants, worked in special education, traveled as a pitch salesman, and wound up marrying into a family funeral business. When I un-married out of that family business, it was time for me to really understand who I wanted to be and what legacy I wanted to build.",[],{"_key":2066,"_type":22,"children":2067,"markDefs":2072,"style":48},"19f866c1e389",[2068],{"_key":2069,"_type":26,"marks":2070,"text":2071},"c0eff4c5e831",[],"What led you to pursue a career in the nonprofit world?",[],{"_key":2074,"_type":22,"children":2075,"markDefs":2080,"style":30},"e2a1d55ba5f9",[2076],{"_key":2077,"_type":26,"marks":2078,"text":2079},"f1cbc92e8660",[],"As I was struggling with what I wanted my life to mean, I decided that I really cared about two things: empowering young people and being of service to the community. Throughout my youth, I had always served on student councils, enjoyed leading people, and never shied away from speaking up when I thought something wasn’t quite right. In high school, I noticed that our local food pantry wasn’t serving meals on Saturdays because they didn’t have the volunteers or resources to do it. So I organized my student council and Mayor’s Youth Council to host a competitive food drive across the county and show up on Saturdays to serve lunch. And it worked! To this day, youth groups are still serving lunch shifts at that same food pantry. I realized that the right leader with the right motivations can make a big difference.",[],{"_key":2082,"_type":22,"children":2083,"markDefs":2088,"style":30},"878673e2f969",[2084],{"_key":2085,"_type":26,"marks":2086,"text":2087},"182abc19d284",[],"I decided to take two career paths at once, serving as a paraprofessional in special education classrooms and starting part-time at my local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Neither of those jobs paid well, so I wound up waiting tables in the evening. Eventually, I found myself writing grants on contract and teaching 12th grade English. And then the door really opened for me: The school where I worked had massive budget issues that required a reduction in force. At the same time, I had a job offer to lead Court Appointed Special Advocates of Garland, Grant, and Hot Spring Counties. So it was decided: I was for the nonprofit life!",[],{"_key":2090,"_type":22,"children":2091,"markDefs":2096,"style":48},"e02f5f464bef",[2092],{"_key":2093,"_type":26,"marks":2094,"text":2095},"0c22cbcc51b5",[],"What led you to taking the role of Executive Director of Wolfe Street? How have you personally seen the effects of the addiction and overdose crisis?",[],{"_key":2098,"_type":22,"children":2099,"markDefs":2104,"style":30},"5f8b5b210583",[2100],{"_key":2101,"_type":26,"marks":2102,"text":2103},"87e38400f34c",[],"In December, 2019, I got a text from my mom:",[],{"_key":2106,"_type":22,"children":2107,"markDefs":2112,"style":30},"97be718fddfe",[2108],{"_key":2109,"_type":26,"marks":2110,"text":2111},"40ce49bd7ae2",[],"“Teri died :(“",[],{"_key":2114,"_type":22,"children":2115,"markDefs":2120,"style":30},"9070b85a736a",[2116],{"_key":2117,"_type":26,"marks":2118,"text":2119},"f0227ab51f5e",[],"I have a twin sister, a brother who is 11 years older than me, and a brother and sister (also twins) who are 13 years older than me. Teri was my oldest sister. She was a nurse and aspiring community-theater actress. She had the brightest smile and a big laugh. She gave tight hugs and had three beautiful babies. We pretty much lost touch with her when she moved to Arizona. Her addiction led to losing her nursing license - and just about everything else. She’d always pop up at holidays with her big smile, but we knew things were going from bad to worse. The last time I saw her, she said “Bubby, I’m doin’ better.” Later that year, I got the text from my mom. Like so many families, we don’t necessarily have all the answers. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Teri’s death was drug-related. Not long after, her youngest son died from a suspected overdose.",[],{"_key":2122,"_type":22,"children":2123,"markDefs":2128,"style":30},"d4de33fa9b57",[2124],{"_key":2125,"_type":26,"marks":2126,"text":2127},"3a325aef8a8c",[],"Growing up, I thought my brothers’ keg parties and substance use were awesome - friends were always excited to come over, and even the frequent fist fights seemed to elevate the cool factor. But one thing often leads to another - and my middle brother went from selling weed to slinging coke to manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. It became a nightmare for my whole family. I’ll fast forward more than a decade through some of the most traumatic experiences of my family’s life. Eventually, he wound up looking at serious prison time and somehow got sentenced to drug court. Today, he’s restored himself to our family and his own, settling down with his wife to raise his daughter. I’m proud of his redemption arc and the healing my family has experienced watching him become a great son, brother, and father.",[],{"_key":2130,"_type":22,"children":2131,"markDefs":2136,"style":30},"bb3a78e0840a",[2132],{"_key":2133,"_type":26,"marks":2134,"text":2135},"69187e17c841",[],"Honestly, before I interviewed to lead the Wolfe Street Foundation, I had never heard of it. We started in 1982 as an AA Clubhouse. Wolfe Street is as world-famous as you can be in an anonymous program. But I wasn’t a member of AA and had never heard of Al-Anon.",[],{"_key":2138,"_type":22,"children":2139,"markDefs":2144,"style":30},"cf07f9fe86cb",[2140],{"_key":2141,"_type":26,"marks":2142,"text":2143},"f2face2c9be4",[],"I had been consulting and was ready to roll my sleeves up again. So as I did my research before interviewing for the Executive Director position, I kept thinking: “What if my family had had a community like this when we needed it?” As I got to know the organization, I fell in love with the mission.",[],{"_key":2146,"_type":22,"children":2147,"markDefs":2152,"style":30},"154d3f879f9c",[2148],{"_key":2149,"_type":26,"marks":2150,"text":2151},"75d60d500e46",[],"During the interview, I found out that my hopes had arrived. It was September of 2021, and Wolfe Street needed a sleeves-up leader to rebuild and reinvent itself. I was ready to get to work!",[],{"_key":2154,"_type":22,"children":2155,"markDefs":2160,"style":30},"f330215909d8",[2156],{"_key":2157,"_type":26,"marks":2158,"text":2159},"73092bfc8867",[],"Today, we continue to host 12 Step meetings, and we’ve opened up as a Recovery Community Organizations to embrace all pathways to recovery. From 6 am to 10 pm throughout the week, you can catch one of 63 support meetings hosted at our downtown Little Rock Recovery Community Center. We also provide Peer Recovery Support Services, nationally-certified Recovery Residences, and a Youth Empowerment Program.",[],{"_key":2162,"_type":252,"asset":2163},"ebed31e17afd",{"_ref":2164,"_type":248},"image-1fe8bd1ee1244147dd58b35ab5185c613919f73a-900x544-jpg",{"_key":2166,"_type":22,"children":2167,"markDefs":2172,"style":48},"5671c0b4c55b",[2168],{"_key":2169,"_type":26,"marks":2170,"text":2171},"acd51913d450",[],"What would you consider to be the core mission of Wolfe Street? What about that mission inspires you on a daily basis?",[],{"_key":2174,"_type":22,"children":2175,"markDefs":2180,"style":30},"ca7c9e1ad9c7",[2176],{"_key":2177,"_type":26,"marks":2178,"text":2179},"9b7a3130293d",[],"We break barriers and build bridges so Arkansans can achieve their full potential. At our core, we help people and families thrive in recovery.",[],{"_key":2182,"_type":22,"children":2183,"markDefs":2188,"style":30},"9149f4aa559e",[2184],{"_key":2185,"_type":26,"marks":2186,"text":2187},"a3399b3b48b3",[],"It’s not enough to survive addiction, we have to find purpose and happiness as whole people. We’re also united by our lived experience. As a Recovery Community Organization, we are led by people in recovery. More than 70% of our Board of Directors and 90% of our staff have their own personal recovery stories. The rest of us are family members and allies. Our lived experience is entirely unique, and we are stronger when we recognize how those different perspectives position us to serve more people better. That’s what I want to do with my life: Empower people to achieve their full potential and lead a team strengthened by the diversity of our experience and united by a powerful shared purpose!",[],{"_key":2190,"_type":22,"children":2191,"markDefs":2196,"style":48},"8c16ba6ee90c",[2192],{"_key":2193,"_type":26,"marks":2194,"text":2195},"2afbdf441e1c",[],"How would you evaluate the overdose and addiction landscape in Arkansas? What gaps can be filled with efforts by organizations like Wolfe Street?",[],{"_key":2198,"_type":22,"children":2199,"markDefs":2204,"style":30},"bb2fde506e7c",[2200],{"_key":2201,"_type":26,"marks":2202,"text":2203},"2cc898cbf7d0",[],"Like the rest of the nation, Arkansas has experienced a decline in overdose deaths. We’re cautiously optimistic about that trend, but our eyes are wide open for the challenges that continue. Community resources remain widely under-funded, with no sustainable revenue source (like insurance billing for recovery support services) to sustain RCOs and other community-based organizations like Wolfe Street. It’s not too much better for treatment and other organizations who are able to bill: Arkansas has some of the lowest reimbursement rates for clinical addiction care in the country. Aside from these funding challenges, I would say that most communities have their hearts in the right place - we all want people to get better - but don’t often have a coordinated recovery-oriented system of care.",[],{"_key":2206,"_type":22,"children":2207,"markDefs":2212,"style":30},"51a76b9f436b",[2208],{"_key":2209,"_type":26,"marks":2210,"text":2211},"a8571d834ecb",[],"Arkansas is not without its strengths. Recently, the state re-organized a branch of the Department of Human Services into the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health with a dedicated recovery unit. That office has been coordinating with RCOs across the state and has allocated some block grant dollars to support and expand RCOs to meet the challenge of a heavily rural state struggling with high overdose mortality rates in more rural counties. Arkansas also has a robust Peer Recovery Support Specialist workforce - people with lived experience who have been trained by the state to provide community-based, nonclinical services and resources. Hundreds of people have been trained for certification, but the jobs funded in the field are relatively few and far between.",[],{"_key":2214,"_type":252,"asset":2215},"1e61fbad7413",{"_ref":2216,"_type":248},"image-049ca31371590afc78d0d59498e0190427d1527b-3024x1901-jpg",{"_key":2218,"_type":22,"children":2219,"markDefs":2224,"style":48},"6610682a58c2",[2220],{"_key":2221,"_type":26,"marks":2222,"text":2223},"e44b9e09a4a6",[],"What do you envision for the future of Wolfe Street and recovery + overdose prevention in Arkansas as a whole?",[],{"_key":2226,"_type":22,"children":2227,"markDefs":2232,"style":30},"0ab17046b496",[2228],{"_key":2229,"_type":26,"marks":2230,"text":2231},"645c3894157d",[],"As the landscape continues to shift and change, we have to find ways to collaborate rather than compete. It will require bold creativity and deep trust. Traditional recovery organizations - like the Wolfe Street Foundation - must embrace and celebrate great, evidence-based harm reduction organizations. We must activate the grassroots to advocate - because we can’t go back! The Wolfe Street Foundation has spent the last four years building youth and adult prevention and recovery solutions that are scalable and sustainable. Our goal is to find and fill the gaps across the state by either partnering with local community-based organizations or bringing resources to other counties - especially in rural communities. Over the next ten years, our great goal - by direct service or partnership - is to make sure that every county in Arkansas has access to effective prevention and recovery resources. And we’re committed to doing that work together!",[],{"_key":2234,"_type":22,"children":2235,"markDefs":2239,"style":48},"f057525b1f4a",[2236],{"_key":2237,"_type":26,"marks":2238,"text":796},"95d28634fe6f",[],[],{"_key":2241,"_type":22,"children":2242,"markDefs":2247,"style":30},"b284b6be00a8",[2243],{"_key":2244,"_type":26,"marks":2245,"text":2246},"c5162e796780",[],"Arkansas needs a coordinated recovery-oriented system of care with sustainable funding models (including public investment, grants, appropriated state funds, and insurance reimbursement) that treats substance use disorders like the life-long health challenge they are. I use that word challenge intentionally - because recovery is a call to find your best self.",[],{"_key":2249,"_type":22,"children":2250,"markDefs":2255,"style":30},"eed29be1e610",[2251],{"_key":2252,"_type":26,"marks":2253,"text":2254},"ba90806c9afc",[],"For people to be able to define success for themselves and set and reach goals to achieve it, we all need to be developing systems of care that work long-term. That’s going to take time and strong working relationships. We have great people and great programs in the field, and we need policy change to align those resources for sustainable systems of care. Sometimes, “policy change” seems like a distant, removed, impersonal function - but it isn’t. In fact, it’s remarkably personal. It requires all of us paying attention, doing our part, and being willing to speak up. It requires us to build bridges and sometimes find unlikely partners. If you’re in Arkansas - anywhere in Arkansas - and you’re ready to roll up your sleeves for overdose prevention and recovery, please reach out to us at the Wolfe Street Foundation. We’ll plug you in to local and state recovery and advocacy efforts. Because it doesn’t matter if you have a trust fund or a minimum-wage job, YOU have tremendous potential. And together, WE can make tremendous change!",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2025-07-14",{"_type":252,"asset":2259},{"_ref":2260,"_type":248},"image-e32ac9e68d361df953f253bb43c7287a545f9a83-3024x1685-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":2262},"reimagining-recovery-in-arkansas-an-interview-with-the-wolfe-street-foundation","Reimagining Recovery in Arkansas: An Interview with the Wolfe Street Foundation",{"_createdAt":2265,"_id":2266,"_rev":2267,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2268,"article":2269,"author_ref":2434,"category":1149,"date":2435,"image":2436,"slug":2439,"title":2441},"2025-07-09T17:23:46Z","1db6f4f0-262c-454a-9438-92fefd9be15d","62BBB6K1buXnUalQjaLQ0L","2025-07-09T17:30:03Z",[2270,2278,2286,2294,2298,2306,2314,2322,2330,2338,2346,2350,2358,2366,2374,2378,2386,2394,2402,2406,2414,2422,2426],{"_key":2271,"_type":22,"children":2272,"markDefs":2277,"style":30},"6da5ec1ba172",[2273],{"_key":2274,"_type":26,"marks":2275,"text":2276},"38bfb43efd46",[],"Mike Giegerich here! I’m End Overdose’s publicist, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been up to over the past month with our latest stakeholder update. In June 2025 alone, we reached almost 400,000 people, eclipsed 1 million views on our awareness campaigns, and saw amazing work across the country including our ongoing efforts in the state of Arkansas.",[],{"_key":2279,"_type":22,"children":2280,"markDefs":2285,"style":30},"c65612d13f83",[2281],{"_key":2282,"_type":26,"marks":2283,"text":2284},"6213de829fcd",[],"Read on below for all the details (including our total outreach stats for the month of June)! Thanks for your ongoing support of End Overdose!",[],{"_key":2287,"_type":22,"children":2288,"markDefs":2293,"style":48},"372394ba53e6",[2289],{"_key":2290,"_type":26,"marks":2291,"text":2292},"0338c28d0091",[],"OUR OUTREACH",[],{"_key":2295,"_type":252,"asset":2296},"fbfadb02b940",{"_ref":2297,"_type":248},"image-b1a00e080b5bb2253046baa865cf22c7f302dec4-1024x768-png",{"_key":2299,"_type":22,"children":2300,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":2305,"style":30},"92dd0a708481",[2301],{"_key":2302,"_type":26,"marks":2303,"text":2304},"6fbd15748e82",[],"397,023 people reached",[],{"_key":2307,"_type":22,"children":2308,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":2313,"style":30},"4e44736bd965",[2309],{"_key":2310,"_type":26,"marks":2311,"text":2312},"d1afd6c8f604",[],"16,321 naloxone doses",[],{"_key":2315,"_type":22,"children":2316,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":2321,"style":30},"0d2de6a3cc64",[2317],{"_key":2318,"_type":26,"marks":2319,"text":2320},"8ab83ef689c2",[],"11,887 people trained",[],{"_key":2323,"_type":22,"children":2324,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":2329,"style":30},"22bd7847b6ee",[2325],{"_key":2326,"_type":26,"marks":2327,"text":2328},"94e47da2fe35",[],"2,688 fentanyl test strips",[],{"_key":2331,"_type":22,"children":2332,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":2337,"style":30},"b41f43f98dc5",[2333],{"_key":2334,"_type":26,"marks":2335,"text":2336},"dafc60d8af76",[],"41 events tabled",[],{"_key":2339,"_type":22,"children":2340,"markDefs":2345,"style":48},"ebd4089e56e8",[2341],{"_key":2342,"_type":26,"marks":2343,"text":2344},"f916598be323",[],"ON THE GROUND",[],{"_key":2347,"_type":252,"asset":2348},"c1ca3bf87d6c",{"_ref":2349,"_type":248},"image-2a64803cdd752e498f1a259f596d1b2e9fd63336-3024x1852-jpg",{"_key":2351,"_type":22,"children":2352,"markDefs":2357,"style":30},"b09541f4b493",[2353],{"_key":2354,"_type":26,"marks":2355,"text":2356},"c73e835285a2",[],"We brought our lifesaving education and resources to Breakaway Minnesota, Force Fields, Beyond Wonderland Chicago, Cali Vibes, Warped Tour, Electric Forest, Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge, Daytrip LA, and many more events nationwide.",[],{"_key":2359,"_type":22,"children":2360,"markDefs":2365,"style":30},"30c6f76bf119",[2361],{"_key":2362,"_type":26,"marks":2363,"text":2364},"8172b6490897",[],"Our Director of Community Engagement AJ Banuelos additionally spoke with EDM Maniac about our work at the headline festival EDC earlier this year!",[],{"_key":2367,"_type":22,"children":2368,"markDefs":2373,"style":48},"00b86e2b89db",[2369],{"_key":2370,"_type":26,"marks":2371,"text":2372},"572e1b0fc038",[],"COLLABORATIONS",[],{"_key":2375,"_type":252,"asset":2376},"6304957aefdc",{"_ref":2377,"_type":248},"image-028bfc480fcbe64f736cb9039ce25bf15101b1b9-602x482-png",{"_key":2379,"_type":22,"children":2380,"markDefs":2385,"style":30},"fbb6ddac8ca6",[2381],{"_key":2382,"_type":26,"marks":2383,"text":2384},"4a44c6bfe675",[],"We collaborated with End Overdose OG HVDES, Asta Suffers, Bowling Green lineman Darius Gaddy, Royal and the Serpent, Dying in Designer, and more!",[],{"_key":2387,"_type":22,"children":2388,"markDefs":2393,"style":30},"d77b2b40587b",[2389],{"_key":2390,"_type":26,"marks":2391,"text":2392},"9f87b5030419",[],"Our videos eclipsed over 1 million views between Instagram and TikTok alone! Together with artists, athletes, and influencers, we’re making overdose prevention and response accessible to everyone.",[],{"_key":2395,"_type":22,"children":2396,"markDefs":2401,"style":48},"26f719585737",[2397],{"_key":2398,"_type":26,"marks":2399,"text":2400},"9b35720241df",[],"IN ARKANSAS",[],{"_key":2403,"_type":252,"asset":2404},"6603fcc397fe",{"_ref":2405,"_type":248},"image-d3c1d8e488d52ca3f133913d041b84a012989713-1022x768-png",{"_key":2407,"_type":22,"children":2408,"markDefs":2413,"style":30},"f2763cdc987d",[2409],{"_key":2410,"_type":26,"marks":2411,"text":2412},"c3bdbc98cd0c",[],"Our Arkansas Outreach and Fulfillment Coordinator Sierra Jeans facilitated over 1,722 Arkansas natives receiving our lifesaving training. Sierra and our amazing team of volunteers trained over 800 people at NWA Pride alone!",[],{"_key":2415,"_type":22,"children":2416,"markDefs":2421,"style":48},"6943ff870bd3",[2417],{"_key":2418,"_type":26,"marks":2419,"text":2420},"c66b33bcd115",[],"OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH",[],{"_key":2423,"_type":252,"asset":2424},"4b532216faba",{"_ref":2425,"_type":248},"image-2d1334ce6527efd1886711df959cfd03d6a096a0-473x336-jpg",{"_key":2427,"_type":22,"children":2428,"markDefs":2433,"style":30},"6a3614f95500",[2429],{"_key":2430,"_type":26,"marks":2431,"text":2432},"797d198d091c",[],"Congratulations to our June volunteer of the month: Alexis Ortiz! When asked about his volunteer efforts, AJ has nothing but praise: “Alexis is a seasoned vet when it comes to volunteering! Since his first day training at Rave Wonderland to current music festivals, any time there is an opportunity to train, Alexis will be there! He’s shown nothing but dedication, willingness, and a passion to educate and save lives!”",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-07-09",{"_type":252,"asset":2437},{"_ref":2438,"_type":248},"image-526f4bc176c1001b5e1663bb993c06f81770f9e0-3024x1875-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":2440},"june-2025-stakeholder-review","June 2025 Stakeholder Review",{"_createdAt":2443,"_id":2444,"_rev":2445,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2446,"article":2447,"author_ref":2517,"category":1149,"date":2435,"image":2518,"slug":2520,"title":2522},"2025-07-09T17:30:21Z","e6245975-0560-4f6a-aa96-f384909fcab2","bT7RrsHy27fOmttnOpuOSu","2025-07-09T17:36:07Z",[2448,2456,2464,2472,2479,2487,2494,2502,2509],{"_key":2449,"_type":22,"children":2450,"markDefs":2455,"style":30},"8df50ae64b8b",[2451],{"_key":2452,"_type":26,"marks":2453,"text":2454},"bcf5aec199da",[],"End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our June Volunteer of the Month: Alexis Ortiz!",[],{"_key":2457,"_type":22,"children":2458,"markDefs":2463,"style":30},"effe6e645513",[2459],{"_key":2460,"_type":26,"marks":2461,"text":2462},"7dce14cf4e5d",[],"Director of Community Engagement & Training AJ Banuelos had this to say about Alexis: \"He's a seasoned vet when it comes to volunteering! Since his first day training at Rave Wonderland, to current music festivals, any time there is an opportunity to train, Alexis will be there! He’s shown nothing but dedication, willingness, and a passion to educate and save lives!\"",[],{"_key":2465,"_type":22,"children":2466,"markDefs":2471,"style":30},"636eb5b99e91",[2467],{"_key":2468,"_type":26,"marks":2469,"text":2470},"f6240aacf3de",[],"Read on below to hear from Alexis in his own words!",[],{"_key":2473,"_type":22,"children":2474,"markDefs":2478,"style":30},"69c2bc595f8a",[2475],{"_key":2476,"_type":26,"marks":2477,"text":287},"98c2b117ab85",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2480,"_type":22,"children":2481,"markDefs":2486,"style":30},"c3d6d334fa60",[2482],{"_key":2483,"_type":26,"marks":2484,"text":2485},"c14e375f3fc8",[],"I'm currently in my last year at Cal Poly Pomona pursuing my chemical engineer bachelor's degree. I found End Overdose after I moved from the Bay Area to LA to attend the university.",[],{"_key":2488,"_type":22,"children":2489,"markDefs":2493,"style":30},"941e73f9cc02",[2490],{"_key":2491,"_type":26,"marks":2492,"text":327},"7194f698ab61",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2495,"_type":22,"children":2496,"markDefs":2501,"style":30},"94819bf197f3",[2497],{"_key":2498,"_type":26,"marks":2499,"text":2500},"e3273588e457",[],"I witnessed 8 overdoses at a 2 day festival and was left feeling helpless. I talked to End Overdose for the first time at Nocturnal Wonderland and found out that it's a volunteer organization. From that point forward I knew that I wanted to be a part of End Overdose to help save lives.",[],{"_key":2503,"_type":22,"children":2504,"markDefs":2508,"style":30},"64be35a068b0",[2505],{"_key":2506,"_type":26,"marks":2507,"text":343},"7cd6e694601a",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2510,"_type":22,"children":2511,"markDefs":2516,"style":30},"5210ca0cfce5",[2512],{"_key":2513,"_type":26,"marks":2514,"text":2515},"879768f7e86e",[],"My favorite memory is the first time we ran out of naloxone. We have these huge garbage bags full of them and we have never run out. It shows that people really want to learn how to help save another person's life.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},{"_type":252,"asset":2519},{"_ref":2425,"_type":248},{"_type":256,"current":2521},"volunteer-of-the-month-alexis-ortiz","Volunteer of the Month: Alexis Ortiz",{"_createdAt":2524,"_id":2525,"_rev":2526,"_system":2527,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2530,"article":2531,"author_ref":2624,"date":2625,"image":2626,"slug":2629,"title":2631},"2025-07-03T17:00:04Z","fe6c76d4-e9ca-42f0-92b0-6c9a802f302b","gwEYttVu4IZzzez2WHU2A6",{"base":2528},{"id":2525,"rev":2529},"gwEYttVu4IZzzez2WHTvJn","2025-07-03T17:10:30Z",[2532,2540,2548,2555,2563,2571,2579,2586,2594,2601,2609,2616],{"_key":2533,"_type":22,"children":2534,"markDefs":2539,"style":30},"2dd422e4cc9e",[2535],{"_key":2536,"_type":26,"marks":2537,"text":2538},"4d553ce15756",[],"End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. Rather than proselytizing from a soapbox to Gen-Z and Millennials, we trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. With 50 chapters nationwide, our members and volunteers are committing endless hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.",[],{"_key":2541,"_type":22,"children":2542,"markDefs":2547,"style":30},"33277eadbf02",[2543],{"_key":2544,"_type":26,"marks":2545,"text":2546},"e2d16e59f9f5",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our End Overdose Boston chapter! We spoke with president Ben Lewis about originally discovering overdose prevention, his chapter members' diverse array of skills and interests, and much more.",[],{"_key":2549,"_type":22,"children":2550,"markDefs":2554,"style":30},"8e1ab52e84d1",[2551],{"_key":2552,"_type":26,"marks":2553,"text":403},"f888e827f149",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2556,"_type":22,"children":2557,"markDefs":2562,"style":30},"e53220496793",[2558],{"_key":2559,"_type":26,"marks":2560,"text":2561},"5a2030346276",[],"I became interested in overdose prevention in 2021 when I started to go to raves in Detroit. As many know, drugs can be a big part of rave culture, and I wanted to keep myself and my friends safe. I found End Overdose on instagram and decided to do an online narcan training. Little did I know I'd be founding a chapter in Boston two years later.",[],{"_key":2564,"_type":22,"children":2565,"markDefs":2570,"style":30},"a7606f67477a",[2566],{"_key":2567,"_type":26,"marks":2568,"text":2569},"bf31edd4c17f",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of Boston?",[],{"_key":2572,"_type":22,"children":2573,"markDefs":2578,"style":30},"9a2f0292d6d6",[2574],{"_key":2575,"_type":26,"marks":2576,"text":2577},"5853c5a2690c",[],"My experience as president of the Boston chapter has been wonderful. I hit the ground running by myself in 2023 during pride month and quickly gained interest from queer people in the community who later became volunteers. Our team is driven and always eager to volunteer, which makes my job easy :) I couldn't ask for a better group to work with!",[],{"_key":2580,"_type":22,"children":2581,"markDefs":2585,"style":30},"b16e11b3f0f5",[2582],{"_key":2583,"_type":26,"marks":2584,"text":435},"619f9502e949",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2587,"_type":22,"children":2588,"markDefs":2593,"style":30},"88780831c324",[2589],{"_key":2590,"_type":26,"marks":2591,"text":2592},"5f513a7efa18",[],"End Overdose Boston (EOB) is unique in that many of our team members are active in the overdose prevention space outside End Overdose. This includes healthcare workers, public health coordinators, drug researchers, and students. Our different backgrounds allow us to contribute unique perspectives when planning new initiatives around Boston. Largely, we've developed authentic connections in our city by drawing from our networks and emphasizing the importance of variety in programming. In the past year, we've reached different audiences at pride festivals, community resource fairs, fraternities, nursing classrooms, club nights, and more. Boston is a big college town with 35+ schools, so there's a unique opportunity to reach a young crowd.",[],{"_key":2595,"_type":22,"children":2596,"markDefs":2600,"style":30},"44aa14b2c399",[2597],{"_key":2598,"_type":26,"marks":2599,"text":1218},"e85265127ecf",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2602,"_type":22,"children":2603,"markDefs":2608,"style":30},"568de7ac6da6",[2604],{"_key":2605,"_type":26,"marks":2606,"text":2607},"7313e5e7e379",[],"Since our founding in 2023, we have trained 2179 people, distributed 1773 boxes of Naloxone, and handed out 7818 fentanyl test strips. We had an action-packed June and are prepping for another strong year. Another thing we're proud of is our work building a strong footprint on campus at Northeastern University.",[],{"_key":2610,"_type":22,"children":2611,"markDefs":2615,"style":30},"8a553f3e0b78",[2612],{"_key":2613,"_type":26,"marks":2614,"text":467},"f175e1f8246a",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2617,"_type":22,"children":2618,"markDefs":2623,"style":30},"f5c406a9b750",[2619],{"_key":2620,"_type":26,"marks":2621,"text":2622},"544d77dbb846",[],"EOB is a younger chapter, so we've grown very quickly and are always looking to build new collaborations. In the future, we hope to grow by partnering directly with new nightlife venues and concert series. This model has worked well for us in the past when it comes to recurring programming, so we want to build on this momentum. We also aim to be a more active voice in the Boston overdose prevention space by 1) holding more events 2) having more conversations with community members at those events 3) contributing to drug policy discussions. Our team is ambitious and we want to help shape the future of overdose prevention in Massachusetts.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-07-03",{"_type":252,"asset":2627},{"_ref":2628,"_type":248},"image-d505cfde718a84487be184cb0d2d8e5fe565884a-4284x2368-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":2630},"chapter-of-the-week-end-overdose-boston","Chapter of the Week: End Overdose Boston",{"_createdAt":2633,"_id":2634,"_rev":2635,"_system":2636,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2639,"article":2640,"author_ref":2761,"date":2762,"featured":2763,"image":2764,"slug":2767,"title":2769},"2025-07-02T17:03:11Z","900537e6-b1d6-45f7-b112-da6bf9c9f58c","GsKOZq1Zcw5bDPepBoHer6",{"base":2637},{"id":2634,"rev":2638},"gwEYttVu4IZzzez2WG6QGJ","2025-07-02T20:49:25Z",[2641,2649,2657,2665,2673,2681,2689,2697,2705,2713,2721,2729,2737,2745,2753],{"_key":2642,"_type":22,"children":2643,"markDefs":2648,"style":30},"dd014c4aed96",[2644],{"_key":2645,"_type":26,"marks":2646,"text":2647},"fedc78280938",[],"Alongside our amazing volunteers across the country, End Overdose is made up of a small staff team that makes the big things you see at events and in the community happen. We want to give credit where it’s due to our team, so we’re excited to launch our staff member spotlight! Our choice for the inaugural edition of this column is a no-brainer: Director of Community Engagement & Training, AJ Banuelos.",[],{"_key":2650,"_type":22,"children":2651,"markDefs":2656,"style":30},"bb835da2ea2c",[2652],{"_key":2653,"_type":26,"marks":2654,"text":2655},"0782fd28f1f4",[],"AJ is a vibrant, persistently positive personality who turned harrowing life experiences into an insatiable commitment to service since joining End Overdose. If you’ve been to a festival, a concert, an after-hours party, a community training, or anything in between, you’ve likely seen AJ leading the charge. He’s trained tens of thousands of people with an unshakable smile on his face and is a driving force behind End Overdose’s efforts to train every American on how to identify and respond to an overdose.",[],{"_key":2658,"_type":22,"children":2659,"markDefs":2664,"style":30},"b4cb027bd078",[2660],{"_key":2661,"_type":26,"marks":2662,"text":2663},"a8b6db0f502d",[],"Read on below to learn about AJ’s story and his work at End Overdose to date!",[],{"_key":2666,"_type":22,"children":2667,"markDefs":2672,"style":30},"1db79efcc566",[2668],{"_key":2669,"_type":26,"marks":2670,"text":2671},"b1b1a46dbd83",[45,402,231],"Can you tell me about your personal story? What inspired you to first volunteer for End Overdose?",[],{"_key":2674,"_type":22,"children":2675,"markDefs":2680,"style":30},"09e1b40dd7b3",[2676],{"_key":2677,"_type":26,"marks":2678,"text":2679},"ccece6e8e4fc",[],"I grew up in the city of Azusa, California, which is nestled in the San Gabriel Valley. I grew up in what is considered a dysfunctional family. My father had a long history with drug and alcohol abuse, was an active gang member, and spent years in and out of prison. This was my normal, what I considered being born into, the cards that I was dealt. My father was someone that I really looked up to and was the one person that I really wanted to be accepted by, he was my role model. Growing up in this environment, I didn’t see my behaviors and actions as a problem, I thought this is how kids in the city I grew up are supposed to act and behave, a sort of code of conduct that I was constantly watching. It’s no surprise that these are the footsteps I followed growing up, I didn’t know any other way to live. I started using substances like marijuana, alcohol, and inhalants at a young age, and soon graduated to methamphetamine my sophomore year. I had multiple run-ins with the law as a juvenile and adult, was homeless during periods of this time, and became an absent father in my 20’s. During my late 20’s I overdosed on opioids. This was by far some of the darkest years I’ve walked through, feelings of being alone and despair surrounded me. After years of battling addiction, I finally hit a ppoint of desperation and decided to get help. I've been clean and sober for over 4 years now.",[],{"_key":2682,"_type":22,"children":2683,"markDefs":2688,"style":30},"ec5b4baae0f1",[2684],{"_key":2685,"_type":26,"marks":2686,"text":2687},"93f551ad53d8",[],"What inspired me to be a part of End Overdose was just its overall mission to save lives, point blank. I really love the mission and what End Overdose stands for, saving lives by education and passing out life saving resources. I think back to that moment when I overdose, someone did their part to save my life, and that’s probably the only reason I’m here today. That’s what I want to keep doing and paying forward, inspiring and empowering people that they can do something",[],{"_key":2690,"_type":22,"children":2691,"markDefs":2696,"style":30},"d06c059da967",[2692],{"_key":2693,"_type":26,"marks":2694,"text":2695},"6a1844c3be39",[45,402,231],"How was it transitioning from a volunteer to a full-time role?",[],{"_key":2698,"_type":22,"children":2699,"markDefs":2704,"style":30},"a6dd4d646b5a",[2700],{"_key":2701,"_type":26,"marks":2702,"text":2703},"514d2c201d35",[],"Transitioning to a full-time role was a bit of a God send for me. When I first started with End Overdose part-time, I was working another job at BJ’s Restaurant which worked with my schedule. Eventually I started to work in the treatment field as I was going to school at that time. I’ve made it clear that I did End Overdose part time and these are the hours I had to work around. Swing shifts and overnights started to take a toll on me, and I was hitting a stage of burnout, I had no time for my own wellbeing and recovery. It just so happened that [End Overdose founder and CEO] Theo offered me a full time role within the organization at that time, perfect timing on God's part and couldn’t have happened at a better time for me. I remember just being so grateful to be a part of something so special. I am forever grateful to the organization for all that it has done and continues to do for our communities across the country.",[],{"_key":2706,"_type":22,"children":2707,"markDefs":2712,"style":30},"d57e7f157fc4",[2708],{"_key":2709,"_type":26,"marks":2710,"text":2711},"037ba525bad9",[45,402,231],"What lessons have you learned as a director at End Overdose?",[],{"_key":2714,"_type":22,"children":2715,"markDefs":2720,"style":30},"27c9536cb9f5",[2716],{"_key":2717,"_type":26,"marks":2718,"text":2719},"85a427225109",[],"I’ve learned so much in my role as Director of Community Engagement here at End Overdose. I can honestly say that this role has taught me how to be responsible and open minded. I’ve learned and grew so much from my early days of End Overdose in December of 2021. A level of professionalism that I’ve never knew I possessed and discovered.There is a strong sense of accomplishment when a task is handed to me and I do my best to get it done. Mistakes come along the way, but those are opportunities to grow! I’ve learned so much from the amazing team and network of volunteers I get to work with. I’m always open to new ideas and most importantly remaining teachable.",[],{"_key":2722,"_type":22,"children":2723,"markDefs":2728,"style":30},"beab0e351599",[2724],{"_key":2725,"_type":26,"marks":2726,"text":2727},"f92c1b31af23",[45,402,231],"What’re your favorite memories of working here?",[],{"_key":2730,"_type":22,"children":2731,"markDefs":2736,"style":30},"6060b6b278f5",[2732],{"_key":2733,"_type":26,"marks":2734,"text":2735},"f87de076b8b9",[],"One of my favorite memories of working with End Overdose was early on packing kits. I remember packing those kits and thinking that each one was meant to save a life. I packed those kits like nobody’s business with the intent on getting them out as soon as possible!",[],{"_key":2738,"_type":22,"children":2739,"markDefs":2744,"style":30},"bd8d9704d7d6",[2740],{"_key":2741,"_type":26,"marks":2742,"text":2743},"56338ba5459b",[],"Another memory that I have is just a constant thanks that we get when we are training. The gratitude that people express is beyond anything that I’ve ever felt, it is so fulfilling to hear that from everyone!",[],{"_key":2746,"_type":22,"children":2747,"markDefs":2752,"style":30},"25b37975e965",[2748],{"_key":2749,"_type":26,"marks":2750,"text":2751},"01125ea54689",[45,402,231],"What’re your ultimate goals for End Overdose?",[],{"_key":2754,"_type":22,"children":2755,"markDefs":2760,"style":30},"2cdf69b15bc9",[2756],{"_key":2757,"_type":26,"marks":2758,"text":2759},"3231b5cd0e00",[],"My ultimate goals for End Overdose would be to have a chapter in every state and have End Overdose be the go-to for any education or resources that someone is looking for in regards to overdose prevention and response. I want End Overdose to be the name you can trust. I want End Overdose to be the organization that everyone wants to work and collaborate with because of the level of professionalism and passion that they use to help spread their mission to save lives!",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-07-02",false,{"_type":252,"asset":2765},{"_ref":2766,"_type":248},"image-d1d4557d45142199a71bce6b47c2bef7b975a2c5-2700x1800-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":2768},"staff-member-spotlight-aj-banuelos","Staff Member Spotlight: AJ Banuelos",{"_createdAt":2771,"_id":2772,"_rev":2773,"_system":2774,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2777,"article":2778,"author_ref":2878,"date":2879,"image":2880,"slug":2883,"title":2885},"2025-06-27T19:31:27Z","4086a320-090d-4acb-8420-5c8d05ee6ab0","ViOmA9GVVHNmf2Sz8aM4ZS",{"base":2775},{"id":2772,"rev":2776},"nRQyU0Ud8JRqneicN3zjEl","2025-06-27T19:47:11Z",[2779,2786,2794,2801,2809,2817,2825,2833,2840,2848,2855,2863,2870],{"_key":2780,"_type":22,"children":2781,"markDefs":2785,"style":30},"4a063567d527",[2782],{"_key":2783,"_type":26,"marks":2784,"text":2538},"05a9725fa848",[],[],{"_key":2787,"_type":22,"children":2788,"markDefs":2793,"style":30},"6db3cbbb6c6d",[2789],{"_key":2790,"_type":26,"marks":2791,"text":2792},"0a31f4653a57",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our Oregon State University chapter! We spoke with president Maddie Dominguez about what personally inspired her to start an End Overdose chapter, on-campus relationships with Greek organizations, and much more!",[],{"_key":2795,"_type":22,"children":2796,"markDefs":2800,"style":30},"7ca1aa672ecd",[2797],{"_key":2798,"_type":26,"marks":2799,"text":403},"2696c9718833",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2802,"_type":22,"children":2803,"markDefs":2808,"style":30},"f52040551ea8",[2804],{"_key":2805,"_type":26,"marks":2806,"text":2807},"e66b4f722c29",[],"I became interested in starting an End Overdose chapter when I first came to OSU and was searching for a club related to overdose education. When I realized there wasn't anything like that on our campus, I immediately applied to the EO chapter program! I lost my sister to overdose in 2023, and after meeting other individuals who had been through similar experiences, I knew that this was something our community needed.",[],{"_key":2810,"_type":22,"children":2811,"markDefs":2816,"style":30},"44be74a9709c",[2812],{"_key":2813,"_type":26,"marks":2814,"text":2815},"0a9742a30613",[],"What drew me to End Overdose specifically was how accessible, action-oriented, and empathetic our approach is. I feel our no judgement approach to people's situations encourages individuals to ask for help, get educated, and carry naloxone with them. When starting our chapter, I knew I wanted to work with an organization that not only educates, but also empowers people to help, and End Overdose was just that!",[],{"_key":2818,"_type":22,"children":2819,"markDefs":2824,"style":30},"a5d231467cec",[2820],{"_key":2821,"_type":26,"marks":2822,"text":2823},"8e5cdfa0e84c",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of OSU?",[],{"_key":2826,"_type":22,"children":2827,"markDefs":2832,"style":30},"35e7ec40e003",[2828],{"_key":2829,"_type":26,"marks":2830,"text":2831},"b01539025d10",[],"Serving as Oregon State’s chapter president has been both humbling and super gratifying. It’s been incredible to watch our chapter grow from a brand-new idea from just last summer into a space where people feel safe talking about their experiences and personal loss. Volunteering as a student has taught me so much. I’ve learned how to lead with empathy, stay organized through occasional chaos, and advocate not just on behalf of my chapter, but for anyone who has been impacted by overdose and substance use. It’s one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done, and it continues to challenge and inspire me everyday.",[],{"_key":2834,"_type":22,"children":2835,"markDefs":2839,"style":30},"99416066e100",[2836],{"_key":2837,"_type":26,"marks":2838,"text":435},"74b07ad8f677",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2841,"_type":22,"children":2842,"markDefs":2847,"style":30},"9831e504ee34",[2843],{"_key":2844,"_type":26,"marks":2845,"text":2846},"ac6d98ef2e56",[],"Through our tabling on campus, we’ve been able to meet a wide variety of people in Corvallis and build authentic connections by having real conversations about very important issues and experiences. Being a part of this organization means being honest and being able to have deep conversations with strangers, which is one of my favorite things about it. I love being able to share passion with people I just met about something I feel so strongly about and am actively making a difference in!",[],{"_key":2849,"_type":22,"children":2850,"markDefs":2854,"style":30},"338f1c768ddf",[2851],{"_key":2852,"_type":26,"marks":2853,"text":1218},"1b58aa5e2d60",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2856,"_type":22,"children":2857,"markDefs":2862,"style":30},"1357a162db10",[2858],{"_key":2859,"_type":26,"marks":2860,"text":2861},"fcb30fd0bc5d",[],"In more recent months, we've been establishing a relationship with many Sorority and Fraternity members at Oregon State. We’ve had the privilege to work with and be hosted by fraternities, who have kindly welcomed us into their homes to present to their entire chapter. Events like these allow us to educate more than 100 people at a time, and distribute supplies to these houses and individuals super effectively! Through tabling events, we have also worked and trained many members across many Greek organizations, many of whom have expressed interest in us attending their chapters to rapidly train all the members in the future!",[],{"_key":2864,"_type":22,"children":2865,"markDefs":2869,"style":30},"8596d7db13bd",[2866],{"_key":2867,"_type":26,"marks":2868,"text":1230},"e2b7a0355468",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2871,"_type":22,"children":2872,"markDefs":2877,"style":30},"3fa331ce65dd",[2873],{"_key":2874,"_type":26,"marks":2875,"text":2876},"e4b4fe801536",[],"Long term, I hope we can establish a lasting relationship with more of Greek life at Oregon State, and normalize overdose prevention education within this community. They have been a very receptive group thus far, and we are excited to continue outreach with them in the coming year! I also envision our chapter becoming a central hub for overdose education for all students. I’d love to see us partner with campus health services to distribute naloxone more widely, maybe even expand our training into dorms and classrooms!",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-06-27",{"_type":252,"asset":2881},{"_ref":2882,"_type":248},"image-ac88c0a238e8edbc9338773b716a915d6b081ac9-1111x767-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":2884},"chapter-of-the-week-oregon-state-university","Chapter of the Week: Oregon State University",{"_createdAt":2887,"_id":2888,"_rev":2889,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":2890,"article":2891,"author_ref":2991,"date":2992,"image":2993,"slug":2996,"title":2998},"2025-06-20T16:29:44Z","523e63e4-90e0-474d-911b-9ca4e3ef04fc","V0RgqksO3h62scnbVf9yb9","2025-06-20T16:38:34Z",[2892,2899,2907,2914,2922,2930,2938,2945,2953,2960,2976,2983],{"_key":2893,"_type":22,"children":2894,"markDefs":2898,"style":30},"a623a572cbf9",[2895],{"_key":2896,"_type":26,"marks":2897,"text":2538},"da66a17088d9",[],[],{"_key":2900,"_type":22,"children":2901,"markDefs":2906,"style":30},"606f57827491",[2902],{"_key":2903,"_type":26,"marks":2904,"text":2905},"a62ba744f96c",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our University of Miami chapter! We spoke with chapter president Bobby DiCaprio about what he's learned throughout his time in a leadership position, bringing lifesaving resources to the University of Miami campus, and much more. ",[],{"_key":2908,"_type":22,"children":2909,"markDefs":2913,"style":30},"ab334b800a60",[2910],{"_key":2911,"_type":26,"marks":2912,"text":403},"a9393f7f393b",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2915,"_type":22,"children":2916,"markDefs":2921,"style":30},"fa56726a5d70",[2917],{"_key":2918,"_type":26,"marks":2919,"text":2920},"2cc4327649f4",[],"My interest in overdose prevention began at my very first music festival. I witnessed a drug-related medical emergency unfold in front of me, and while medical teams responded quickly, I couldn’t shake the thought that simple, proactive overdose prevention could have prevented the situation altogether. That moment stuck with me and inspired me to learn more about how to keep people safe in those environments. Since then, I’ve attended many music festivals and seen both the risks and the community that forms around them. When I discovered End Overdose actively working at a festival—offering resources, education, and support—it immediately resonated with me. I knew I had to be a part of it. It felt like the perfect opportunity to turn concern into action, and to help create a culture where people look out for one another.",[],{"_key":2923,"_type":22,"children":2924,"markDefs":2929,"style":30},"25af825f86fc",[2925],{"_key":2926,"_type":26,"marks":2927,"text":2928},"9537c552647d",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of Miami?",[],{"_key":2931,"_type":22,"children":2932,"markDefs":2937,"style":30},"57d58a04434b",[2933],{"_key":2934,"_type":26,"marks":2935,"text":2936},"31794497566f",[],"Being the chapter president at Miami has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I’ve had the opportunity to lead a passionate team of students and organizers, and together we've built strong relationships on campus and in the community. Whether it's organizing training sessions, distributing fentanyl test strips and naloxone, or educating students about overdose prevention, I’ve learned the importance of balancing logistics, outreach, and heart. Leadership in this role has also pushed me to grow—I've learned how to motivate others, navigate institutional barriers, and stay grounded in the mission, even when facing challenges.",[],{"_key":2939,"_type":22,"children":2940,"markDefs":2944,"style":30},"a5e3b86cf0f1",[2941],{"_key":2942,"_type":26,"marks":2943,"text":435},"d9a7ea2857d0",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2946,"_type":22,"children":2947,"markDefs":2952,"style":30},"b21181949c42",[2948],{"_key":2949,"_type":26,"marks":2950,"text":2951},"a393cba42685",[],"Authentic connection starts with listening and showing up consistently. I’ve spent time at community events, student org fairs, and tabling sessions just talking to people—hearing their stories, their concerns, and what they wish they’d known earlier. We’ve collaborated with student orgs, local health groups, and campus leaders to make our work accessible and relevant. I try to approach every interaction with empathy and no judgment, and I think that’s helped create trust. People don’t just see us as a resource—they see us as peers who care.",[],{"_key":2954,"_type":22,"children":2955,"markDefs":2959,"style":30},"737474e79a0b",[2956],{"_key":2957,"_type":26,"marks":2958,"text":451},"485e0175c2df",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2961,"_type":22,"children":2962,"markDefs":2975,"style":30},"abb1e98bc44f",[2963,2967,2971],{"_key":2964,"_type":26,"marks":2965,"text":2966},"59dd04ef91e8",[],"One of the most rewarding aspects of our chapter’s work has been the opportunity to engage directly with students and faculty across campus. We've hosted hands-on naloxone trainings, led overdose prevention workshops, and participated in panel discussions where we’ve been able to dispel myths and provide practical, life-saving education. These conversations often go beyond the basics—they open the door to deeper understanding about substance use, stigma, and safety. Seeing students leave a training more confident and prepared, or having a faculty member thank us for bringing this perspective to campus, reminds us of the impact we’re making. It’s those one-on-one moments—where someone says, ",{"_key":2968,"_type":26,"marks":2969,"text":2970},"cb4d73311f8f",[231],"“I didn’t know that, but I’m so glad I do now”",{"_key":2972,"_type":26,"marks":2973,"text":2974},"6a4758be94bc",[],"—that really stand out as the highlights of our work.",[],{"_key":2977,"_type":22,"children":2978,"markDefs":2982,"style":30},"395482779b53",[2979],{"_key":2980,"_type":26,"marks":2981,"text":467},"49cfe4b82388",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":2984,"_type":22,"children":2985,"markDefs":2990,"style":30},"04fba0f4165b",[2986],{"_key":2987,"_type":26,"marks":2988,"text":2989},"c46eb8c10518",[],"I envision a chapter that’s deeply embedded into campus culture—where overdose prevention is a core part of orientation, party planning, and wellness conversations. I want to see our trainings expanded, our collaborations deepened, and our resources available at every major event, especially festivals and concerts. I also hope to build a sustainable leadership pipeline so future students can take the reins and keep growing the mission. Ultimately, I see our chapter becoming a model for how student-led overdose prevention can truly save lives and shift perspectives.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-06-20",{"_type":252,"asset":2994},{"_ref":2995,"_type":248},"image-be53cfc9b6923c1bf806c1982c03d3ad7670ce02-1536x902-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":2997},"chapter-of-the-week-university-of-miami","Chapter of the Week: University of Miami",{"_createdAt":3000,"_id":3001,"_rev":3002,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":3003,"article":3004,"author_ref":3318,"date":3319,"image":3320,"slug":3323,"title":3325},"2025-06-06T17:49:27Z","c6bf9189-3153-4e6e-a6f7-c1f8f684ac61","Be4C4Zywi5lI0hXGN9uFow","2025-06-06T20:17:57Z",[3005,3017,3033,3041,3045,3053,3061,3069,3077,3085,3093,3101,3109,3117,3125,3133,3136,3144,3152,3160,3168,3176,3184,3192,3200,3208,3216,3224,3232,3235,3243,3251,3259,3267,3270,3278,3286,3294,3302,3310],{"_key":3006,"_type":22,"children":3007,"markDefs":3016,"style":30},"9b67d5d59455",[3008,3012],{"_key":3009,"_type":26,"marks":3010,"text":3011},"2da84de81efa",[],"Dying in Designer has lived multiple lives as an artist. Before breaking out globally with singles like “Lately” and “PTSD,” the Chicago-based musician cut his teeth fronting hardcore and deathcore bands throughout the MySpace golden age, then spent time touring alongside EDM artists, all preceding his eventual arrival at a reflective emo-rap sound that was strung across his debut solo album, 2019’s ",{"_key":3013,"_type":26,"marks":3014,"text":3015},"476303d77df7",[231],"Nobody’s Happy.",[],{"_key":3018,"_type":22,"children":3019,"markDefs":3032,"style":30},"0eab825fed36",[3020,3024,3028],{"_key":3021,"_type":26,"marks":3022,"text":3023},"c711ea7c70f5",[],"After a stretch of label turmoil that led his music to become shelved and spending time away from music due to a toxic relationship, he returned in 2024 with ",{"_key":3025,"_type":26,"marks":3026,"text":3027},"e5f4f5287a6c",[231],"Nobody’s Happy 2.",{"_key":3029,"_type":26,"marks":3030,"text":3031},"3c874dc31c0b",[]," The album was a fresh extension of the sound from his breakout debut, but Dying in Designer found himself searching for something new that seemed to elude him. That creative walk through the wilderness led him to the sound of his brand new single “Evil Eyes,” a heavy nugaze track complemented by a full band that redefines the possibilities of Dying in Designer. Wearing his nu-metal influences on his sleeve and making the heaviest music since launching his project in 2019, it’s a creatively bountiful cut that conceptually examines the judgement of others cheering for your failure.",[],{"_key":3034,"_type":22,"children":3035,"markDefs":3040,"style":30},"8ece9e217dd9",[3036],{"_key":3037,"_type":26,"marks":3038,"text":3039},"f439730b8ab8",[],"With a new sound and a revitalized sense of creative freedom, we spoke with Dying in Designer about the bands that defined his childhood and teenage years, his commitment to radical honesty with his audience, and much more.",[],{"_key":3042,"_type":3043,"url":3044},"1a3a19ee54c0","youtube","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDS3bGsZQz4",{"_key":3046,"_type":22,"children":3047,"markDefs":3052,"style":30},"c9d042703c9f",[3048],{"_key":3049,"_type":26,"marks":3050,"text":3051},"608294172eac",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Who were some of your earliest musical influences? What was bouncing around for you when this project started?",[],{"_key":3054,"_type":22,"children":3055,"markDefs":3060,"style":30},"334f0409a06e",[3056],{"_key":3057,"_type":26,"marks":3058,"text":3059},"aa899099a90d",[],"Dying in Designer: Early influences like Blink-182, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Slipknot. That was the stuff that really sucked me into that side of music. And then from there, I dug into a lot of the post-hardcore, the hardcore stuff. So stuff like Emmure and Silverstein and The Devil Wears Prada, long list goes on, but, yeah, those were some of the early influences. And, you know, as I've grown as an artist, getting older, I'm finding a lot of cool stuff that came out back in the day to stuff that's coming out now. And it's funny, like, one of my favorite bands was my mom's favorite band growing up, Alice in Chains. I used to like them a lot, but as I've gotten older, I really love them, and they're one of my favorites. Just, like, even just stuff as simple as Nirvana, you know, we grow up listening to Nirvana and Kurt and just all that stuff, and then as you get older, you appreciate it more, and you start digging into more of it. So, yeah, I like all types of things, and I'm listening to music constantly. It's fun to be able to listen to anything and find some joy in it.",[],{"_key":3062,"_type":22,"children":3063,"markDefs":3068,"style":30},"931109213039",[3064],{"_key":3065,"_type":26,"marks":3066,"text":3067},"3d9c455482d0",[45,402,231],"EO: I love that you name-dropped Emmure. I feel like they're never brought up and like they were such an interesting, pivotal band. I feel like they get overlooked in that early 2000s conversation when it comes to heavy alternative music.",[],{"_key":3070,"_type":22,"children":3071,"markDefs":3076,"style":30},"6f0b987a7f73",[3072],{"_key":3073,"_type":26,"marks":3074,"text":3075},"b97681c70fb4",[],"DiD: Yeah, I think so too. Like Frankie's vocals, his highs and his lows, the way they just sit. They sit better than anything. And you just feel it in your soul. He's screaming through you. It's amazing. And they're so heavy, like that beat-down, straight hardcore, and it's just gut-wrenching, some of the lyrics and the stories, but yeah, Frankie's the reason why I started screaming, getting into hardcore deathcore bands at an early age, and I'd probably say he's my biggest screaming influence when it comes to music. Yeah, I think they get overlooked a little bit. But people listen to Emmure, they got their cult following. People know how damn good Emmure is.",[],{"_key":3078,"_type":22,"children":3079,"markDefs":3084,"style":30},"0a87eb9ae2e4",[3080],{"_key":3081,"_type":26,"marks":3082,"text":3083},"ee0ae4ce5733",[45,402,231],"EO: I'd love to hear a bit more about being in hardcore bands before Dying in Designer because I feel like there's so much crossover between those two genres.",[],{"_key":3086,"_type":22,"children":3087,"markDefs":3092,"style":30},"cc08406e3f01",[3088],{"_key":3089,"_type":26,"marks":3090,"text":3091},"d5de0dd29abd",[],"DiD: I started this band called Victory At All Cost with my buddy Steve. It was the MySpace era. I was always playing in bands with different people from MySpace or school, and me and Steve were messaging on MySpace back in the day, and we linked up and we created this band, Victory At All Cost. My cousin joined the band, and then a kid I went to school was the drummer, then his cousin, and then, yeah, we were like hardcore deathcore, and we dropped an EP on MySpace, and it caught some traction, and we were playing a lot of shows [in] Indiana, Wisconsin, Chicago, suburbs over here. That was really fun. And then they ended up kicking me out of a band I started, and then I joined another band called I Killed Everyone. I think they're still around to this day, but that's like, straight deathcore. And that was a fun little project. So from like 15 to 18, I was playing in like hardcore/deathcore bands. So that's where that origin started. And then started a little rap project, and that kind of blew up. And from there, sold out House of Blues at a really young age. And I was touring with EDM producers and stuff like that. And then I went back to my roots and started Dying in Designer. I was like, I really want to make something with what I'm going through at this current moment, my roots, and mix hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, emo. And that's how Dying in Designer came to life. I started in 2018 and it came to life. 2018, 2019 [is] when I really started hitting.",[],{"_key":3094,"_type":22,"children":3095,"markDefs":3100,"style":30},"def693d20206",[3096],{"_key":3097,"_type":26,"marks":3098,"text":3099},"b461ad702164",[45,402,231],"EO: Would you say going solo gives you more creative freedom and the ability to really dive into all your influences, with Dying in Designer starting in 2018?",[],{"_key":3102,"_type":22,"children":3103,"markDefs":3108,"style":30},"dfb8bde8e399",[3104],{"_key":3105,"_type":26,"marks":3106,"text":3107},"d5e22e1c83f7",[],"DiD: When you're in a band, you gotta rely on a bunch of people and everybody's opinions and everybody's work ethics, and if guys are showing up, or if guys want to do a show. So when I started the Designer project, I'm like, I'm going to do everything the way I want to do it, and I'm going to say what I want to say. So it's kind of like DIY, building stuff out, and from there, just getting emotions out, being able to touch people and help them around the world that were going through similar stuff that I was going through. At the time, it was a pretty traumatic relationship, and anxiety and depression, and just feeling alone. So that's kind of where that all started, and it was really cool to be able to touch as many people as it touched. But now, where everything's going now is where I've always wanted to take this.It's just building out the chapters and this chapter is the biggest, most full sound, live band, it's heavy, but it's still impactful. The lyrics, the melodies, the production, everything about it is what I've always wanted this to sound like. There's so many cool things in what I'm doing now. So I'm excited for the world to hear, because this has been all along, what I've always wanted to get to.",[],{"_key":3110,"_type":22,"children":3111,"markDefs":3116,"style":30},"ef0e7e6c02d5",[3112],{"_key":3113,"_type":26,"marks":3114,"text":3115},"88f1d0c65810",[45,402,231],"EO: Definitely. How did it feel to have songs like \"Lately\" and \"PTSD\" really connect with people so deeply? How have you creatively evolved since that period?",[],{"_key":3118,"_type":22,"children":3119,"markDefs":3124,"style":30},"5651b5fa1fde",[3120],{"_key":3121,"_type":26,"marks":3122,"text":3123},"417537b929e9",[],"DiD: [During the writing of] \"Lately,\" I was in this toxic, up and down relationship, and it was written like a suicide note. I never acted upon things, but it was internal thoughts and how I was feeling, and that one blew up, right away. A lot of people to this day message me about it, share it on their stories. And it's got, like, a half a million saves on Spotify alone. People really love that song. So being able to be in such a dark place and get so many people around the world listening to it, and, you know, hopefully helping is really cool. It's a beautiful feeling, and I'm glad that my art was able to reach as many people as it did.",[],{"_key":3126,"_type":22,"children":3127,"markDefs":3132,"style":30},"3f47706baf03",[3128],{"_key":3129,"_type":26,"marks":3130,"text":3131},"b66b6692d6a7",[],"\"PTSD\" was post-breakup. I was dealing with a lot of different things out of that relationship and how I was feeling. I think breakups are inevitable – you can't get away from a breakup. Most people don't get lucky to meet their partner right away. So there's a lot of tough feelings in that. And I think that helps a lot of people, because most people do go through breakups in their lifetime. It's kind of a way to be like, \"I feel this.\" So yeah, both of those songs crushed and I'm really excited that they were able to help people. But yeah, this new chapter is kind of the best way to put it is big sounding, very impactful lyrics. When I initially started Dying in Designer, I had this nasally sad voice and flow, because that's how I was feeling. And I really sat in this and I was like, you know, I want to impact more people. I can't sound sadder than the listener. I've got to be able to sound like, \"Hey, I'm going through this with you, and I'm going to help you get through it.\" So there's a source of power and strength of getting through this. We all get through things. We all go through things, and it's okay, let's get through it. It's not the end of the world.",[],{"_key":3134,"_type":3043,"url":3135},"663785df2656","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G73iyifVfwk&ab_channel=HopelessRecords",{"_key":3137,"_type":22,"children":3138,"markDefs":3143,"style":30},"d2766374fa14",[3139],{"_key":3140,"_type":26,"marks":3141,"text":3142},"23b570a2f45d",[45,402,231],"EO: I've seen you've been very candid on a recent stream of videos on your socials about label issues and going through a relationship that sidelined music for a time being. What enables you to be so candid about these things and share with your audience so vulnerably, and honestly?",[],{"_key":3145,"_type":22,"children":3146,"markDefs":3151,"style":30},"4510a447d709",[3147],{"_key":3148,"_type":26,"marks":3149,"text":3150},"a45c038b390e",[],"DiD: I had an interesting upbringing. Everyone's raised differently. I never really had a father figure or a mentor or guidance. I had a great mother and a grandma. People always treated me differently, people hated that I listened to rock music, from teachers to classmates to friends or family. I was always unapologetically me. I think me just talking about what I'm going through is a way of me expressing how I'm feeling, and not being scared to do that. I wasn't really taught much. No one taught me how to be a man. So this is me being a man, and trying to get my point across and explain what's going on and being vulnerable. I think a lot of men, you know, bottle their feelings and are told, \"You gotta be tough and get through this.\" The suicide rate is so high, and men, because they don't have anyone to talk to, or they're programmed to \"you got to be tough.\" For me,I want to be able to at least explain that I'm going through this, and hopefully it can help other people in the process. Because if we have these thoughts and these feelings, and you're just like, how are you going to help anyone, if you're not talking about it? Or how are you gonna feel better if you don't talk about it?",[],{"_key":3153,"_type":22,"children":3154,"markDefs":3159,"style":30},"9eb55d1b23ee",[3155],{"_key":3156,"_type":26,"marks":3157,"text":3158},"dd1090d701ef",[45,402,231],"EO: I would love to now dive into the upcoming era with \"Evil Eyes,\" the concept behind that one, and how it felt right to make that the introduction to this new Dying in Designer era.",[],{"_key":3161,"_type":22,"children":3162,"markDefs":3167,"style":30},"f5894d04fad1",[3163],{"_key":3164,"_type":26,"marks":3165,"text":3166},"7a43fef7f04c",[],"DiD: Picking that one is the first one is interesting. Not a lot of people have heard this stuff. I've kept it very tucked and safe. Probably 10 people in my circle have heard this stuff. And it's funny, because my therapist does not listen to heavy music or anything. So I sent her a bunch of the songs, and she was like, \"Yo, 'Evil Eyes.' I don't listen to screaming, but this is a perfect song.\" It's just the storyline behind evil eyes. Like growing up, I've always had people who just didn't want me to win. People always viewed me differently because of the way I carried myself. I was always a quiet kid growing up in school, and, you know, teachers didn't really like that. I always dressed differently, always had band tees and long hair, and was always listening to music. When I was in grammar school, high school, people just bullied the fuck out of me for just being who I was. That translates in life – not everybody has good intentions. You gotta protect your energy and who you put yourself around with, and, you know, not really let people stop you from becoming who you want, because words are like a weapon. Someone can say something to you, and you can live with that the rest of your life, and it could put you down and make you feel worse about yourself when it was really just them doing it to hurt you. So 'Evil Eyes' just really explains people not wanting you to do well. It's like people want you to do well, but not better than them. So there's this source of hate and jealousy, and wanting the worst for you without you even really knowing it.",[],{"_key":3169,"_type":22,"children":3170,"markDefs":3175,"style":30},"838d61855511",[3171],{"_key":3172,"_type":26,"marks":3173,"text":3174},"f6a7c2f90ecd",[45,402,231],"EO: Sonically on this track, it's such a cool evolution into heavier elements – like you said, balancing the melodic with the heavy. Do you feel like you were able to authentically tap into some of your earlier influences that maybe weren't influencing your earlier eras?",[],{"_key":3177,"_type":22,"children":3178,"markDefs":3183,"style":30},"02dbb8309262",[3179],{"_key":3180,"_type":26,"marks":3181,"text":3182},"6eafeb4f97b4",[],"DiD: When I started this whole journey of this sound, I kind of blacked out in it all. My body, soul, mind was fully indulged in all this. Every song I would make, I would listen back, and I'd be like, \"Whoa. This is fucking amazing.\" I wasn't really sitting there saying I need this or need that. It just was how I felt. And this specific song, I worked with the producer from Ireland, and it was a gloomy, shitty, rainy day here in Chicago. It was not a good day. We built up the production together, and it was really quick. It was like, maybe an hour and a half hour Zoom call, and then I cut the vocals on BandLab, and then sent them back. When I went and actually recorded it, I got in the booth, and he was like, \"That was sick.\" I was throwing different layers on it ... It was all feeling coming into this one, how I've felt my whole life. Expressing the energy that I've always felt ... It was a really cool one.",[],{"_key":3185,"_type":22,"children":3186,"markDefs":3191,"style":30},"e16e27d17bce",[3187],{"_key":3188,"_type":26,"marks":3189,"text":3190},"89a7d85e465b",[45,402,231],"EO: I feel like the most interesting music comes out of flow states. Like you said, going in the booth, blacking out, and you have the song, rather than sitting around and trying to force the construction of a track.",[],{"_key":3193,"_type":22,"children":3194,"markDefs":3199,"style":30},"ab9fb00a8230",[3195],{"_key":3196,"_type":26,"marks":3197,"text":3198},"9f2143a1507d",[],"DiD: Everything I've been making has been like that. Like they say, you put your 10,000 hours into something and you're just a master at it, but like, I feel like a master in my craft right now where things are coming from places that I don't even have to think.",[],{"_key":3201,"_type":22,"children":3202,"markDefs":3207,"style":30},"af62a10ee5cc",[3203],{"_key":3204,"_type":26,"marks":3205,"text":3206},"b27dd77b9bb6",[45,402,231],"EO: The green LimeWire aesthetic of your new work is really interesting. Can you talk about the overarching concept of the new era, new project, and what we can expect?",[],{"_key":3209,"_type":22,"children":3210,"markDefs":3215,"style":30},"bca7eabcff33",[3211],{"_key":3212,"_type":26,"marks":3213,"text":3214},"d5fe4d1da48d",[],"DiD: I've been going through EMDR therapy, which is for trauma based things from my childhood and current life. It's really interesting. So I didn't put two and two together, but [EMDR is] like you're looking at a light well, processing and thinking about things, and it's back and forth. The color was lime green, which is crazy. LimeWire was so impactful for me as a kid that's always discovering all this music, but my room was in the basement, and I had the family desktop in there, so I was always downloading, discovering music. And, you know, just being down there, discovering this music, it was helping me so much. So when I started making all this stuff, I really put myself in the situation that shaped me who I am today. So it's a mix of both worlds. And I think in the sound you'll hear, it's really nostalgic, but they're still modern, so it's like a blend of the two. I just really listened to a lot of the old stuff that I grew up on, and I was dissecting the albums front to back, and putting myself in the mind where, you know, the artist or band was, and from there, that's how I kind of built out my concept for what's coming next. It's just really everything my upbringing to where I am today helped shape this out.",[],{"_key":3217,"_type":22,"children":3218,"markDefs":3223,"style":30},"ab49b79075e6",[3219],{"_key":3220,"_type":26,"marks":3221,"text":3222},"be888ab7f14e",[45,402,231],"EO: Those days of downloading on LimeWire were like the Wild West –you're just hoping you downloaded the right song.",[],{"_key":3225,"_type":22,"children":3226,"markDefs":3231,"style":30},"d7b0e1e07f9f",[3227],{"_key":3228,"_type":26,"marks":3229,"text":3230},"ffa9e14bed7a",[],"DiD: That was, like, the best way artists would market themselves. You'd be like, oh, yeah, I'm downloading blink-182 and it was a Thursday song. And you're like, \"Wait, this isn't blink-182,\" and you're looking up the lyrics, and you're like, \"Wait, this is the band Thursday.\" And then you're downloading all Thursday stuff. So it was such a crazy era where people were actually discovering music their own way. It wasn't force fed to you. You were finding things and then downloading it, messing your family's desktop up. You felt like it was yours. You had your iPod loaded up, or your burnt CDs and your Walkman, and you were like, \"Yo, these are my songs.\" LimeWire really spread music to everybody. I think it really helped shape rock music, because rock has expanded into so many sub-genres in rock alone.",[],{"_key":3233,"_type":3043,"url":3234},"93df94693422","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZBle2g98vE&ab_channel=dyingindesigner",{"_key":3236,"_type":22,"children":3237,"markDefs":3242,"style":30},"4d37d271f97d",[3238],{"_key":3239,"_type":26,"marks":3240,"text":3241},"15ebf653b766",[45,402,231],"EO: What do you hope listeners take away from your new era and the new project?",[],{"_key":3244,"_type":22,"children":3245,"markDefs":3250,"style":30},"03d3d9cb9dd3",[3246],{"_key":3247,"_type":26,"marks":3248,"text":3249},"1f0105825b47",[],"DiD: I hope that the music with the new era and everything coming really helps people realize that they're alright, they're going to get through this, that other people are feeling these things and [give them] some hope to keep going. The easiest thing in the world to do is give up. Anyone can give up at any moment. And you know, we need you here. People need you. There's so much more life to live. So I'm hoping that I can give people strength through my music, this new sound. I'm in it with you, and you're not alone, you're never alone.",[],{"_key":3252,"_type":22,"children":3253,"markDefs":3258,"style":30},"5ea52f6bcab2",[3254],{"_key":3255,"_type":26,"marks":3256,"text":3257},"7e4a18bd46fa",[45,402,231],"EO: What are your plans for live shows heading into the rest of the year?",[],{"_key":3260,"_type":22,"children":3261,"markDefs":3266,"style":30},"77508694b7ff",[3262],{"_key":3263,"_type":26,"marks":3264,"text":3265},"a0fe3ea0dfc2",[],"DiD: So I have a full band now. It started out as a three piece, but now a four piece. The fourth member is a surprise. No one knows. OG legend in the scene. So we got a full live band. We've been practicing every week. You know, the live stuff sounds really big and chunky and heavy. I love these guys. We really have amazing chemistry. Once we get this out to the world, and we get to play on stage, people are going to see we have so much fun. It's like the dream team. It's like watching, like, your favorite team win a championship. That's what it feels like with these guys.",[],{"_key":3268,"_type":3043,"url":3269},"52b5e5dddbf6","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcocMtILIa0&ab_channel=dyingindesigner",{"_key":3271,"_type":22,"children":3272,"markDefs":3277,"style":30},"22cd273b9691",[3273],{"_key":3274,"_type":26,"marks":3275,"text":3276},"b38e9b00a9c0",[45,402,231],"EO: One more question for you. Can you talk about how you approach not just in your music, but also your visual aesthetic direction?",[],{"_key":3279,"_type":22,"children":3280,"markDefs":3285,"style":30},"99aac20bef72",[3281],{"_key":3282,"_type":26,"marks":3283,"text":3284},"c528a46fd56d",[],"DiD: Looking at social media, not knocking the way anyone's doing it, but like we were talking about how music feels like it's being forced to you,there needs to be a source of us discovering it and having fun with it in art, going back to the art, not just \"stream our song.\" It's telling a story through your art. I wanted to really tell the story of what it was from the artist's side, not just \"listen to my song and send it to your friends.\" No, I want you to come and experience and feel what it felt like. So that whole storyline of the cinematic series has been dropping in bits and pieces. There's going to be a big, long one coming out soon. It's just that feeling of people watching you, having these eyes towards you. You don't really know what it feels like, why it's happening, and it's your feeling in the process. So it's kind of spooky. And I wanted to make it into a movie. I never acted a day in my life, and we're just sitting there doing it. We're having fun, so just being really creative with it and having fun, and not trying to do the, you know, Tiktok kind of way of pushing music, but kind of more like, \"Hey, this is back to art,\" and that's what I really wanted to do with everything. So there's so many cool things coming out. There's something I'm really excited coming out that I'll just drop it.",[],{"_key":3287,"_type":22,"children":3288,"markDefs":3293,"style":30},"10eea71705d4",[3289],{"_key":3290,"_type":26,"marks":3291,"text":3292},"cfe8405efbca",[],"Think about the nostalgic era. We grew up on cartoons, big time. Cartoons were our life, full of cereal and cartoons. So I built out a whole animated series around everything that's coming; the storyline of it, and with the band and how I met them. It's sick. There's going to be a really cool animation series coming out that's going to turn into a little movie, which is really cool. So, like, just different things, feeling what we used to feel, and having fun with it, where you could discover it on your own if you want to listen to it, heck, yeah. If you stop and check it out and you're like, \"Yo, this is kind of cool.\" The music will get to you one way or another.",[],{"_key":3295,"_type":22,"children":3296,"markDefs":3301,"style":30},"7bd9d2188b96",[3297],{"_key":3298,"_type":26,"marks":3299,"text":3300},"16121fa341f6",[45,402,231],"EO: Building that world for listeners to engage at whatever kind of depth they want to, from streaming the song to watching the cartoon, is really exciting. Is there anything else you'd like to add?",[],{"_key":3303,"_type":22,"children":3304,"markDefs":3309,"style":30},"ba55c27c0e57",[3305],{"_key":3306,"_type":26,"marks":3307,"text":3308},"01439df669af",[],"DiD: I'm excited for you and everyone to hear it, so thanks again for letting me get on the platform. I really appreciate you guys. And just want to say one thing to the readers. If you're going through a hard time, just know I think everybody is and you mean so much to people in your life.I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Not everyone knows how to show you their appreciation, but you're better here than not. So keep getting through what you're getting through. Life is never going to stop getting hard, but if you know you do it with a smile on your face, I promise it'll be so worth it.",[],{"_key":3311,"_type":22,"children":3312,"markDefs":3317,"style":30},"aae7b590a07f",[3313],{"_key":3314,"_type":26,"marks":3315,"text":3316},"7ce4edf74d2d",[],"",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-06-06",{"_type":252,"asset":3321},{"_ref":3322,"_type":248},"image-df1cd5c7e0e002de2fad4e257fb9c0d1b12cec30-3000x1593-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":3324},"evil-eyes-an-interview-with-dying-in-designer","Evil Eyes: An Interview with Dying in Designer",{"_createdAt":3327,"_id":3328,"_rev":3329,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":3330,"article":3331,"author_ref":3548,"date":3549,"image":3550,"slug":3552,"title":3554},"2025-06-05T18:02:55Z","3d6eef16-cacc-4369-a467-b4e26fd9fbf8","Be4C4Zywi5lI0hXGN8ZI0i","2025-06-05T18:27:43Z",[3332,3340,3348,3356,3360,3368,3376,3384,3392,3400,3407,3411,3419,3427,3434,3438,3446,3454,3462,3469,3473,3481,3489,3497,3501,3509,3517,3521,3529,3536,3540],{"_key":3333,"_type":22,"children":3334,"markDefs":3339,"style":30},"eded5e752a70",[3335],{"_key":3336,"_type":26,"marks":3337,"text":3338},"7afc0fbcd18f",[],"Mike Giegerich here! I’m End Overdose’s publicist, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been up to over the past month with our latest stakeholder update. This year’s EDC was our biggest EDC to date as we distributed over 20,000 doses of naloxone; we saw collaborations with names like The Used; and our team in Arkansas continued our mission to train 10,000 residents throughout the state.",[],{"_key":3341,"_type":22,"children":3342,"markDefs":3347,"style":30},"dc58eb4d4b4d",[3343],{"_key":3344,"_type":26,"marks":3345,"text":3346},"171e9cfef448",[],"Read on below for all the details (including our total outreach stats for the month of May)! Thanks for your ongoing support of End Overdose!",[],{"_key":3349,"_type":22,"children":3350,"markDefs":3355,"style":48},"723c88534027",[3351],{"_key":3352,"_type":26,"marks":3353,"text":3354},"4551b36e1595",[],"OUR MAY 2025 OUTREACH",[],{"_key":3357,"_type":252,"asset":3358},"c75393578afd",{"_ref":3359,"_type":248},"image-6fcac70efa5520bda8203cce22c806a8dd562c6e-1024x768-png",{"_key":3361,"_type":22,"children":3362,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":3367,"style":30},"4223c6db0041",[3363],{"_key":3364,"_type":26,"marks":3365,"text":3366},"f299af54b24a",[45],"754,461 people reached",[],{"_key":3369,"_type":22,"children":3370,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":3375,"style":30},"5e2ec8008c1b",[3371],{"_key":3372,"_type":26,"marks":3373,"text":3374},"af4f952b5c6f",[45],"36,700 people trained",[],{"_key":3377,"_type":22,"children":3378,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":3383,"style":30},"33c2a738643c",[3379],{"_key":3380,"_type":26,"marks":3381,"text":3382},"9ca19e39854d",[45],"32,263 naloxone doses distributed",[],{"_key":3385,"_type":22,"children":3386,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":3391,"style":30},"87c1360477d1",[3387],{"_key":3388,"_type":26,"marks":3389,"text":3390},"60a96e987e70",[45],"1,966 test strips distributed",[],{"_key":3393,"_type":22,"children":3394,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":3399,"style":30},"4633fc7d3c0d",[3395],{"_key":3396,"_type":26,"marks":3397,"text":3398},"ae4eb9b47774",[45],"56 events tabled",[],{"_key":3401,"_type":22,"children":3402,"markDefs":3406,"style":48},"a31b6a5296e7",[3403],{"_key":3404,"_type":26,"marks":3405,"text":2344},"f8ce96d66a8b",[],[],{"_key":3408,"_type":252,"asset":3409},"319e7edaad15",{"_ref":3410,"_type":248},"image-401946ee40d827f4c5aa62783848f3c70154e064-2700x1800-jpg",{"_key":3412,"_type":22,"children":3413,"markDefs":3418,"style":30},"5a42852da785",[3414],{"_key":3415,"_type":26,"marks":3416,"text":3417},"069ec0286af3",[],"We brought our lifesaving training and naloxone to EDC where we distributed over 21,000 doses of naloxone and trained over 10,500 attendees.",[],{"_key":3420,"_type":22,"children":3421,"markDefs":3426,"style":30},"3e20123e26ca",[3422],{"_key":3423,"_type":26,"marks":3424,"text":3425},"a395dc524f41",[],"We trained thousands more festival goers across festivals like Cruel World, Just Like Heaven, Forbidden Kingdom, Head In The Clouds, A Sublime Life Sobriety Festival, and many other destinations across the country.",[],{"_key":3428,"_type":22,"children":3429,"markDefs":3433,"style":48},"14c766c700d8",[3430],{"_key":3431,"_type":26,"marks":3432,"text":2400},"980693a836c4",[],[],{"_key":3435,"_type":252,"asset":3436},"8dba4dc49c95",{"_ref":3437,"_type":248},"image-6c57e5beaa97233e8a63f862570ec44d808f3ead-1022x768-png",{"_key":3439,"_type":22,"children":3440,"markDefs":3445,"style":30},"29dd439d644e",[3441],{"_key":3442,"_type":26,"marks":3443,"text":3444},"5bfbf1cbabc2",[],"Continuing our work with the Arkansas DHS to achieve 10,000 residents trained in 2025, we trained over 300 residents in person across 7 events and 4 long-form trainings.",[],{"_key":3447,"_type":22,"children":3448,"markDefs":3453,"style":30},"4e963efd8e7b",[3449],{"_key":3450,"_type":26,"marks":3451,"text":3452},"88f44f470f6b",[],"The Arkansas Times covered our work in Arkansas by speaking with our Arkansas Outreach & Fulfillment Coordinator Sierra Jeans about her work across the state.",[],{"_key":3455,"_type":22,"children":3456,"markDefs":3461,"style":30},"ac6e2292a97e",[3457],{"_key":3458,"_type":26,"marks":3459,"text":3460},"4ed07b37ca9b",[],"We also saw billboards go up around the state, promoting our free training and free naloxone with free shipping to all Arkansas residents.",[],{"_key":3463,"_type":22,"children":3464,"markDefs":3468,"style":48},"faed0b62a0eb",[3465],{"_key":3466,"_type":26,"marks":3467,"text":2372},"5cce8b8da4ad",[],[],{"_key":3470,"_type":252,"asset":3471},"b29871635e2f",{"_ref":3472,"_type":248},"image-e42e5d4bf8b04fcd122d077d868bac9db1f0e5e4-2700x1800-jpg",{"_key":3474,"_type":22,"children":3475,"markDefs":3480,"style":30},"a92a30766425",[3476],{"_key":3477,"_type":26,"marks":3478,"text":3479},"7baca7c61732",[],"We collaborated with legendary emo frontman Bert McCracken from The Used on a call-to-action that caught major traction on socials.",[],{"_key":3482,"_type":22,"children":3483,"markDefs":3488,"style":30},"d1f8b6b8da35",[3484],{"_key":3485,"_type":26,"marks":3486,"text":3487},"a4c025d882c4",[],"We further collaborated with End Overdose OG supporters Johnny HEALTH and Sextile, hardcore producer DEAD X, our friends from the I’m Peaking Podcast, and Riley Shiann.",[],{"_key":3490,"_type":22,"children":3491,"markDefs":3496,"style":48},"2f9166b2e3dc",[3492],{"_key":3493,"_type":26,"marks":3494,"text":3495},"359cf1e0279d",[],"IN THE PRESS",[],{"_key":3498,"_type":252,"asset":3499},"f08511760ae4",{"_ref":3500,"_type":248},"image-875dda25548f64fe0a17302d92694c1a0b45b52e-4284x2436-jpg",{"_key":3502,"_type":22,"children":3503,"markDefs":3508,"style":30},"5c257149c321",[3504],{"_key":3505,"_type":26,"marks":3506,"text":3507},"75d87f9d0a8c",[],"We appeared on Las Vegas NOW’s afternoon broadcast to speak with their team about End Overdose’s goal to distribute tens of thousands of naloxone doses at EDC. We additionally saw coverage from our friends at EDMTunes and I WANT EDM about our work at the festival.",[],{"_key":3510,"_type":22,"children":3511,"markDefs":3516,"style":48},"78d4323a9c1a",[3512],{"_key":3513,"_type":26,"marks":3514,"text":3515},"eab563eb36e8",[],"CHAPTER APPLICATIONS",[],{"_key":3518,"_type":252,"asset":3519},"4799dc4207a0",{"_ref":3520,"_type":248},"image-ad2eb86064f43a7cfbcb6fe963c5a3971a9d4072-2180x1180-png",{"_key":3522,"_type":22,"children":3523,"markDefs":3528,"style":30},"c1a26c077d93",[3524],{"_key":3525,"_type":26,"marks":3526,"text":3527},"958b871cbc25",[],"Our chapter application window ran throughout May – we’re now in the process of interviewing and welcoming new chapters to the 2025-2026 outreach year!",[],{"_key":3530,"_type":22,"children":3531,"markDefs":3535,"style":48},"84a5adcbef52",[3532],{"_key":3533,"_type":26,"marks":3534,"text":2420},"02cfa045555a",[],[],{"_key":3537,"_type":252,"asset":3538},"04451652ed84",{"_ref":3539,"_type":248},"image-490b01355d8ee2497fe7284e59a82b4d5f2abf35-1636x998-jpg",{"_key":3541,"_type":22,"children":3542,"markDefs":3547,"style":30},"64649a9bf47d",[3543],{"_key":3544,"_type":26,"marks":3545,"text":3546},"75cb1b1ce35c",[],"Our volunteer of the month is Katherine Kafkis! As the co-founder of our UW-Madison chapter, Katherine has been instrumental in making her campus safer (and has been able to volunteer at EDC multiple times with our HQ team). Thanks for everything you do, Katherine!",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-06-05",{"_type":252,"asset":3551},{"_ref":3410,"_type":248},{"_type":256,"current":3553},"may-2025-stakeholder-review","May 2025 Stakeholder Review",{"_createdAt":3556,"_id":3557,"_rev":3558,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":3559,"article":3560,"author_ref":3886,"date":3888,"image":3889,"slug":3891,"title":3893},"2025-06-04T18:47:12Z","9042f272-ccac-477f-8ab0-bd70ad03c64f","yO7itY9PAzaQqagh0R6xMM","2025-06-04T19:12:30Z",[3561,3569,3577,3593,3601,3609,3617,3629,3641,3649,3657,3668,3679,3687,3695,3703,3711,3719,3727,3735,3743,3751,3759,3767,3775,3783,3791,3799,3807,3815,3823,3831,3839,3847,3855,3863,3878],{"_key":3562,"_type":22,"children":3563,"markDefs":3568,"style":30},"8960a2efb652",[3564],{"_key":3565,"_type":26,"marks":3566,"text":3567},"02c824dae45b",[],"It’s not always easy to talk about drug use, especially with people we love. Whether it’s a friend getting ready for a night out, a sibling or child experimenting, or a classmate/co-worker casually using pills, speaking up about drug safety can feel awkward, heavy, or even confrontational.",[],{"_key":3570,"_type":22,"children":3571,"markDefs":3576,"style":30},"893d09faf750",[3572],{"_key":3573,"_type":26,"marks":3574,"text":3575},"5c469933eb0f",[],"But here’s the thing: these conversations can save lives.",[],{"_key":3578,"_type":22,"children":3579,"markDefs":3592,"style":30},"a4877dcfe98a",[3580,3584,3588],{"_key":3581,"_type":26,"marks":3582,"text":3583},"b541a5038654",[],"At ",{"_key":3585,"_type":26,"marks":3586,"text":3587},"43e8d31935b8",[45],"End Overdose",{"_key":3589,"_type":26,"marks":3590,"text":3591},"45bcea2c29c3",[],", we believe that overdose prevention starts with compassion, not criticism. We are neither for or against drug use. We are for safety and overdose prevention and response. You don’t need to scare someone into being careful– you just need to meet them where they are.",[],{"_key":3594,"_type":22,"children":3595,"markDefs":3600,"style":30},"961a73e79cf6",[3596],{"_key":3597,"_type":26,"marks":3598,"text":3599},"3edaf8046405",[],"Here’s how you can talk about drug safety without sounding judgmental:",[],{"_key":3602,"_type":22,"children":3603,"markDefs":3608,"style":30},"3b3371f02d34",[3604],{"_key":3605,"_type":26,"marks":3606,"text":3607},"56912d9dc5a5",[45,402,231],"1. Lead With Love, Not Fear",[],{"_key":3610,"_type":22,"children":3611,"markDefs":3616,"style":30},"1e82ffeb3787",[3612],{"_key":3613,"_type":26,"marks":3614,"text":3615},"2ec22b5fcefc",[],"Start the conversation from a place of care and concern. You’re not trying to “fix” them or tell them what to do– you just want them to stay safe.",[],{"_key":3618,"_type":22,"children":3619,"markDefs":3628,"style":30},"ce65ba7d61df",[3620,3624],{"_key":3621,"_type":26,"marks":3622,"text":3623},"53eeaa3f5c34",[45],"Instead of: ",{"_key":3625,"_type":26,"marks":3626,"text":3627},"6c76b64da0d6",[],"“You need to stop messing around with that stuff. You’re being stupid.” ",[],{"_key":3630,"_type":22,"children":3631,"markDefs":3640,"style":30},"958f000b5767",[3632,3636],{"_key":3633,"_type":26,"marks":3634,"text":3635},"d7448ea3f3c3",[45],"Try: ",{"_key":3637,"_type":26,"marks":3638,"text":3639},"c89c9e191784",[],"“Hey, I care about you and just want to make sure you’re safe with everything going on.”",[],{"_key":3642,"_type":22,"children":3643,"markDefs":3648,"style":30},"d1ee999e5c4f",[3644],{"_key":3645,"_type":26,"marks":3646,"text":3647},"0ff2c9d1feed",[45,402,231],"2. Share, Don’t Shame",[],{"_key":3650,"_type":22,"children":3651,"markDefs":3656,"style":30},"95a4d527d336",[3652],{"_key":3653,"_type":26,"marks":3654,"text":3655},"108707ad0ffd",[],"It’s okay to offer information, but avoid sounding like you’re lecturing. Think of it as sharing a tip, not issuing a warning.",[],{"_key":3658,"_type":22,"children":3659,"markDefs":3667,"style":30},"28606eb35a05",[3660,3663],{"_key":3661,"_type":26,"marks":3662,"text":3623},"94acbdaf8248",[45],{"_key":3664,"_type":26,"marks":3665,"text":3666},"4ebadb0705c9",[],"“You realize you could die from that, right?”",[],{"_key":3669,"_type":22,"children":3670,"markDefs":3678,"style":30},"920727fd095c",[3671,3674],{"_key":3672,"_type":26,"marks":3673,"text":3635},"6747c376b701",[45],{"_key":3675,"_type":26,"marks":3676,"text":3677},"bee4700e4a66",[],"“Did you know that a lot of stuff lately has been cut with fentanyl? I started carrying test strips just in case.”",[],{"_key":3680,"_type":22,"children":3681,"markDefs":3686,"style":30},"b0b4818a9f9d",[3682],{"_key":3683,"_type":26,"marks":3684,"text":3685},"74bcecf54f70",[45,402,231],"3. Offer Tools, Not Ultimatums",[],{"_key":3688,"_type":22,"children":3689,"markDefs":3694,"style":30},"f5f5e58e6d86",[3690],{"_key":3691,"_type":26,"marks":3692,"text":3693},"000826671bda",[],"Don’t give them an “all or nothing” approach. Overdose prevention is about small steps toward safety, not forcing change overnight.",[],{"_key":3696,"_type":22,"children":3697,"markDefs":3702,"style":30},"83f08a5da052",[3698],{"_key":3699,"_type":26,"marks":3700,"text":3701},"ca336b976d42",[45],"Try saying:",[],{"_key":3704,"_type":22,"children":3705,"markDefs":3710,"style":30},"30dca22cb6f6",[3706],{"_key":3707,"_type":26,"marks":3708,"text":3709},"1b15e21eb631",[],"“No pressure at all, but I have Narcan if you ever want it.”",[],{"_key":3712,"_type":22,"children":3713,"markDefs":3718,"style":30},"b65c65bdf53e",[3714],{"_key":3715,"_type":26,"marks":3716,"text":3717},"794fc1113ad0",[],"“I just ordered extra test strips– let me know if you ever want a few.”",[],{"_key":3720,"_type":22,"children":3721,"markDefs":3726,"style":30},"e38cdbc5cbbe",[3722],{"_key":3723,"_type":26,"marks":3724,"text":3725},"8b33bd0914f9",[],"Even just offering these tools plants a seed.",[],{"_key":3728,"_type":22,"children":3729,"markDefs":3734,"style":30},"32a971e5e710",[3730],{"_key":3731,"_type":26,"marks":3732,"text":3733},"27f7a8c700f2",[45,402,231],"4. Normalize the Conversation",[],{"_key":3736,"_type":22,"children":3737,"markDefs":3742,"style":30},"d3a4dc5a74d1",[3738],{"_key":3739,"_type":26,"marks":3740,"text":3741},"a2b65589867e",[],"Make drug safety part of regular conversations, not just something you bring up in crisis. The more casual you are, the easier it is to receive.",[],{"_key":3744,"_type":22,"children":3745,"markDefs":3750,"style":30},"ef244cd7ac05",[3746],{"_key":3747,"_type":26,"marks":3748,"text":3749},"d1584bf0c1c5",[45],"You could say:",[],{"_key":3752,"_type":22,"children":3753,"markDefs":3758,"style":30},"f1609873b5b9",[3754],{"_key":3755,"_type":26,"marks":3756,"text":3757},"3d0292eae887",[],"“I’ve started carrying Narcan in my bag– it’s kind of like a first-aid kit now.” “Some of my friends test their stuff before going out. It’s just smart these days since you never know what you’re taking.”",[],{"_key":3760,"_type":22,"children":3761,"markDefs":3766,"style":30},"385f678c620f",[3762],{"_key":3763,"_type":26,"marks":3764,"text":3765},"c9481f8e9ab3",[],"This shows that safety isn't weird– it's just part of being prepared.",[],{"_key":3768,"_type":22,"children":3769,"markDefs":3774,"style":30},"a795a956bcd5",[3770],{"_key":3771,"_type":26,"marks":3772,"text":3773},"b479b350decb",[45,402,231],"5. Listen First, Then Speak",[],{"_key":3776,"_type":22,"children":3777,"markDefs":3782,"style":30},"6e71ba04c490",[3778],{"_key":3779,"_type":26,"marks":3780,"text":3781},"a936e9683ac7",[],"Sometimes, people just need to be heard. If someone opens up about using, resist the urge to jump straight into advice. It can take a lot for someone to open up in the first place. Don't make it be their last. Ask questions. Stay curious.",[],{"_key":3784,"_type":22,"children":3785,"markDefs":3790,"style":30},"99fdd6a33ba0",[3786],{"_key":3787,"_type":26,"marks":3788,"text":3789},"c4b17bc26da3",[45],"Say:",[],{"_key":3792,"_type":22,"children":3793,"markDefs":3798,"style":30},"aa58e63a5ea7",[3794],{"_key":3795,"_type":26,"marks":3796,"text":3797},"f996b8650349",[],"“How do you usually make sure you’re safe when you go out?”",[],{"_key":3800,"_type":22,"children":3801,"markDefs":3806,"style":30},"1978fdb27cb0",[3802],{"_key":3803,"_type":26,"marks":3804,"text":3805},"103858b79fd9",[],"“Have you ever used test strips before? What’s that been like?”",[],{"_key":3808,"_type":22,"children":3809,"markDefs":3814,"style":30},"1f69e0047259",[3810],{"_key":3811,"_type":26,"marks":3812,"text":3813},"bbb53b69c45d",[],"When people feel respected, they’re more open to hearing what you have to say. ",[],{"_key":3816,"_type":22,"children":3817,"markDefs":3822,"style":30},"0071529d57ea",[3818],{"_key":3819,"_type":26,"marks":3820,"text":3821},"905c6c46a8ca",[45,402,231],"6. Keep Showing Up",[],{"_key":3824,"_type":22,"children":3825,"markDefs":3830,"style":30},"0fe9f961ce00",[3826],{"_key":3827,"_type":26,"marks":3828,"text":3829},"b8fc349352ea",[],"Even if someone brushes you off, don’t give up. These conversations matter, even when they seem small. You might not change someone’s mind today, but you might be the reason they carry Narcan next week, or test their pills next month.",[],{"_key":3832,"_type":22,"children":3833,"markDefs":3838,"style":30},"080dd19e7e38",[3834],{"_key":3835,"_type":26,"marks":3836,"text":3837},"03afd5e9c5a0",[45,402,231],"Final Thought: Be the Person You’d Want Around in a Crisis",[],{"_key":3840,"_type":22,"children":3841,"markDefs":3846,"style":30},"9485ce812a47",[3842],{"_key":3843,"_type":26,"marks":3844,"text":3845},"071ae00da514",[],"Talking about drug safety doesn’t require a medical degree or special training. It just takes empathy, patience, and the courage to care out loud.",[],{"_key":3848,"_type":22,"children":3849,"markDefs":3854,"style":30},"17e2403941b9",[3850],{"_key":3851,"_type":26,"marks":3852,"text":3853},"912f46624e94",[],"You don’t have to be perfect—just present.",[],{"_key":3856,"_type":22,"children":3857,"markDefs":3862,"style":30},"607e2bd44798",[3858],{"_key":3859,"_type":26,"marks":3860,"text":3861},"6785e0bca44b",[45,402,231],"Interested in learning more or getting tools like test strips and Narcan? ",[],{"_key":3864,"_type":22,"children":3865,"markDefs":3877,"style":30},"f43ef40a63d3",[3866,3870,3873],{"_key":3867,"_type":26,"marks":3868,"text":3869},"92417dafa371",[],"Check out ",{"_key":3871,"_type":26,"marks":3872,"text":3587},"fccf5082aa99",[402],{"_key":3874,"_type":26,"marks":3875,"text":3876},"56c98cb09797",[]," for free resources, trainings, and ways to get involved. ",[],{"_key":3879,"_type":22,"children":3880,"markDefs":3885,"style":30},"6982fa89230b",[3881],{"_key":3882,"_type":26,"marks":3883,"text":3884},"50a92048a495",[],"Together, we can make safety normal—and make sure no one feels alone.",[],{"_ref":3887,"_type":248},"1ca02aa5-937a-434c-bd50-5a2b80760c4e","2025-06-04",{"_type":252,"asset":3890},{"_ref":3539,"_type":248},{"_type":256,"current":3892},"opinion-how-to-talk-about-drug-safety-without-sounding-judgmental","[Opinion] How to Talk About Drug Safety Without Sounding Judgmental",{"_createdAt":3895,"_id":3896,"_rev":3897,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":3898,"article":3899,"author_ref":3961,"date":3962,"image":3963,"slug":3966,"title":3968},"2025-06-02T18:27:15Z","fce3ea56-b3d0-4a14-a1f6-7d10201ab6f4","cGOlrIPv1q3UOvfeJDTsKF","2025-06-02T21:51:11Z",[3900,3908,3916,3923,3931,3938,3946,3953],{"_key":3901,"_type":22,"children":3902,"markDefs":3907,"style":30},"d40a2a2d1dd0",[3903],{"_key":3904,"_type":26,"marks":3905,"text":3906},"2b5bdf758e0a",[],"End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our May Volunteer of the Month: Katherine Kafkis!",[],{"_key":3909,"_type":22,"children":3910,"markDefs":3915,"style":30},"5c7a7a43b108",[3911],{"_key":3912,"_type":26,"marks":3913,"text":3914},"e86e2ef5d321",[],"Chapter & Operations Coordinator Olive Younts says, \"Katherine Kafkis has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication as the founding president of the University of Wisconsin–Madison End Overdose Chapter. Taking initiative in launching the chapter, and successfully coordinating overdose prevention training sessions. Kafkis has focused on building partnerships that have been well received by both faculty and community members, fostering a safe, and prepared campus enviroment. As a graduating chapter founder, Katherine leaves behind a strong foundation, her leadership has equipped a team ready to continue educating and making an impact on campus for years to come.\"",[],{"_key":3917,"_type":22,"children":3918,"markDefs":3922,"style":48},"ad1373485401",[3919],{"_key":3920,"_type":26,"marks":3921,"text":287},"181bf280188a",[],[],{"_key":3924,"_type":22,"children":3925,"markDefs":3930,"style":30},"8fc4c4d2ceb0",[3926],{"_key":3927,"_type":26,"marks":3928,"text":3929},"d1c0bbd8be51",[],"I am originally from the north suburbs of Chicago and went to college at UW-Madison - just graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. I am moving to Chicago soon to start my new job as a patent engineer at a law firm. I am currently at Yellowstone National Park and hope to visit all the national parks some day - this is the 10th national park i've been to!",[],{"_key":3932,"_type":22,"children":3933,"markDefs":3937,"style":48},"8a9b4afea7aa",[3934],{"_key":3935,"_type":26,"marks":3936,"text":327},"8f9737fa88a9",[],[],{"_key":3939,"_type":22,"children":3940,"markDefs":3945,"style":30},"8de40f17d000",[3941],{"_key":3942,"_type":26,"marks":3943,"text":3944},"4069b0f7fbd6",[],"I started working with End Overdose my sophomore year of college when my roommate, Ishi, stumbled across one of their videos online. She shared this video with me and I immediately knew I had to get involved. I have lost friends and loved ones to overdose and knew that a resource like EO was something my campus needed. Ishi and I then started up the UW-Madison chapter of End Overdose and we both plan to continue volunteering throughout our post-grad lives!",[],{"_key":3947,"_type":22,"children":3948,"markDefs":3952,"style":48},"2efefaad5984",[3949],{"_key":3950,"_type":26,"marks":3951,"text":343},"883548f44080",[],[],{"_key":3954,"_type":22,"children":3955,"markDefs":3960,"style":30},"2f98676a0ddd",[3956],{"_key":3957,"_type":26,"marks":3958,"text":3959},"8613c0077b28",[],"My favorite memory with EO would have to be EDC 2023 and 2025. These are the only HQ events I have been able to volunteer at and I just love meeting everyone I see only on Slack. At events like these, the impact that we make as volunteers really comes to light as most people only express gratitude for what we do.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-06-02",{"_type":252,"asset":3964},{"_ref":3965,"_type":248},"image-fc3bba2c7df91c23753bb9218ef7629eafb2a13e-1816x1000-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":3967},"volunteer-of-the-month-katherine-kafkis","Volunteer of the Month: Katherine Kafkis ",{"_createdAt":3970,"_id":3971,"_rev":3972,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":3973,"article":3974,"author_ref":4068,"date":4069,"image":4070,"slug":4073,"title":4075},"2025-05-27T19:44:49Z","c8d169aa-c24a-4fd4-8f9c-69b074433db1","w0KOlnwko0ETAkZ0gtiT3f","2025-05-27T19:56:44Z",[3975,3982,3990,3998,4006,4014,4022,4029,4037,4045,4053,4060],{"_key":3976,"_type":22,"children":3977,"markDefs":3981,"style":30},"28ef7ac0ef07",[3978],{"_key":3979,"_type":26,"marks":3980,"text":2538},"f1040681449b",[],[],{"_key":3983,"_type":22,"children":3984,"markDefs":3989,"style":30},"477dea5064a9",[3985],{"_key":3986,"_type":26,"marks":3987,"text":3988},"5ed032f44216",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our UT Dallas chapter! We spoke with chapter president Aspen Hough about the partnerships she's developed in Dallas night life, distributing 1,600 doses of naloxone in just the spring 2025 semester alone, and much more.",[],{"_key":3991,"_type":22,"children":3992,"markDefs":3997,"style":48},"23a2bc6f3cee",[3993],{"_key":3994,"_type":26,"marks":3995,"text":3996},"6be0d46da2b9",[],"What sparked your interest in overdose prevention and End Overdose in particular?",[],{"_key":3999,"_type":22,"children":4000,"markDefs":4005,"style":30},"e549eb49429f",[4001],{"_key":4002,"_type":26,"marks":4003,"text":4004},"96dd4422661b",[],"I’ve thought about this a lot — why I care so deeply. I haven’t lost someone close to overdose, but that fear lives in the back of my mind. It feels like everyone knows someone. Someone from my high school passed away, and it shook our community. I’ve always believed that no one deserves to die, and I’ve never understood why that’s controversial. I first got interested in overdose prevention during high school when I did my capstone project on addiction recovery. As a neuroscience and psychology student, I knew I wanted to continue this work throughout my studies and future career. I found End Overdose through Cami Petyn’s TikTok, and soon after, I volunteered at Electric Forest. That experience was unforgettable and solidified how vital this work is. The second I got back home, I applied to start a chapter at UT Dallas.",[],{"_key":4007,"_type":22,"children":4008,"markDefs":4013,"style":48},"904ff44abf25",[4009],{"_key":4010,"_type":26,"marks":4011,"text":4012},"68afd7ada19b",[],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of UTD?",[],{"_key":4015,"_type":22,"children":4016,"markDefs":4021,"style":30},"02b1d889d4f0",[4017],{"_key":4018,"_type":26,"marks":4019,"text":4020},"3e607c9ce84c",[],"It’s been one of the most challenging but rewarding roles I’ve ever taken on. Starting this chapter from scratch, especially in a setting where overdose prevention is still stigmatized, hasn’t been easy. But every naloxone kit distributed, every conversation had, every life possibly saved — it makes the tough moments worth it. Through this chapter, I’m learning how to lead, advocate, and most of all, how to show up — for my community, my team, and this mission.",[],{"_key":4023,"_type":22,"children":4024,"markDefs":4028,"style":48},"324c7adbabdd",[4025],{"_key":4026,"_type":26,"marks":4027,"text":435},"3ab466e501b3",[],[],{"_key":4030,"_type":22,"children":4031,"markDefs":4036,"style":30},"1f3e87b17720",[4032],{"_key":4033,"_type":26,"marks":4034,"text":4035},"fb4698a0c425",[],"Most of our strongest partnerships have come from tapping into the communities our team members are already part of. I’m deeply involved in the Dallas nightlife and music scene, and that’s allowed us to build trust and visibility where overdose prevention is needed most. Our former VP, Pranav, was an EMT on campus, and through him we’ve worked closely with UEMR. Our new co-president, Hassan, forged our relationship with Hyperpop Hell, which has been incredible — they’ve supported our work consistently through hosting fundraisers and connecting us with other organizations in the community.",[],{"_key":4038,"_type":22,"children":4039,"markDefs":4044,"style":48},"73f07bc419af",[4040],{"_key":4041,"_type":26,"marks":4042,"text":4043},"757e42ca0cac",[45],"What are the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?",[],{"_key":4046,"_type":22,"children":4047,"markDefs":4052,"style":30},"8180981dcafb",[4048],{"_key":4049,"_type":26,"marks":4050,"text":4051},"7bcdbd7b4e67",[],"There are so many moments I’m proud of. This semester, We’ve hosted 22 events and distributed over 1,600 doses of Naloxone. We recently partnered with the Center for Students in Recovery, and inspired the creation of our University Emergency Medical Response team’s Public Health division, whose first mission was to get naloxone distribution in our university residence halls. Right now, my chapter is in the works of expanding off-campus into the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. And we are about to host a training booth at Illfest in Austin. I am so proud of the work that we have accomplished, and how we have been able to expand End Overdose’s mission throughout North and Central Texas.",[],{"_key":4054,"_type":22,"children":4055,"markDefs":4059,"style":48},"af68a12b38b3",[4056],{"_key":4057,"_type":26,"marks":4058,"text":1230},"dff3f9b07564",[],[],{"_key":4061,"_type":22,"children":4062,"markDefs":4067,"style":30},"8550a8d47c0a",[4063],{"_key":4064,"_type":26,"marks":4065,"text":4066},"a72819b1f1e8",[],"I want to continue to expand End Overdose throughout Texas. As we create new chapters, I want to unify and work together to maximize our impact in the state. I want to build a team that can support outreach at music festivals, nightlife events, and community organizations across Texas. There’s such a need for this work, and we’re just getting started. I also want to reach broader demographics — students, yes, but also sober living communities, unhoused resource centers, and beyond. My goal is for overdose prevention to become something normalized and respected in all these spaces.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-05-27",{"_type":252,"asset":4071},{"_ref":4072,"_type":248},"image-623e2cc854605190f43bc17bb7c3016e1306582c-1149x558-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4074},"chapter-of-the-week-ut-dallas","Chapter of the Week: UT Dallas",{"_createdAt":4077,"_id":4078,"_rev":4079,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4080,"article":4081,"author_ref":4154,"date":4155,"image":4156,"slug":4159,"title":4161},"2025-05-14T17:22:08Z","ef868b76-b684-4c34-a43b-b81b89a7700d","aop3SQ030KX6fw9fcqMu5I","2025-05-14T17:34:23Z",[4082,4090,4098,4106,4114,4122,4130,4138,4146],{"_key":4083,"_type":22,"children":4084,"markDefs":4089,"style":30},"0bf01a430928",[4085],{"_key":4086,"_type":26,"marks":4087,"text":4088},"dd67e3b2d089",[],"In 2025, End Overdose has teamed up with the Arkansas Department of Public Health to saturate the state with free naloxone and overdose response education. Leading the way on this initiative is Arkansas Outreach & Fulfillment Coordinator Sierra Jeans, a University of Arkansas graduate and Arkansas native. In tandem with Sierra’s work on the ground, ranging from training first responders and treatment centers to community event attendees and festival goers, End Overdose has made naloxone available for free with free shipping on our website for all Arkansas residents. To date, we’ve already distributed over 2,400 doses of naloxone and trained over a thousand residents. ",[],{"_key":4091,"_type":22,"children":4092,"markDefs":4097,"style":30},"1a589a3ca2b7",[4093],{"_key":4094,"_type":26,"marks":4095,"text":4096},"27dfc62db674",[],"There’s much work to be done, but we’re thrilled about partnering with the state of Arkansas and Sierra’s work to lead the way. Today, we're sharing a conversation with Sierra about the insights she's gleaned as an Arkansas native making lifesaving resources free and accessible for all. ",[],{"_key":4099,"_type":22,"children":4100,"markDefs":4105,"style":48},"dc198d96caa2",[4101],{"_key":4102,"_type":26,"marks":4103,"text":4104},"53dd5607399d",[],"What initiatives have you taken to connect with the Arkansas community? What sort of outreach has been most successful for you so far?",[],{"_key":4107,"_type":22,"children":4108,"markDefs":4113,"style":30},"116c99e82a67",[4109],{"_key":4110,"_type":26,"marks":4111,"text":4112},"a083f23c9d55",[],"I have taken more of an artistic approach to reach the Arkansas community. I have met with and started partnering with a lot of bands to promote our services to their crowds and music community. Artists have a lot of influence and tend to be very open-minded, so I have found that any artistic community has accepted our vision and mission with open arms and wants to get our services out to as many people within their reach. I have also heavily focused on non-profits. Non-profits tend to be undersupported in many ways, by offering them a free training resource to better serve their clients, word is getting around quickly about what we have to offer.",[],{"_key":4115,"_type":22,"children":4116,"markDefs":4121,"style":48},"21022a685004",[4117],{"_key":4118,"_type":26,"marks":4119,"text":4120},"c1b815e1f62e",[],"How would you assess the opioid crisis in Arkansas as someone doing work on the ground? Are there any gaps you see that we can fill as a nonprofit?",[],{"_key":4123,"_type":22,"children":4124,"markDefs":4129,"style":30},"4a05d90f7ab4",[4125],{"_key":4126,"_type":26,"marks":4127,"text":4128},"c8ee817997bc",[],"The biggest thing Arkansas struggles with in the opioid crisis is a very high dispensing rate of opioids (we are #2 in the nation) and stigma. That being said, a lot of Arkansas residents take opioids, however no one truly talks about it. One answer I have seen a lot at events when talking about carrying naloxone and asking event goers if they are interested in a training is \"I don't know anyone 'like that.\" People equate overdose with addiction or moral failing and not very many people are educated on the full spectrum of drug use. Even those prescribed opioids for treatment after surgery have a hard time understanding that naloxone is important to keep on hand. Naloxone can oftentimes be seen as an enabler rather than life-saving medication.",[],{"_key":4131,"_type":22,"children":4132,"markDefs":4137,"style":30},"ab28d2f24e41",[4133],{"_key":4134,"_type":26,"marks":4135,"text":4136},"e7286b511bac",[],"We can help fill this gap and the disconnect in understanding by just continuing to grow our presence and get our name out there in Arkansas communities. Word of mouth does wonders in southern and rural communities. We are working to build rapport and trust so that we can help fill those gaps and educate on the matter.",[],{"_key":4139,"_type":22,"children":4140,"markDefs":4145,"style":48},"22375316a647",[4141],{"_key":4142,"_type":26,"marks":4143,"text":4144},"d50149d795d7",[],"What events and outreach initiatives are you preparing for in the near future? What are your goals for your work in Arkansas throughout the rest of 2025?",[],{"_key":4147,"_type":22,"children":4148,"markDefs":4153,"style":30},"e0151e0b0ca6",[4149],{"_key":4150,"_type":26,"marks":4151,"text":4152},"ea99460dd5d6",[],"We are about to hit a super busy season in Arkansas. The weather is warming up quickly, so many community events are coming up that we are preparing to have a presence at. We are also scheduling countless teachers in service trainings for August to prepare and educate school district staffs on how to respond to an overdose. We are also working to fill gaps where overdose response services have once been offered within the state and are no longer being offered by various agencies. I am working a lot to personalize and change the format of our training for various groups such as law-enforcement or pharmacy workers.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-05-14",{"_type":252,"asset":4157},{"_ref":4158,"_type":248},"image-75581a27d5354b7b5778a6ea137af9e14246b779-1170x716-png",{"_type":256,"current":4160},"end-overdose-in-arkansas-our-work-to-date","End Overdose in Arkansas: Our Work to Date",{"_createdAt":4163,"_id":4164,"_rev":4165,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4166,"article":4167,"author_ref":4206,"date":4207,"featured":2763,"image":4208,"slug":4211,"title":4213},"2025-05-13T20:42:41Z","d96aad2f-2269-46af-9840-ee3a5a0654cc","3fcD5W5mzUlMZMR0JS7B66","2025-05-20T18:37:15Z",[4168,4176,4184,4187,4195,4203],{"_key":4169,"_type":22,"children":4170,"markDefs":4175,"style":30},"3ab5db6165a6",[4171],{"_key":4172,"_type":26,"marks":4173,"text":4174},"ac8ce7823c95",[],"Columbus-born artist Doobie has zig-zagged across sounds throughout his career while sticking the landing every time. After cutting his teeth in hip-hop as a keenly reflective penman on cuts like 2017’s “When The Drugs Don’t Work” – a breakout track saturated in descending highs and heartbreak – his first pure foray into rock was 2024’s “Early Bird Gets the Whiskey.” As Doobie puts it, while it’s a watershed moment for his catalog, the genre has always been part of his sound: “Since the very beginning of my career, I've always voiced how much I've been influenced by rock n' roll. One of the main reasons people started listening to my music was the fact I would sample classic rock songs in my beats and rap over them. Rock n' roll and metal was my first love when it came to music.”",[],{"_key":4177,"_type":22,"children":4178,"markDefs":4183,"style":30},"e93540dc87e3",[4179],{"_key":4180,"_type":26,"marks":4181,"text":4182},"4ff525a8eb3a",[],"In the studio with songwriters and producers Andrew Baylis (Jelly Roll, Sleeping With Sirens) and Conor Matthews (Megan Moroney, Austin Snell) for his debut rock album ‘GIVE 'EM HELL UNTIL YOU GET TO HEAVEN,’ Doobie has been able to capture the magic of his first love with each successive single. From the melodic “Early Bird Gets the Whiskey” and anthemic “Until I Get to Heaven,” to the swaggering, foot-stomping “Worth A Shot” and Jonny Hawkins-assisted “Stone Cold,” Doobie has quickly found a singular sound. “Baylis is a genius when it comes to production as well as Conor when it comes to songwriting and melodies,” he reflects. “Those two together plus me just isn't fair [laughs].” And while it’s a significant jump from self-producing much of his catalog, he affirms “I can just focus on the songwriting” with Baylis and Matthews in the fold.",[],{"_key":4185,"_type":3043,"url":4186},"270eb378bc03","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XJEViHNZHA&ab_channel=Doobie",{"_key":4188,"_type":22,"children":4189,"markDefs":4194,"style":30},"8e5e96cea014",[4190],{"_key":4191,"_type":26,"marks":4192,"text":4193},"cb6cefe94746",[],"A major component of what’s made Doobie connect so deeply with listeners is his unflinching honesty as a songwriter. Whether it’s exploring the pitfalls of romance or hurdles that come with addiction, Doobie’s work has never shied away from genuine vulnerability. And while it’s become an inseparable part of his time in music, Doobie initially never expected his life experiences to resonate at such a profound level with others. “The wildest part about it is when I first started, I felt like I was just making the music for me…usually about what I was going through or been through, but it's not until I actually started releasing songs that I realized I was making music for others as well...which is what kind of helped me realize that maybe I'm not as alone as I thought I was.” He certainly isn’t alone and has captured the hearts and minds of an increasingly fervorous fanbase in the process.",[],{"_key":4196,"_type":22,"children":4197,"markDefs":4202,"style":30},"580f47efd50b",[4198],{"_key":4199,"_type":26,"marks":4200,"text":4201},"0ee9311857ab",[],"When it comes to the ethos as a creative that will underscore ‘GIVE 'EM HELL UNTIL YOU GET TO HEAVEN,’ Doobie is crystal clear: listeners will see “an unapologetic human being who's not scared to believe in myself...I say it all the time, this album is the soundtrack to my redemption and all the lessons it took to get here!” It’s a powerful mission statement which he takes a step further when asked what his ultimate vision is as an artist: “#1 record on Billboard, #1 record at radio, arenas, stadiums, Grammys...I feel like this album is going to take me places I've never been before!” With a rapidly expanding audience and a drive to explore a vast array of sounds that inspire him, all without creative constraints, Doobie is well on his way to those headline moments that define a rock star.",[],{"_key":4204,"_type":3043,"url":4205},"7a4b7dd64612","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSvZYf-dpEs&ab_channel=Doobie",{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-05-13",{"_type":252,"asset":4209},{"_ref":4210,"_type":248},"image-92a59770c3b6cca06615b56876c11967382b4d1a-800x481-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4212},"soundtrack-to-redemption-an-interview-with-doobie","Soundtrack to Redemption: An Interview with Doobie",{"_createdAt":4215,"_id":4216,"_rev":4217,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4218,"article":4219,"author_ref":4284,"date":4285,"image":4286,"slug":4289,"title":4291},"2025-05-12T21:28:17Z","0b85550b-6367-44c1-8d0e-fefbc014aca7","aop3SQ030KX6fw9fcfQr6u","2025-05-12T22:04:55Z",[4220,4228,4236,4244,4252,4260,4268,4276],{"_key":4221,"_type":22,"children":4222,"markDefs":4227,"style":30},"a5f832dae5df",[4223],{"_key":4224,"_type":26,"marks":4225,"text":4226},"a50b96c23d50",[],"End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our April Volunteer of the Month: Eva Crudo!",[],{"_key":4229,"_type":22,"children":4230,"markDefs":4235,"style":30},"82b92c65afe4",[4231],{"_key":4232,"_type":26,"marks":4233,"text":4234},"64d5a6ba45b5",[],"Chapter & Operations Coordinator Olive Younts says, \"Eva Crudo’s journey at the University of Arizona has been amplified by her passion for community and leadership. As the founder and Chapter President of the University of Arizona chapter, she has created a lasting impact on campus by providing life-saving resources to her peers. Thanks to Eva, the University of Arizona chapter has flourished, leaving a campus that is both safer and better equipped to support its community. As Eva prepares to graduate, her dedication to overdose prevention and education will continue to inspire and shape the future of the chapter.\"",[],{"_key":4237,"_type":22,"children":4238,"markDefs":4243,"style":48},"94c88dc4aa9a",[4239],{"_key":4240,"_type":26,"marks":4241,"text":4242},"08cd89329d40",[],"Eva's story",[],{"_key":4245,"_type":22,"children":4246,"markDefs":4251,"style":30},"8c2d96110fb7",[4247],{"_key":4248,"_type":26,"marks":4249,"text":4250},"ada39583b54c",[],"I'm a senior at the University of Arizona, originally from San Diego, and I'm about to start medical school. Helping others has always been something I care deeply about. I started an End Overdose chapter on campus because I noticed how big of an issue opioid overdoses were in the community and wanted to help. Getting involved in this kind of outreach showed me how even small actions can make a big difference.",[],{"_key":4253,"_type":22,"children":4254,"markDefs":4259,"style":48},"f9429fa65352",[4255],{"_key":4256,"_type":26,"marks":4257,"text":4258},"2c483adca4c2",[],"Inspiration and End Overdose",[],{"_key":4261,"_type":22,"children":4262,"markDefs":4267,"style":30},"1ac6138e4587",[4263],{"_key":4264,"_type":26,"marks":4265,"text":4266},"eb20cdfb92ba",[],"\nWhat inspired me was how direct and meaningful the work is. Before starting a chapter of End Overdose, I didn’t realize just how big of an issue this was or how many people in our own community were being affected. End Overdose gave me a way to take action and make a real impact. The idea that something as simple as handing someone naloxone could save a life made me want to be part of it.",[],{"_key":4269,"_type":22,"children":4270,"markDefs":4275,"style":48},"ca0495adece2",[4271],{"_key":4272,"_type":26,"marks":4273,"text":4274},"9d7eee3fe0ac",[],"More Than One Memory",[],{"_key":4277,"_type":22,"children":4278,"markDefs":4283,"style":30},"273b4015562a",[4279],{"_key":4280,"_type":26,"marks":4281,"text":4282},"67b004160c3b",[],"I don’t have just one favorite memory. What stands out the most are the conversations I’ve had with people in the community. Whether it’s talking to someone who’s lost a loved one to this crisis or helping a student feel more confident using naloxone, those moments remind me why this work matters. It’s those real human interactions that have meant the most to me and have been my favorite part of volunteering with End Overdose.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-05-12",{"_type":252,"asset":4287},{"_ref":4288,"_type":248},"image-cc7a17fc32c2d1644d7644d9bdba663265147223-3024x1523-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4290},"volunteer-of-the-month-eva-crudo","Volunteer of the Month: Eva Crudo",{"_createdAt":4293,"_id":4294,"_rev":4295,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4296,"article":4297,"author_ref":4435,"date":4436,"image":4437,"slug":4440,"title":4442},"2025-05-07T19:12:03Z","0e3a48bb-7237-4d79-aa75-723911297767","uAlquIr9RZmcVgmhTe1sNZ","2025-05-07T19:29:51Z",[4298,4306,4314,4318,4326,4334,4342,4350,4357,4361,4369,4377,4381,4389,4397,4404,4408,4416,4423,4427],{"_key":4299,"_type":22,"children":4300,"markDefs":4305,"style":30},"9d9742ffb2ec",[4301],{"_key":4302,"_type":26,"marks":4303,"text":4304},"4aabf8cbde81",[],"Mike Giegerich here! I’m End Overdose’s publicist, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been up to over the past month with our latest stakeholder update. April was another major set of moments for End Overdose, from training at Coachella and Stagecoach to collaborating with D1 football players and receiving press for our work in the state of Arkansas. Read on below for all the details and stay tuned for an exciting May ahead!",[],{"_key":4307,"_type":22,"children":4308,"markDefs":4313,"style":48},"c04078376daa",[4309],{"_key":4310,"_type":26,"marks":4311,"text":4312},"563d1938ad6e",[45],"OUR APRIL STATISTICS",[],{"_key":4315,"_type":252,"asset":4316},"ff13b73e0125",{"_ref":4317,"_type":248},"image-5a5688a745ea4dc48856cf4fd9489063d28ffa74-1024x768-png",{"_key":4319,"_type":22,"children":4320,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":4325,"style":30},"116006cd1cd9",[4321],{"_key":4322,"_type":26,"marks":4323,"text":4324},"a7ed20de9eda",[],"We reached 418,000+ people",[],{"_key":4327,"_type":22,"children":4328,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":4333,"style":30},"1781d0566f3d",[4329],{"_key":4330,"_type":26,"marks":4331,"text":4332},"781859156355",[],"We distributed 16,900+ doses of naloxone",[],{"_key":4335,"_type":22,"children":4336,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":4341,"style":30},"03fd7af5994c",[4337],{"_key":4338,"_type":26,"marks":4339,"text":4340},"e80b7623bc56",[],"We trained 10,500+ people",[],{"_key":4343,"_type":22,"children":4344,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":4349,"style":30},"00e0d571b889",[4345],{"_key":4346,"_type":26,"marks":4347,"text":4348},"1a2a6d9584c6",[],"We distributed 5,800+ fentanyl test strips",[],{"_key":4351,"_type":22,"children":4352,"markDefs":4356,"style":48},"30f9d03a6b2f",[4353],{"_key":4354,"_type":26,"marks":4355,"text":2372},"3350e44916a9",[45],[],{"_key":4358,"_type":252,"asset":4359},"11f59153f7bf",{"_ref":4360,"_type":248},"image-2edef6ac54fbcdab97bcf219883ec8258d97e133-2048x1364-png",{"_key":4362,"_type":22,"children":4363,"markDefs":4368,"style":30},"3498bd5e2bac",[4364],{"_key":4365,"_type":26,"marks":4366,"text":4367},"f1cdebf254c0",[],"We collaborated with Colorado State playmakers Jordan McIntyre and Jake Jarmo alongside Bowling Green defensive lineman to raise awareness around our overdose response training and naloxone. We additionally collaborated with model JAKI and interviewed prolific electronic producer GudFella for the End Overdose blog.",[],{"_key":4370,"_type":22,"children":4371,"markDefs":4376,"style":48},"b8738357ed05",[4372],{"_key":4373,"_type":26,"marks":4374,"text":4375},"345c56a4cd5d",[45],"IN THE COMMUNITY",[],{"_key":4378,"_type":252,"asset":4379},"e1d8ac8c0ed8",{"_ref":4380,"_type":248},"image-1cae4e8191547aaf6f1d0cb8157efa4ff4dda6da-3024x4032-jpg",{"_key":4382,"_type":22,"children":4383,"markDefs":4388,"style":30},"11996039125c",[4384],{"_key":4385,"_type":26,"marks":4386,"text":4387},"a2422647589e",[],"We had a massive month on the ground, training at festivals including Coachella, Stagecoach, Starbase, and Breakaway Tampa and Arizona. We trained over 2,700 attendees and distributed over 5,500 doses of naloxone at Coachella alone!",[],{"_key":4390,"_type":22,"children":4391,"markDefs":4396,"style":30},"a58f6482592d",[4392],{"_key":4393,"_type":26,"marks":4394,"text":4395},"a453b69c1cc7",[],"We offered additional overdose response trainings at Citrus College, the Cal State LA health fair, El Segundo High School, Skyline Recovery Center, and many more locales in Southern California and across the country.",[],{"_key":4398,"_type":22,"children":4399,"markDefs":4403,"style":48},"f83105ff3407",[4400],{"_key":4401,"_type":26,"marks":4402,"text":3495},"fc37e26f5bea",[45],[],{"_key":4405,"_type":252,"asset":4406},"98e4023b119c",{"_ref":4407,"_type":248},"image-79f896fd32082d5bf9668021df3a01bb55dd1c0c-1774x1160-png",{"_key":4409,"_type":22,"children":4410,"markDefs":4415,"style":30},"a383da6324d8",[4411],{"_key":4412,"_type":26,"marks":4413,"text":4414},"8024ea863627",[],"Our Arkansas Outreach & Fulfillment Coordinator Sierra Jeans was interviewed by NPR-affiliate KUAF about our work in tandem with the state’s DPH. Additionally, our Director of Operations Maddie Ward was interviewed by the CV Independent and Joshua Tree Voice about our work on the ground at Coachella and Stagecoach. Our founder and CEO Theo Krzywicki was also interviewed by New Noise Magazine about End Overdose’s mission and work.",[],{"_key":4417,"_type":22,"children":4418,"markDefs":4422,"style":48},"aecf70b525e9",[4419],{"_key":4420,"_type":26,"marks":4421,"text":2420},"fb419b179d37",[45],[],{"_key":4424,"_type":252,"asset":4425},"93472b98a382",{"_ref":4426,"_type":248},"image-df00f1577c0a65abee957beaff30d82071e7c32c-3024x4032-jpg",{"_key":4428,"_type":22,"children":4429,"markDefs":4434,"style":30},"90a163730a10",[4430],{"_key":4431,"_type":26,"marks":4432,"text":4433},"5e1744902b72",[],"Our April volunteer of the month was University of Arizona president Eva Crudo! When asked about her favorite memory volunteering for End Overdose, she says, “What stands out the most are the conversations I’ve had with people in the community. Whether it’s talking to someone who’s lost a loved one to this crisis or helping a student feel more confident using naloxone, those moments remind me why this work matters. It’s those real human interactions that have meant the most to me and have been my favorite part of volunteering with End Overdose.”",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2025-05-07",{"_type":252,"asset":4438},{"_ref":4439,"_type":248},"image-7d2dcee43ed188d95dc45638e057cd8d18f95144-2048x1536-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4441},"stakeholder-review-or-april-2025","Stakeholder Review | April 2025",{"_createdAt":4444,"_id":4445,"_rev":4446,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4447,"article":4448,"author_ref":4519,"date":4520,"image":4521,"slug":4524,"title":4526},"2025-05-02T16:19:33Z","7a609678-bd9f-4dfd-a432-0b9041cb7355","1XBptDw6pAQ6yxY1XfG7wK","2025-05-05T18:06:48Z",[4449,4456,4464,4475,4491],{"_key":4450,"_type":22,"children":4451,"markDefs":4455,"style":30},"a2618055bf8c",[4452],{"_key":4453,"_type":26,"marks":4454,"text":2538},"91724a497402",[],[],{"_key":4457,"_type":22,"children":4458,"markDefs":4463,"style":30},"06e50affa510",[4459],{"_key":4460,"_type":26,"marks":4461,"text":4462},"cf69a186e8c1",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our Cleveland chapter! We spoke with chapter president Mercee Randall about nightlife outreach, hosting events to train hundreds of community members, and much more. ",[],{"_key":4465,"_type":22,"children":4466,"markDefs":4474,"style":30},"377a25b34f1c",[4467,4470],{"_key":4468,"_type":26,"marks":4469,"text":403},"07c671dc9c95",[45,402,231],{"_key":4471,"_type":26,"marks":4472,"text":4473},"a70c6d75a256",[],"\nI have followed End Overdose on social media for years and have always loved what they stood for. The approach they use to tackle the overdose crisis is innovative and community-focused, which stood out to me. Unfortunately, Cleveland experiences high rates of overdose and drug use. So, when I saw that they were opening up applications for new chapters, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew that the city would benefit from EO and the resources it brought.",[],{"_key":4476,"_type":22,"children":4477,"markDefs":4490,"style":30},"fa1369ee3325",[4478,4482,4486],{"_key":4479,"_type":26,"marks":4480,"text":4481},"66ba944071d0",[],"\n",{"_key":4483,"_type":26,"marks":4484,"text":4485},"78d6a6ae6de4",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of Cleveland?",{"_key":4487,"_type":26,"marks":4488,"text":4489},"5d03423a8d5c",[],"\nBeing president of the Cleveland chapter has been such a meaningful experience. I have enjoyed sharing my passion for public health and overdose prevention with my executive members and seeing it take root and develop in them, too. Their dedication to this chapter has made leading this chapter extremely rewarding. Originally, our team was aiming to become a college chapter, but we encountered some setbacks that prevented us from doing so this year. I am so grateful for the team’s flexibility and willingness to adjust as needed, and I’m excited to watch the chapter develop in the next few years.",[],{"_key":4492,"_type":22,"children":4493,"markDefs":4518,"style":30},"d137e4d1dfb3",[4494,4497,4500,4504,4507,4511,4514],{"_key":4495,"_type":26,"marks":4496,"text":4481},"199829f07ed3",[],{"_key":4498,"_type":26,"marks":4499,"text":435},"d8e0989f711f",[45,402,231],{"_key":4501,"_type":26,"marks":4502,"text":4503},"2c03549fcf4a",[],"\nSo far, the chapter has focused on outreach with student life and student-led organizations. We have reached out to nightlife and have some events planned for the fall, which we are super excited about. This role has allowed me to connect with the city in a way that I hadn’t before. Doing outreach and having conversations with people who have been affected by the overdose epidemic has given me the chance to develop a greater appreciation for Cleveland. Working together to mitigate this crisis has cultivated a sense of unity throughout the community.\n\n",{"_key":4505,"_type":26,"marks":4506,"text":4043},"e0ce3740cf9c",[45,402,231],{"_key":4508,"_type":26,"marks":4509,"text":4510},"1b78ac645d6d",[],"\nDespite getting a slow start to our chapter, I am incredibly proud of what the team has been able to achieve in such a short amount of time. We have hosted five events this year and have been able to train over 250 people in overdose response and prevention. One of my favorite things about training people is that it opens up such meaningful conversations. EO isn’t just about distributing supplies and teaching people how to use them. It creates opportunities where people can share their own stories and connect with our mission in a personal way. Having these conversations encourages me to be a leader and advocate for the community here.\n\n",{"_key":4512,"_type":26,"marks":4513,"text":1230},"1e49e373789a",[45,402,231],{"_key":4515,"_type":26,"marks":4516,"text":4517},"c7a4bdebf852",[],"\nI look forward to seeing this chapter grow and mature in the upcoming years. My hope is that the groundwork our team lays down now will allow this chapter to flourish later on. An initiative I envision for this chapter is expanding our outreach to high schools. Educating the younger generation of Cleveland about overdose prevention is essential to create a more proactive and informed community. In providing the younger generation with life-saving knowledge, we can reduce stigma and work to protect the future of Cleveland.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-05-02",{"_type":252,"asset":4522},{"_ref":4523,"_type":248},"image-ff4630fac7e48411aeebd4a5c2e95f9806f87b7e-3456x2166-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4525},"chapter-of-the-week-cleveland","Chapter of the Week: Cleveland",{"_createdAt":4528,"_id":4529,"_rev":4530,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4531,"article":4532,"author_ref":4573,"date":4575,"image":4576,"slug":4579,"title":4581},"2025-04-28T18:33:20Z","d92ab4e5-9237-47e5-ac4d-94d53c7513d6","NZJVHyoLqIhzQbFyiOAMkG","2025-04-28T18:50:40Z",[4533,4541,4549,4557,4565],{"_key":4534,"_type":22,"children":4535,"markDefs":4540,"style":30},"5ce7dcf0232a",[4536],{"_key":4537,"_type":26,"marks":4538,"text":4539},"1f078057db7f",[],"The United States has been battling the seemingly endless opioid crisis for nearly three decades, but there has never been a more important time to be engaged in drug prevention, education, and response. For the first time in years, drug overdose deaths are receding. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), our most reliable source of mortality data, drug-related overdose deaths declined an incredible 24 percent in the last 12 months. This marks the largest decrease in history and validates the tireless efforts of everyone that has been working to “end overdose.” While the cause(s) of this drop are not entirely clear, there is broad agreement that increased awareness and the availability of overdose prevention measures such as naloxone and fentanyl test strips have helped bend the curve. ",[],{"_key":4542,"_type":22,"children":4543,"markDefs":4548,"style":30},"740f2b9a264a",[4544],{"_key":4545,"_type":26,"marks":4546,"text":4547},"c9e969767003",[],"Perhaps not surprisingly, young Americans are leading the way. From student-led chapters on college campuses, to evidence-based fentanyl awareness and safety education in middle and high schools, and a dedicated network of volunteers delivering overdose prevention and response resources at music festivals and other events, the changemakers at End Overdose are on the front lines helping turn the tide. But there is still much work to be done.",[],{"_key":4550,"_type":22,"children":4551,"markDefs":4556,"style":30},"a390ef7fd7d2",[4552],{"_key":4553,"_type":26,"marks":4554,"text":4555},"a5f2d79cfd53",[],"Despite the recent decrease, overdose deaths are still alarmingly high and remain the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44. And with funding and other support from the federal government currently in flux, the risk of regression is all too real. It is thus incumbent on non-profit organizations like End Overdose and other partners to meet the moment, fill the gap, and continue the life-saving work that got us to this point. ",[],{"_key":4558,"_type":22,"children":4559,"markDefs":4564,"style":30},"c4e56a22ca65",[4560],{"_key":4561,"_type":26,"marks":4562,"text":4563},"24901050cc37",[],"Far too many Americans – friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors – are still at risk. It will take all of us working together to continue the hard, but essential work of saving lives. As the late, great Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving.” Keep moving, y’all.",[],{"_key":4566,"_type":22,"children":4567,"markDefs":4572,"style":30},"8bbd8b260cae",[4568],{"_key":4569,"_type":26,"marks":4570,"text":4571},"97c889fb94e4",[231,402,45],"Jim Crotty is the former Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He is an Adjunct Professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs, sits on the Advisory Board of the nonprofit United Against Fentanyl, and is an active member of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC).",[],{"_ref":4574,"_type":248},"fb059879-fa37-4842-ae77-9802f53cd98f","2025-04-28",{"_type":252,"asset":4577},{"_ref":4578,"_type":248},"image-087dd1b651f75aaaabbeeda7dcfbc7912b43492d-3024x1955-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4580},"opinion-overdose-prevention-non-profits-meet-the-moment","[Opinion] Overdose Prevention Non-Profits Meet the Moment",{"_createdAt":4583,"_id":4584,"_rev":4585,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4586,"article":4587,"author_ref":4679,"date":4680,"image":4681,"slug":4684,"title":4686},"2025-04-25T20:04:34Z","65cf5932-0bb8-420a-bc14-312908ccde92","2N03rCs1gTj99W4udS5Fiq","2025-04-25T20:05:51Z",[4588,4595,4603,4610,4618,4626,4634,4641,4649,4656,4664,4671],{"_key":4589,"_type":22,"children":4590,"markDefs":4594,"style":30},"db46372bb53f",[4591],{"_key":4592,"_type":26,"marks":4593,"text":2538},"884ba944436d",[],[],{"_key":4596,"_type":22,"children":4597,"markDefs":4602,"style":30},"5f67a91ea03e",[4598],{"_key":4599,"_type":26,"marks":4600,"text":4601},"8bff9a1bda7e",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our chapter at UC Riverside! We spoke with chapter president Brian Wong about fundraisers, cultivating community, and more.",[],{"_key":4604,"_type":22,"children":4605,"markDefs":4609,"style":30},"64ce6ebbdd59",[4606],{"_key":4607,"_type":26,"marks":4608,"text":403},"78b043a90060",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":4611,"_type":22,"children":4612,"markDefs":4617,"style":30},"80802531c00a",[4613],{"_key":4614,"_type":26,"marks":4615,"text":4616},"0b4ac3000ad4",[],"Community service has always been something that has been a large pillar in my life. Growing up in the Los Angeles area and volunteering on Skid Row, I was surrounded by the long term issues around drug use and drug overdoses. As I got older and I started to be around the EDM music scene more I also got more exposure to the dangers around recreational drug use. End Overdose stuck out to me as an organization that had a mission to truly make an impact on the dangers through providing preventative measures and responsive measures that combat drug overdoses and help prevent very preventable deaths.",[],{"_key":4619,"_type":22,"children":4620,"markDefs":4625,"style":30},"12069882e217",[4621],{"_key":4622,"_type":26,"marks":4623,"text":4624},"c47bb4f4eb6e",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of UCR?",[],{"_key":4627,"_type":22,"children":4628,"markDefs":4633,"style":30},"918ad5b5089d",[4629],{"_key":4630,"_type":26,"marks":4631,"text":4632},"3057a8380283",[],"My experience as president has been great. I have had the opportunity to watch End Overdose's chapter program go from just a few chapters in California to going fully nationwide. The friendships both with people at HQ and with people within the UCR chapter are some that I am beyond grateful for and being a part of such a strong team that pushes to help make an impact in the world has no parallel. The team that we have at UCR have always been willing to help with HQ events and have all been people who I look up to and rely heavily on. Our chapter's success is directly derived from the selflessness of our members and the support that they provide to one another. I could not be more proud to be a part of our team.",[],{"_key":4635,"_type":22,"children":4636,"markDefs":4640,"style":30},"73d69c3b4f6b",[4637],{"_key":4638,"_type":26,"marks":4639,"text":435},"3330478147f1",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":4642,"_type":22,"children":4643,"markDefs":4648,"style":30},"1fa33c634f82",[4644],{"_key":4645,"_type":26,"marks":4646,"text":4647},"5dc8a850cd19",[],"Absolutely, whether it be with the music industry through volunteering with events to local outreach in the Riverside area, there have been so many opportunities to find real connections with real people. Just being able to hear stories from people's experiences around overdose has really opened my eyes to the impact that we have as a whole on the communities that we hold so close.",[],{"_key":4650,"_type":22,"children":4651,"markDefs":4655,"style":30},"79f71fa0eefb",[4652],{"_key":4653,"_type":26,"marks":4654,"text":1218},"6360b6e40ec6",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":4657,"_type":22,"children":4658,"markDefs":4663,"style":30},"9debee9ba6f1",[4659],{"_key":4660,"_type":26,"marks":4661,"text":4662},"40aa8be5213a",[],"The major highlights from our chapter's work is that we can proudly say that we have trained over 40 different on campus organizations, multiple times as new members join. Additionally, we have hosted numerous on-campus community trainings and partnered with our school's student government. Lastly, our team's commitment to HQ events, it is rare that you can go to a SoCal event and not see someone from the UCR Chapter there training. I would confidently say that UCR has some of the strongest rapid trainers in the game.",[],{"_key":4665,"_type":22,"children":4666,"markDefs":4670,"style":30},"ca4ee74d7fbb",[4667],{"_key":4668,"_type":26,"marks":4669,"text":1230},"203a229ef184",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":4672,"_type":22,"children":4673,"markDefs":4678,"style":30},"2c6b38c4a228",[4674],{"_key":4675,"_type":26,"marks":4676,"text":4677},"f578d0ee2848",[],"As far as the future of the chapter, I can see our chapter really tapping into the Riverside local community more. Being where we are in the Inland Empire there are a lot of opportunities surrounding UCR that can be tackled. We have already been able to be at the Riverside Free Clinic and I believe the more that we are able to stretch out into the locals of the Inland Empire the more we can make a change and help prevent the loss of life.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-04-25",{"_type":252,"asset":4682},{"_ref":4683,"_type":248},"image-1ce325c7a6431762d840da399488f0f47a4f1aab-2048x1536-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4685},"chapter-of-the-week-uc-riverside","Chapter of the Week: UC Riverside",{"_createdAt":4688,"_id":4689,"_rev":4690,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4691,"article":4692,"author_ref":4907,"date":4908,"featured":2763,"image":4909,"slug":4912,"title":4914},"2025-04-22T17:05:22Z","22a5408f-aa1e-460f-849a-4e101c6df634","Pkqxr6nTC5mDPhNflflFlb","2025-05-13T20:49:38Z",[4693,4701,4710,4718,4726,4734,4742,4750,4758,4766,4774,4782,4790,4798,4806,4814,4822,4830,4838,4846,4854,4862,4870,4878,4882,4900],{"_key":4694,"_type":22,"children":4695,"markDefs":4700,"style":30},"cd820c9bbe48",[4696],{"_key":4697,"_type":26,"marks":4698,"text":4699},"8e0c1137693c",[],"In the ever-evolving dance music scene, few artists have made a splash in the last two years quite like GudFella. With viral remixes, massive festival sets, and a growing catalog of huge releases and collaborations, Kyle Domingo—a.k.a. GudFella—is rapidly becoming a household name in the world of electronic music. But behind the buzz is a grounded, thoughtful artist who started out slinging physical tickets for cash at Bloom (then called Bassmnt) and playing guitar in a church band. In this exclusive interview with End Overdose, we sat down with Kyle to reflect on his journey, the breakout \"Everybody Wants to Rule the World\" remix with Tiësto, and what the future holds for 2025.",[],{"_key":4702,"_type":22,"children":4703,"markDefs":4708,"style":4709},"024c17b6c3a2",[4704],{"_key":4705,"_type":26,"marks":4706,"text":4707},"3e5bbcb929ee",[45,402],"Early Beginnings",[],"h3",{"_key":4711,"_type":22,"children":4712,"markDefs":4717,"style":30},"8a809ce74df4",[4713],{"_key":4714,"_type":26,"marks":4715,"text":4716},"3d5174e0bab4",[],"\"I actually was in a church band in OC (Orange County),\" Kyle recalls. \"I started that around middle school and did it all the way until I was a senior in high school. It taught me a lot about music fundamentals: arrangement, effects like reverb, chorus, flanger. I learned all that from being a guitar player.\" He credits those early experiences with giving him a head start when he began producing in 2017, right after graduating from Newport Harbor High School.",[],{"_key":4719,"_type":22,"children":4720,"markDefs":4725,"style":30},"f66dddc6311a",[4721],{"_key":4722,"_type":26,"marks":4723,"text":4724},"cb2c77eab92a",[],"\"The biggest battle when you're starting out is figuring out the software and how music works. I saved a little time by already knowing that.\"",[],{"_key":4727,"_type":22,"children":4728,"markDefs":4733,"style":4709},"4ee330c8500a",[4729],{"_key":4730,"_type":26,"marks":4731,"text":4732},"977524b3a178",[45,402],"\"Everybody Wants to Rule the World\" (feat. Tiësto)",[],{"_key":4735,"_type":22,"children":4736,"markDefs":4741,"style":30},"4b5827b96e4e",[4737],{"_key":4738,"_type":26,"marks":4739,"text":4740},"eb9c36919f4e",[],"The viral remix that put GudFella on the map was originally a bootleg created with Niiko x Swae. \"We couldn’t get the original cleared on our own,\" he explains. \"Tiësto actually DM'd us like, 'Hey, what's the plan with this song? I'd love to have this as a festival remix.'\" When Kyle and his team admitted they lacked the resources to get clearance, Tiësto stepped in. \"He helped loop in our teams, and with a name like his on the project, Tears for Fears were more willing to let go of that song. He was the one to get it over the hump.\"",[],{"_key":4743,"_type":22,"children":4744,"markDefs":4749,"style":30},"bac41a520be8",[4745],{"_key":4746,"_type":26,"marks":4747,"text":4748},"d18e85bb7890",[],"The result? A certified banger that now has multiple versions, but GudFella and friends were the first to ever remix it officially.",[],{"_key":4751,"_type":22,"children":4752,"markDefs":4757,"style":4709},"55ab94b0c09e",[4753],{"_key":4754,"_type":26,"marks":4755,"text":4756},"0ab27a3b4de1",[45,402],"Full-Circle Moment at Bloom",[],{"_key":4759,"_type":22,"children":4760,"markDefs":4765,"style":30},"411639602a53",[4761],{"_key":4762,"_type":26,"marks":4763,"text":4764},"cc463166e087",[],"In 2018, Kyle played his first-ever show at what was then called Bassmnt. \"Back then, as openers, we had physical tickets. Like, hard tickets. We had to go to the club, get them, and then hustle to sell them by hand,\" he remembers. \"My homie in the next dorm would be like, 'Hey, let me come to your show,' and I’d literally walk over and hand him a ticket.\"",[],{"_key":4767,"_type":22,"children":4768,"markDefs":4773,"style":30},"6a44db44b0dd",[4769],{"_key":4770,"_type":26,"marks":4771,"text":4772},"c10e5e08ed20",[],"Flash forward to now: GudFella is headlining that same venue on April 26. \"It's funny because I'm selling tickets to the same venue again, but now at a bigger scale. It really is full circle.\" To",[],{"_key":4775,"_type":22,"children":4776,"markDefs":4781,"style":30},"4cc88a81e9a5",[4777],{"_key":4778,"_type":26,"marks":4779,"text":4780},"8925be258f09",[],"all our followers down in San Diego, make sure to grab your tickets and show out for this hometown legend!",[],{"_key":4783,"_type":22,"children":4784,"markDefs":4789,"style":4709},"b17977df9ff5",[4785],{"_key":4786,"_type":26,"marks":4787,"text":4788},"707ed2ed41ac",[45,402],"Best Friends with Disco Lines",[],{"_key":4791,"_type":22,"children":4792,"markDefs":4797,"style":30},"e9158e3eb79e",[4793],{"_key":4794,"_type":26,"marks":4795,"text":4796},"ddab1881e004",[],"Kyle and Disco Lines' bromance is as real as it gets. \"We were introduced by a mutual friend back in college—she was like, 'You guys are both in frats and make music. You should be friends.'\" They started doing back-to-back sets at frat parties and have now released hit tracks like \"Sunny\" and \"back2u.\"",[],{"_key":4799,"_type":22,"children":4800,"markDefs":4805,"style":30},"d7795634a28b",[4801],{"_key":4802,"_type":26,"marks":4803,"text":4804},"c71a16655a6a",[],"\"He effectively became my first friend in LA before I even moved out there,\" Kyle says. \"Now we go on trips, play each other’s shows, and work together all the time. It’s really funny hopping on emails and acting all business-y because we're talking about music and deadlines, but I’m like—how am I supposed to take him seriously?\"",[],{"_key":4807,"_type":22,"children":4808,"markDefs":4813,"style":30},"089558c060bc",[4809],{"_key":4810,"_type":26,"marks":4811,"text":4812},"3c618d20de7a",[],"As for funny moments? \"At HARD Summer, I got on the mic and said, 'Make some noise for my boy GudFella,' but I meant to say Thad,\" he laughs. \"I literally shouted out myself.\" Classic case of hype-man confusion—when you’re both the performer and your own biggest fan, sometimes the wires get crossed.",[],{"_key":4815,"_type":22,"children":4816,"markDefs":4821,"style":4709},"34df263aaf9d",[4817],{"_key":4818,"_type":26,"marks":4819,"text":4820},"2b95de029815",[45,402],"What’s Coming in 2025",[],{"_key":4823,"_type":22,"children":4824,"markDefs":4829,"style":30},"f1afae584610",[4825],{"_key":4826,"_type":26,"marks":4827,"text":4828},"8730f71c40bf",[],"\"I'm doing EDC for the first time in Vegas this year,\" Kyle shares. \"I’m super stoked to be on the Cosmic Meadow stage. It’s like the Met Gala of EDM.\"",[],{"_key":4831,"_type":22,"children":4832,"markDefs":4837,"style":30},"48b5bad3f7f6",[4833],{"_key":4834,"_type":26,"marks":4835,"text":4836},"0f3a42d74741",[],"Beyond that, he's releasing his debut EP in June, with upcoming collabs from Yung Bae and Cailin Russo. He's also headlining Elsewhere Rooftop in Brooklyn and preparing more festivals in the back half of the year.",[],{"_key":4839,"_type":22,"children":4840,"markDefs":4845,"style":30},"ded0fde09550",[4841],{"_key":4842,"_type":26,"marks":4843,"text":4844},"fd07bbf336c7",[],"\"I'm really shifting into a more house/club direction,\" he says. \"The poppy stuff like 'Rule the World' was kind of an accident. Now I’m inspired to make pure house tracks for the club.\"",[],{"_key":4847,"_type":22,"children":4848,"markDefs":4853,"style":30},"be30606cb029",[4849],{"_key":4850,"_type":26,"marks":4851,"text":4852},"a1c39860c6ac",[],"And one major milestone? \"Seeing Gordo play one of my songs at Club Space was insane. Just more of that is the goal.\"",[],{"_key":4855,"_type":22,"children":4856,"markDefs":4861,"style":4709},"fcec5b72c896",[4857],{"_key":4858,"_type":26,"marks":4859,"text":4860},"6ba93cda6254",[45,402],"Keeping the Scene Safe",[],{"_key":4863,"_type":22,"children":4864,"markDefs":4869,"style":30},"dfffbbfb9e91",[4865],{"_key":4866,"_type":26,"marks":4867,"text":4868},"aba7245ce719",[],"When asked about overdose prevention, Kyle doesn’t hesitate: \"You guys [End Overdose] are already doing a great job bringing awareness. That’s the biggest first step—acknowledging that this stuff is gonna happen anyway.\"",[],{"_key":4871,"_type":22,"children":4872,"markDefs":4877,"style":30},"a022dbbda9c4",[4873],{"_key":4874,"_type":26,"marks":4875,"text":4876},"0ab4ecc464d3",[],"Rather than scolding or shaming, he advocates for accessible resources: \"Just having Narcan, test kits, and a safe space where people can find relief if they need it—that’s huge. We shouldn’t chastise people for what they choose to do at festivals. Raves are supposed to be safe spaces.\"",[],{"_key":4879,"_type":252,"asset":4880},"3a128a9c332a",{"_ref":4881,"_type":248},"image-33c8945c84e1c15795ca4850556cc04a9b8c6a2c-1536x768-jpg",{"_key":4883,"_type":22,"children":4884,"markDefs":4897,"style":30},"b8216a1f9d61",[4885,4889,4893],{"_key":4886,"_type":26,"marks":4887,"text":4888},"5a9e6344fe89",[231],"**Stay tuned for GudFella’s upcoming EP, headline show at Bloom on April 26 (tickets available ",{"_key":4890,"_type":26,"marks":4891,"text":579},"dc5c7441bb04",[231,4892,402],"683173835906",{"_key":4894,"_type":26,"marks":4895,"text":4896},"07f9c8366bbf",[231],"), and catch him at EDC Vegas this summer. He’s leveling up fast—don’t miss the chance to witness one of dance music’s most exciting rising stars. Follow him on socials and check out more on our mission to keep the music scene safe at endoverdose.net.**",[4898],{"_key":4892,"_type":244,"href":4899},"https://bloomdtsd.com/event/gudfella-nightclub-near-me-house-club-shows-concerts-events-bloom-club-2025-april-26-san-diego-ca/",{"_key":4901,"_type":22,"children":4902,"markDefs":4906,"style":30},"1ea49215cbb7",[4903],{"_key":4904,"_type":26,"marks":4905,"text":3316},"def04dd521e5",[],[],{"_ref":247,"_type":248},"2025-04-22",{"_type":252,"asset":4910},{"_ref":4911,"_type":248},"image-56080c46d92a76938f408ca03859a9f676e477a4-1916x957-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":4913},"behind-the-booth-an-interview-with-gudfella","Behind the Booth: An Interview with GudFella ",{"_createdAt":4916,"_id":4917,"_rev":4918,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":4919,"article":4920,"author_ref":5101,"date":5103,"image":5104,"slug":5107,"title":5109},"2025-04-11T18:15:18Z","e505e847-d146-49ed-bd2c-1ccb865a37d5","bNIrGtnZbHobgzhMwEXzR4","2025-04-14T18:35:56Z",[4921,4929,4937,4945,4953,4961,4969,4977,4985,4993,5001,5009,5017,5025,5042,5072,5086],{"_key":4922,"_type":22,"children":4923,"markDefs":4928,"style":30},"30864b1ce443",[4924],{"_key":4925,"_type":26,"marks":4926,"text":4927},"8460809ed627",[],"You may have gotten some fentanyl testing strips from End Overdose, but have you ever wondered how they work? Drug testing strips are a great tool and measure for preventing overdose deaths, by giving more information on the contents of a substance.",[],{"_key":4930,"_type":22,"children":4931,"markDefs":4936,"style":48},"fb257a18c68d",[4932],{"_key":4933,"_type":26,"marks":4934,"text":4935},"dd3c9157307b",[231,402],"Practical Use",[],{"_key":4938,"_type":22,"children":4939,"markDefs":4944,"style":30},"1c8d45913c21",[4940],{"_key":4941,"_type":26,"marks":4942,"text":4943},"e1598c15443a",[],"Fentanyl test strips work to inform an individual of the presence or absence of fentanyl in a substance. These strips can be used to test drug or non-drug materials, as long as it can be dissolved in water! If someone has a drug they plan to use, fentanyl testing strips give the individual a clearer image about what the substance contains. In just a few minutes, an individual can have the knowledge as to if fentanyl is present in their substance. This information can be critical to someone, especially if they are not planning to use opioids or fentanyl. Due to the high potency of fentanyl, unknowingly consuming fentanyl can lead to an unwanted experience, and even an opioid overdose. This is especially concerning for someone who is “opioid naive”, meaning they do not have a tolerance to opioids, and did not intend to consume opioids.\n",[],{"_key":4946,"_type":22,"children":4947,"markDefs":4952,"style":30},"639254987769",[4948],{"_key":4949,"_type":26,"marks":4950,"text":4951},"af58c6acc10c",[],"To use the test strip, dissolve a powdered substance into water. Specific suggestions of the quantity of substance to dissolve varies product-to-product. To test a powdered substance, dissolve the specified amount into around 15mLs of water. To test a pill, scrape off or crush a part of the pill, and dissolve the contents in 15mLs of water. Once the dilution is fully combined, place the end of the test strip into the water, and let it absorb into the strip for 15 seconds. Once the dilution begins to absorb, let the test strip rest for 60 seconds before reading the results. Depending on the contents of the substance, the strip will show lines that either indicate the absence or presence of fentanyl. Typically, each packet of test strips has specific instructions and a guide on how to interpret the results.",[],{"_key":4954,"_type":22,"children":4955,"markDefs":4960,"style":48},"26303a52b6db",[4956],{"_key":4957,"_type":26,"marks":4958,"text":4959},"49be24950f6f",[231,402],"Pros of Fentanyl Testing Strips",[],{"_key":4962,"_type":22,"children":4963,"markDefs":4968,"style":30},"2c7e82697772",[4964],{"_key":4965,"_type":26,"marks":4966,"text":4967},"ee5e0e09d012",[],"Fentanyl testing strips allow for a preventative measure for opioid overdoses. It is important to have more information about the substance that is being ingested, since fentanyl is highly potent, and can not be detected by sight, smell, or taste. A study in the state of Rhode Island shows that 77% of people who use drugs are utilizing fentanyl testing strips in the state. Around 50% of people who used testing strips have encountered at least one positive result for fentanyl in their substance. Having access and education surrounding drug testing mechanisms has allowed states, like Rhode Island, to prevent overdose deaths from fentanyl in their community.",[],{"_key":4970,"_type":22,"children":4971,"markDefs":4976,"style":48},"322bb743a49c",[4972],{"_key":4973,"_type":26,"marks":4974,"text":4975},"5f2ade439fa0",[231,402],"Cons of Fentanyl Testing Strips",[],{"_key":4978,"_type":22,"children":4979,"markDefs":4984,"style":30},"493fa5e58425",[4980],{"_key":4981,"_type":26,"marks":4982,"text":4983},"c1579c14d059",[],"Just like any other piece of technology, fentanyl testing strips are not correct 100% of the time. False positives and false negatives can occur when using testing strips. A false positive happens when a substance that does not contain fentanyl, shows a positive result for fentanyl on the testing strip. A false negative can occur when a substance does contain fentanyl, but the testing strip shows a negative result. False negatives can be dangerous, and lead individuals to believe that their substance does not contain fentanyl. A few circumstances can lead to a false negative result, such as inadequate testing procedures, testing a small portion of a substance, or testing too little of substance. It is important to note that testing more of a substance, leads to more security surrounding the legitimacy of the result. For example, one portion of a pill that was tested might not have contained fentanyl, so the test strip shows a negative result. Although, in reality, fentanyl is present in the pill but on a portion that was not tested. Make sure to test every pill individually, even if they are purchased together. It is important to note that these tests do not provide information about the quantity of fentanyl in the substance, or the presence or absence of other substances. They only work to detect fentanyl and cannot ensure the contents of the substance otherwise.",[],{"_key":4986,"_type":22,"children":4987,"markDefs":4992,"style":48},"0ab23ea7d753",[4988],{"_key":4989,"_type":26,"marks":4990,"text":4991},"1c235a4c4386",[231,402],"Biochemical Mechanisms",[],{"_key":4994,"_type":22,"children":4995,"markDefs":5000,"style":30},"68f52f610bd3",[4996],{"_key":4997,"_type":26,"marks":4998,"text":4999},"730089ad0eef",[],"Fentanyl testing strips are a type of test called a lateral flow immunoassay. This technology allows for a solution to travel through the test strips using capillary action. Most fentanyl test strips have the ability to detect fentanyl through the use of an antibody. The role of an antibody is to serve as a specific indicator that undergoes a reaction when it comes into contact with a substance, such as fentanyl. Most of these antibodies are embedded into the test strip and can detect their drug of interest and their analogues. These antibodies are highly specific and will typically only bind the drug it has been developed to detect. In the case of fentanyl test strips, the antibody is embedded in a straight, horizontal line on the strip. The strip will show a \"control\" line to demonstrate that the dilution has successfully traveled up the strip. The control line will show regardless of the presence or absence of fentanyl. In addition to the control, there will be a second horizontal line that will be sensitive to fentanyl and its analogues. This is called the \"test line\". If fentanyl is present in the dilution, it will bind to the antibody and immobilize the fentanyl molecules in the \"test line\" of the strip. When this complex is formed, the antibody will react in the form of a colored line. If a colored line appears for both the \"control\" and \"test line\" spaces, it is likely that fentanyl is present in the substance being tested.",[],{"_key":5002,"_type":22,"children":5003,"markDefs":5008,"style":30},"84638af825f1",[5004],{"_key":5005,"_type":26,"marks":5006,"text":5007},"8350e2f6bb21",[],"Now, you have a complete view of the advantages and disadvantages of fentanyl testing strips! For further information on opioid overdose response and prevention, visit endoverdose.net and take the free certification course!",[],{"_key":5010,"_type":22,"children":5011,"markDefs":5016,"style":48},"6812bde5bc85",[5012],{"_key":5013,"_type":26,"marks":5014,"text":5015},"c3050254228e",[45,402,231],"References",[],{"_key":5018,"_type":22,"children":5019,"markDefs":5024,"style":30},"ab2a972c91e1",[5020],{"_key":5021,"_type":26,"marks":5022,"text":5023},"5435df515123",[],"Maxwell S. Krieger, William C. Goedel, Jane A. Buxton, Mark Lysyshyn, Edward Bernstein, Susan G. Sherman, Josiah D. Rich, Scott E. Hadland, Traci C. Green, Brandon D.L. Marshall, Use of rapid fentanyl test strips among young adults who use drugs,",[],{"_key":5026,"_type":22,"children":5027,"markDefs":5040,"style":30},"b9bc6dcd0dd7",[5028,5032,5037],{"_key":5029,"_type":26,"marks":5030,"text":5031},"29cce3e57438",[],"International Journal of Drug Policy, ",{"_key":5033,"_type":26,"marks":5034,"text":5036},"4e32277b4d19",[5035],"454dc47b759a","https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.09.009",{"_key":5038,"_type":26,"marks":5039,"text":583},"653d49e57326",[],[5041],{"_key":5035,"_type":244,"href":5036},{"_key":5043,"_type":22,"children":5044,"markDefs":5070,"style":30},"a2e9a8f19c68",[5045,5049,5053,5057,5061,5065],{"_key":5046,"_type":26,"marks":5047,"text":5048},"83815f84d88b",[],"Tilhou, A.S., Zaborek, J., Baltes, A. ",{"_key":5050,"_type":26,"marks":5051,"text":5052},"16b9db5ee029",[231],"et al.",{"_key":5054,"_type":26,"marks":5055,"text":5056},"24f6137519bf",[]," Differences in drug use behaviors that impact overdose risk among individuals who do and do not use fentanyl test strips for drug checking. ",{"_key":5058,"_type":26,"marks":5059,"text":5060},"dac42339f880",[231],"Harm Reduct J",{"_key":5062,"_type":26,"marks":5063,"text":5064},"589b9d7a7aa3",[],"20, 41 (2023). ",{"_key":5066,"_type":26,"marks":5067,"text":5069},"0d906e514e6a",[5068],"b564b0ef881b","https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-023-00767-0",[5071],{"_key":5068,"_type":244,"href":5069},{"_key":5073,"_type":22,"children":5074,"markDefs":5084,"style":30},"5331e6acf5ab",[5075,5079],{"_key":5076,"_type":26,"marks":5077,"text":5078},"619f56dd9517",[],"Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health., Fentanyl Overdose Reduction Checking Analysis Study ",{"_key":5080,"_type":26,"marks":5081,"text":5083},"93f1c9bc732c",[5082],"60bcec2e11c1","https://www.naccho.org/uploads/downloadable-resources/MS-fentanyl-overdose-reduction-study-toolkit24.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com",[5085],{"_key":5082,"_type":244,"href":5083},{"_key":5087,"_type":22,"children":5088,"markDefs":5098,"style":30},"104170ffe4f0",[5089,5093],{"_key":5090,"_type":26,"marks":5091,"text":5092},"b3d4bee4ed3f",[],"West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources., Fentanyl Test Strips. ",{"_key":5094,"_type":26,"marks":5095,"text":5097},"3043c92d6a38",[5096],"985369837ecf","https://dhhr.wv.gov/office-of-drug-control-policy/news/Documents/FTS%20Fact%20Sheet%20Final.pdf",[5099],{"_key":5096,"_type":244,"href":5100},"https://dhhr.wv.gov/office-of-drug-control-policy/news/Documents/FTS%2520Fact%2520Sheet%2520Final.pdf",{"_ref":5102,"_type":248},"707914e2-9f10-4082-860f-e58d0c78dc51","2025-04-11",{"_type":252,"asset":5105},{"_ref":5106,"_type":248},"image-0a6b8855cd25be408f300f52511dbe0e39a60e50-1000x667-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5108},"the-science-behind-fentanyl-testing-strips-are-they-a-reliable-tool","The Science Behind Fentanyl Test Strips",{"_createdAt":5111,"_id":5112,"_rev":5113,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5114,"article":5115,"author_ref":5280,"date":5281,"featured":2763,"image":5282,"slug":5285,"title":5287},"2025-04-09T18:46:39Z","1b5fa756-859d-4501-9db3-a2a5f147677e","FpEeI4JuUtayxKhaz4oGWM","2025-04-22T17:10:04Z",[5116,5124,5132,5140,5148,5156,5164,5172,5180,5188,5196,5200,5208,5216,5224,5232,5240,5248,5256,5264,5272],{"_key":5117,"_type":22,"children":5118,"markDefs":5123,"style":30},"9cf384a1fa84",[5119],{"_key":5120,"_type":26,"marks":5121,"text":5122},"d7b01305cedc",[],"Colorado State is home to a highly competitive FBS roster in the Mountain West and has recently spring-boarded multiple wide receivers into the NFL, so it makes perfect sense as the new home for former Brown playmaker Jordan McIntyre. Born and raised around the sport, the California native always knew football was his calling, leading to a fruitful collegiate career that's now culminating in his senior season at CSU.",[],{"_key":5125,"_type":22,"children":5126,"markDefs":5131,"style":30},"4d51a98a0320",[5127],{"_key":5128,"_type":26,"marks":5129,"text":5130},"dfbe8daa5673",[],"Off the field, it's equally exciting to note that McIntyre supports End Overdose's lifesaving education, resources, and mission. We're grateful to him for championing our cause, so we spoke with the Rams standout about the evolution of his game, his professional aspirations, and why it's crucial for athletes to platform causes they believe in. ",[],{"_key":5133,"_type":22,"children":5134,"markDefs":5139,"style":30},"cb8c1cd4e74c",[5135],{"_key":5136,"_type":26,"marks":5137,"text":5138},"0adbc4de7c4e",[45,402,231],"When did you discover your passion for football? Did you always know you wanted to pursue the college game?",[],{"_key":5141,"_type":22,"children":5142,"markDefs":5147,"style":30},"d014e159c0ac",[5143],{"_key":5144,"_type":26,"marks":5145,"text":5146},"52f816abe75c",[],"I don’t think there’s a specific time in my life when I really discovered a passion for football. I’ve been around it my whole life because my dad played and so the love for it was honestly always there. I have pictures of me running around at my dad’s practices from when I was 3 years old and I would go through warm-ups and drills with them.",[],{"_key":5149,"_type":22,"children":5150,"markDefs":5155,"style":30},"063f5081e788",[5151],{"_key":5152,"_type":26,"marks":5153,"text":5154},"024e1e672408",[45,402,231],"Are there any players you specifically looked up to in your early football days and molded your game after?",[],{"_key":5157,"_type":22,"children":5158,"markDefs":5163,"style":30},"7d6e9d3c7015",[5159],{"_key":5160,"_type":26,"marks":5161,"text":5162},"99d1bb1bb377",[],"I wouldn’t say there’s any specific players that I mold my game after, but instead I watched a whole bunch of people and saw little technical things that I liked from each person and tried to in some way incorporate it into my game. Anquan Boldin, Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Keenan Allen, Devante Adams, Stefon Diggs are a few that I really like to watch.",[],{"_key":5165,"_type":22,"children":5166,"markDefs":5171,"style":30},"4d1638321a1f",[5167],{"_key":5168,"_type":26,"marks":5169,"text":5170},"c683b57c4f5d",[],"I honestly really just like watching people who work hard and someone who I looked up to in that aspect is Michael Wilson, who I went to high school with and now plays for the Cardinals. He was always going 100% during practice and I would see him doing extra stuff, so I would try and do the same.",[],{"_key":5173,"_type":22,"children":5174,"markDefs":5179,"style":30},"987120bb7c2f",[5175],{"_key":5176,"_type":26,"marks":5177,"text":5178},"32edc1579225",[],"I also liked watching how Kobe trained and his mentality because of his hard work, dedication and hours spent working hard.",[],{"_key":5181,"_type":22,"children":5182,"markDefs":5187,"style":30},"ed62fd1df22c",[5183],{"_key":5184,"_type":26,"marks":5185,"text":5186},"4e2c0007050e",[45,402,231],"Can you describe the experience of starting your career at Brown?",[],{"_key":5189,"_type":22,"children":5190,"markDefs":5195,"style":30},"b4d3ae4926f7",[5191],{"_key":5192,"_type":26,"marks":5193,"text":5194},"943b6f7b0767",[],"My experience starting at Brown was good. At the time it was the right place for me to grow my skills on the field, but also grow in my faith journey. I was able to play with some great players who had really good careers and learn from them. One being EJ Perry who was my quarterback my freshman year and is now playing in the UFL.",[],{"_key":5197,"_type":252,"asset":5198},"9f0d5f01a125",{"_ref":5199,"_type":248},"image-d9a3dbf8b7b15916cd7ea13397312194fd2631fa-3364x5981-jpg",{"_key":5201,"_type":22,"children":5202,"markDefs":5207,"style":30},"12db30609132",[5203],{"_key":5204,"_type":26,"marks":5205,"text":5206},"3af7d03704db",[45,402,231],"What inspired you to transfer to Colorado State? How do you feel you’ve evolved as a player since transferring?",[],{"_key":5209,"_type":22,"children":5210,"markDefs":5215,"style":30},"99eecc461664",[5211],{"_key":5212,"_type":26,"marks":5213,"text":5214},"e363f4bfa2b4",[],"I transferred because of my goal to go pro and I just felt like it was the best decision for me. Not that you can’t go pro from the Ivy league, but personally I just had to do it. Colorado State was a place where I could be around people who were also God-fearing and where I could continue to grow in my faith, but also it felt like a close-knit brotherhood and is closer to home making it easier for my parents to come to games. The coaches here also make it feel like a family. They are easy to talk to and keep everything real with you.",[],{"_key":5217,"_type":22,"children":5218,"markDefs":5223,"style":30},"aa08ffd5baa5",[5219],{"_key":5220,"_type":26,"marks":5221,"text":5222},"418c6906f084",[],"I feel like since being here I have been able to refine, strengthen, and learn new techniques that will carry over to in-game situations. I’ve learn tips to break down defenses and how to better run my routes to make myself open for the quarterback.",[],{"_key":5225,"_type":22,"children":5226,"markDefs":5231,"style":30},"a4bf575751bf",[5227],{"_key":5228,"_type":26,"marks":5229,"text":5230},"d4e9776519da",[45,402,231],"Why do you think it’s important for athletes to collaborate with nonprofits like End Overdose?",[],{"_key":5233,"_type":22,"children":5234,"markDefs":5239,"style":30},"6c2c6f545b46",[5235],{"_key":5236,"_type":26,"marks":5237,"text":5238},"55cfd38dd48c",[],"I think it’s just really important to spread awareness. Us athletes, especially at the division 1 and pro level, have platforms that so many other people look up to. By having these platforms and people who look up to us, I think it’s important to use our voices so other people will listen. Now, everybody might not listen, but there will definitely be a lot of people who will.",[],{"_key":5241,"_type":22,"children":5242,"markDefs":5247,"style":30},"16a57ab0670d",[5243],{"_key":5244,"_type":26,"marks":5245,"text":5246},"35f5481e2870",[45,231,402],"What inspires you and motivates you outside of your work on the field?",[],{"_key":5249,"_type":22,"children":5250,"markDefs":5255,"style":30},"34f89dda6b09",[5251],{"_key":5252,"_type":26,"marks":5253,"text":5254},"f53453cb8a3e",[],"When it comes to motivation and inspiration on and off the field, I want to glorify God in whatever I do. Whether that is just school work or practice or even just relaxing. It says in 1 Corinthians 10: 31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”",[],{"_key":5257,"_type":22,"children":5258,"markDefs":5263,"style":30},"863b9703a4ce",[5259],{"_key":5260,"_type":26,"marks":5261,"text":5262},"3c676c48cb33",[],"Pertaining to just off the field, my motivation comes from loving others as God loved us and to spread God’s love, word, and truth. If you look in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul shows us what love looks like and shows us that it is the greatest commandment given by God. Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”",[],{"_key":5265,"_type":22,"children":5266,"markDefs":5271,"style":30},"18e503a6a947",[5267],{"_key":5268,"_type":26,"marks":5269,"text":5270},"9d9d8848ed3c",[45,402,231],"What’re you most excited about for the 2025-2026 season?",[],{"_key":5273,"_type":22,"children":5274,"markDefs":5279,"style":30},"d82f880113f5",[5275],{"_key":5276,"_type":26,"marks":5277,"text":5278},"90b4cf644591",[],"This upcoming 2025-2026 season, I am really just looking forward to being out on the field again. I was out all of last year with a torn labrum that I got surgery on, so I can’t wait to just have fun again on the field with my brothers.",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2025-04-09",{"_type":252,"asset":5283},{"_ref":5284,"_type":248},"image-e34f87282ba3b078f536372ea0f40950b6cfc6ba-2048x1364-png",{"_type":256,"current":5286},"playmakers-an-interview-with-csu-wr-jordan-mcintyre","Playmakers: An Interview with Colorado State's Jordan McIntyre",{"_createdAt":5289,"_id":5290,"_rev":5291,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5292,"article":5293,"author_ref":5420,"date":5421,"image":5422,"slug":5425,"title":5427},"2025-04-07T21:04:05Z","23fd389c-5439-4dcc-bfb4-624a2dbe7c3f","786Y0mEjQI05prFNpeZDUY","2025-04-07T21:41:18Z",[5294,5302,5310,5314,5322,5330,5338,5346,5354,5358,5366,5373,5377,5385,5392,5396,5404,5412],{"_key":5295,"_type":22,"children":5296,"markDefs":5301,"style":30},"4280231f27ef",[5297],{"_key":5298,"_type":26,"marks":5299,"text":5300},"fffa616c7921",[],"Mike Giegerich here! I’m End Overdose’s publicist, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been up to over the past month with our latest stakeholder update. March was another major set of moments for End Overdose, from tabling at Beyond Wonderland to building our infrastructure in the state of Arkansas. Read on below for all the details and stay tuned for an exciting April ahead!",[],{"_key":5303,"_type":22,"children":5304,"markDefs":5309,"style":48},"44cbe9d5628e",[5305],{"_key":5306,"_type":26,"marks":5307,"text":5308},"285028c37f10",[],"OUR MARCH STATISTICS",[],{"_key":5311,"_type":252,"asset":5312},"1621506004f5",{"_ref":5313,"_type":248},"image-452322dbe083c51c4790bf6a72803e177e67c405-1024x768-png",{"_key":5315,"_type":22,"children":5316,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":5321,"style":30},"5cb1038e7621",[5317],{"_key":5318,"_type":26,"marks":5319,"text":5320},"f261bec76195",[],"We reached 118,000+ people",[],{"_key":5323,"_type":22,"children":5324,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":5329,"style":30},"15e5d6d50735",[5325],{"_key":5326,"_type":26,"marks":5327,"text":5328},"759adef1d82b",[],"We distributed 10,700+ doses of naloxone",[],{"_key":5331,"_type":22,"children":5332,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":5337,"style":30},"8d6e8ed88373",[5333],{"_key":5334,"_type":26,"marks":5335,"text":5336},"c08d2e441bd5",[],"We trained 5,800+ people",[],{"_key":5339,"_type":22,"children":5340,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":5345,"style":30},"41c7729c5ab8",[5341],{"_key":5342,"_type":26,"marks":5343,"text":5344},"a9f752661836",[],"We distributed 4,800+ fentanyl test strips",[],{"_key":5347,"_type":22,"children":5348,"markDefs":5353,"style":48},"0c3a734f73a3",[5349],{"_key":5350,"_type":26,"marks":5351,"text":5352},"618abd2ba894",[],"ENTERTAINMENT COLLABORATIONS",[],{"_key":5355,"_type":252,"asset":5356},"1bd2f80c569b",{"_ref":5357,"_type":248},"image-45f4737e3c8cc55da3a75a59d77dc2c7d31a5bef-604x796-png",{"_key":5359,"_type":22,"children":5360,"markDefs":5365,"style":30},"9a854357b09b",[5361],{"_key":5362,"_type":26,"marks":5363,"text":5364},"075703aa59fe",[],"We rolled out a series of awareness videos with influencer Nikki Bitez that reached over 380,000 views on Instagram alone. Additionally, we collaborated with the I’M PEAKING podcast on a series of videos and collaborative photos highlighting our free lifesaving training, naloxone, and fentanyl test strips! Together with partners like Nikki Bitez and I'M PEAKING, we're able to reach new audiences and make our resources accessible to a constantly growing list of social media users. ",[],{"_key":5367,"_type":22,"children":5368,"markDefs":5372,"style":48},"25e1f6da90c7",[5369],{"_key":5370,"_type":26,"marks":5371,"text":4375},"f65e15d1f54f",[],[],{"_key":5374,"_type":252,"asset":5375},"eff857165eb0",{"_ref":5376,"_type":248},"image-df911f9372d3f0f5b2f5ac19dd7d26764458fd3f-3024x4032-jpg",{"_key":5378,"_type":22,"children":5379,"markDefs":5384,"style":30},"a36021c3be92",[5380],{"_key":5381,"_type":26,"marks":5382,"text":5383},"eddac278a33a",[],"Across the country, our volunteers provided our lifesaving education and naloxone to a list of key events including Beyond Wonderland, Emo Nite, and countless local shows. We also trained at the Cudahy City Council, Cal State Safe Spring Break, and many other community gatherings! Additionally, our Arkansas Outreach & Fulfillment Coordinator Sierra Jeans brought our training to events across the state as we continue our mission to equip its residents in partnership with its DHS.",[],{"_key":5386,"_type":22,"children":5387,"markDefs":5391,"style":48},"ba430e1e7597",[5388],{"_key":5389,"_type":26,"marks":5390,"text":2420},"b39e1e0ea39c",[],[],{"_key":5393,"_type":252,"asset":5394},"4d6658a652ba",{"_ref":5395,"_type":248},"image-df91f73438b7e2e1c723a2e7d1fd5c7f147981dc-1536x2048-jpg",{"_key":5397,"_type":22,"children":5398,"markDefs":5403,"style":30},"884626481bd8",[5399],{"_key":5400,"_type":26,"marks":5401,"text":5402},"d3e772e2cdbe",[],"Our March volunteer of the month was Jessica Heller! She’s done phenomenal work leading our NYU chapter, whether it’s on campus or at live events. ",[],{"_key":5405,"_type":22,"children":5406,"markDefs":5411,"style":30},"0f880147a550",[5407],{"_key":5408,"_type":26,"marks":5409,"text":5410},"292bbf908c6d",[],"Director of Operations Maddie Ward says, “Since founding the NYU chapter, Jessica has developed impactful connections throughout the city, working to increase naloxone accessibility for her peers as well as the greater NYC population. Her passion for helping others is immense, and her deep commitment to providing judgement-free support and education inspires everyone she meets.”",[],{"_key":5413,"_type":22,"children":5414,"markDefs":5419,"style":30},"21e4fbd96db7",[5415],{"_key":5416,"_type":26,"marks":5417,"text":5418},"2fae5ad1c3dd",[],"Thanks for everything you do for End Overdose, Jessica!",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2025-04-07",{"_type":252,"asset":5423},{"_ref":5424,"_type":248},"image-74a6bbddbc0ef3280b4c935f73cbfc4b2db254e4-3024x1463-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5426},"stakeholder-review-or-march-2025","Stakeholder Review | March 2025",{"_createdAt":5429,"_id":5430,"_rev":5431,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5432,"article":5433,"author_ref":5525,"date":5526,"image":5527,"slug":5530,"title":5532},"2025-04-03T18:44:24Z","1c64b426-0b14-4001-bf75-e70d3e069b5b","elSDUqC2VfWZ556OvUUVNk","2025-04-03T18:54:18Z",[5434,5441,5449,5456,5464,5472,5480,5487,5495,5502,5510,5517],{"_key":5435,"_type":22,"children":5436,"markDefs":5440,"style":30},"f131e54b78b9",[5437],{"_key":5438,"_type":26,"marks":5439,"text":2538},"43956e96dc41",[],[],{"_key":5442,"_type":22,"children":5443,"markDefs":5448,"style":30},"275294686891",[5444],{"_key":5445,"_type":26,"marks":5446,"text":5447},"3e623a360c5a",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our chapter at UCLA! We spoke with chapter co-president Lauren Kim about fundraisers, cultivating community, and more.",[],{"_key":5450,"_type":22,"children":5451,"markDefs":5455,"style":30},"d617d0d45436",[5452],{"_key":5453,"_type":26,"marks":5454,"text":403},"91c350d5e1f8",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":5457,"_type":22,"children":5458,"markDefs":5463,"style":30},"e9abedfacefd",[5459],{"_key":5460,"_type":26,"marks":5461,"text":5462},"fdf9e6f6aa0a",[],"As a freshman at UCLA, I knew I wanted to get involved on campus and make a lasting positive impact in the community. However, at such a big university, it can be difficult to find an organization that is the right fit, both in mission and community. That's why it felt so serendipitous when I found End Overdose. Someone I knew had recently passed away due to an opioid overdose, and I knew I wanted to get involved with overdose prevention and response in some way. At around the same time, one of my close friends, Maddie Ward, co-founded the UCLA chapter of End Overdose. I applied to the leadership team, and the rest is history. ",[],{"_key":5465,"_type":22,"children":5466,"markDefs":5471,"style":30},"fbb39e3db8a0",[5467],{"_key":5468,"_type":26,"marks":5469,"text":5470},"d4179a7d0639",[45,402,231],"Can you describe your experience as chapter president of UCLA?",[],{"_key":5473,"_type":22,"children":5474,"markDefs":5479,"style":30},"6b692bd598a4",[5475],{"_key":5476,"_type":26,"marks":5477,"text":5478},"902f9d94e57a",[],"My experience as a co-president of the UCLA chapter has been extremely rewarding. It's been such an amazing experience to be able to provide life-saving knowledge and resources to the UCLA community, and I've met so many amazing students, faculty, and staff in the process. One of my favorite things we get to do as a chapter is put on our quarterly fundraiser because we get to organize a fun event and connect directly with our community while raising money for a great cause. I feel so thankful to have such a dedicated and awesome leadership team and a great community of general members--none of the work we do would be possible without them. ",[],{"_key":5481,"_type":22,"children":5482,"markDefs":5486,"style":30},"46a5f9ced96c",[5483],{"_key":5484,"_type":26,"marks":5485,"text":435},"ef139587ffc6",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":5488,"_type":22,"children":5489,"markDefs":5494,"style":30},"8a7f19f8c721",[5490],{"_key":5491,"_type":26,"marks":5492,"text":5493},"ab77314e9eac",[],"We've cultivated connections within our community through outreach. It's been so heartwarming to experience the generosity and kindness of other organizations on campus, whether they are student- or staff-run. UCLA has a great network of student health and harm reduction organizations, and we've been able to develop several connections through that network. Outreach has also allowed us to develop connections with individuals, as well, whether it be band members who are generous enough to give their time playing at benefit concerts we've put on or staff members who are spearheading movements to make overdose prevention resources more available on campus. ",[],{"_key":5496,"_type":22,"children":5497,"markDefs":5501,"style":30},"0a1e155c4502",[5498],{"_key":5499,"_type":26,"marks":5500,"text":1218},"b75c357e1eac",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":5503,"_type":22,"children":5504,"markDefs":5509,"style":30},"7f58e8f4a489",[5505],{"_key":5506,"_type":26,"marks":5507,"text":5508},"666a36f21184",[],"My personal favorite moments from our chapter's work so far have been our fundraisers and our trainings. As I mentioned before, fundraisers are awesome because we get to bring people together for a good cause. To date, we've put on benefit concerts and flea markets, and I love being able to combine art and expression with overdose prevention. Trainings have been another highlight for me because I feel they're at the core of what we're really about as a chapter and an organization, and being able to connect with other people and teach them how to save a life has truly been a humbling experience. ",[],{"_key":5511,"_type":22,"children":5512,"markDefs":5516,"style":30},"5898c1097520",[5513],{"_key":5514,"_type":26,"marks":5515,"text":1230},"cd8fe282a636",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":5518,"_type":22,"children":5519,"markDefs":5524,"style":30},"f2c71ac33584",[5520],{"_key":5521,"_type":26,"marks":5522,"text":5523},"6cadb504a831",[],"Although I'm graduating from UCLA in a few months, and I'll be sad to say goodbye to this chapter, I hope it will continue to grow. It's been amazing to see our chapter grow from a small leadership team at its inception into what it is today, and I have full faith in our new leadership team and general members to continue our mission in the years to come. Although progress has been made here at UCLA, there is still much more to be done. I know the UCLA chapter will continue to recruit genuine, motivated, and kindhearted individuals who care about the wellbeing of their community and who will continue to make a difference.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-04-03",{"_type":252,"asset":5528},{"_ref":5529,"_type":248},"image-7e452ab432cfe9593e0400defbf55c58c41873f3-1615x984-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5531},"chapter-of-the-week-ucla","Chapter of the Week: UCLA",{"_createdAt":5534,"_id":5535,"_rev":5536,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5537,"article":5538,"author_ref":5649,"date":5650,"image":5651,"slug":5654,"title":5656},"2025-04-02T21:34:46Z","be4a3822-0ab2-4716-af60-1739635409a5","elSDUqC2VfWZ556OvPdUsG","2025-04-02T21:57:36Z",[5539,5547,5565,5569,5577,5581,5589,5597,5601,5609,5617,5621,5629,5637,5641],{"_key":5540,"_type":22,"children":5541,"markDefs":5546,"style":30},"bbe6c3970a34",[5542],{"_key":5543,"_type":26,"marks":5544,"text":5545},"a03d9c6c6912",[],"End Overdose's UC Irvine chapter is proud to present a massive fundraiser show at the Circle OC on April 3rd, 2025! Headlined by day-one End Overdose supporter HVDES, the stacked lineup features support from Kindred, Kaysin, Max Low, and Skittlez. In anticipation of the show, we asked a few of the artists why they're excited to collaborate with End Overdose and raise funds for our lifesaving training and naloxone!",[],{"_key":5548,"_type":22,"children":5549,"markDefs":5562,"style":30},"912ad2c14734",[5550,5554,5558],{"_key":5551,"_type":26,"marks":5552,"text":5553},"4e868973e73d",[],"Haven't bought your ticket yet? Head ",{"_key":5555,"_type":26,"marks":5556,"text":579},"326b3f5539f2",[5557],"67d7719008b9",{"_key":5559,"_type":26,"marks":5560,"text":5561},"6a7895be5e99",[]," to grab yours now!",[5563],{"_key":5557,"_type":244,"href":5564},"https://joinpoppin.com/app/event/d2886303-bfca-4d73-99b1-e9544ceeca6a?_branch_match_id=1269867136126541182&utm_source=general&utm_medium=event&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nL1svKz8wryC8o0MvM008tS80r0c8uLbAoLbSvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2ydc4oys9NBQB7qLqCPgAAAA%3D%3D",{"_key":5566,"_type":252,"asset":5567},"e2eeeca8426c",{"_ref":5568,"_type":248},"image-dbc66b744220bc12a3580b77a459906131596dca-1179x1468-jpg",{"_key":5570,"_type":22,"children":5571,"markDefs":5576,"style":48},"31e13f5b53c2",[5572],{"_key":5573,"_type":26,"marks":5574,"text":5575},"a43fdc1d75e1",[],"HVDES",[],{"_key":5578,"_type":252,"asset":5579},"de13d7f76112",{"_ref":5580,"_type":248},"image-b94b7ef1c73db0dbb425b2607baa153f2cdc6359-4928x3264-jpg",{"_key":5582,"_type":22,"children":5583,"markDefs":5588,"style":30},"66f2ac394812",[5584],{"_key":5585,"_type":26,"marks":5586,"text":5587},"d1838225badd",[],"“Sobriety gave me a second chance at life—a chance I almost didn't get. By all logic, I shouldn't be here, but I am, and that means I have a responsibility.\nThrough my music & the platform I have built with it, I want to spread awareness and empower people-especially in the rave community-to show up for themselves and each other. Overdose doesn't discriminate; from casual use to addiction, it's a real risk for any of us. I really just want everyone to know that no one else has to die. Change starts with us: by breaking the stigma, carrying naloxone, and making overdose prevention a standard, not an afterthought. Let's take care of each other.”",[],{"_key":5590,"_type":22,"children":5591,"markDefs":5596,"style":48},"c25a4d3fd54b",[5592],{"_key":5593,"_type":26,"marks":5594,"text":5595},"1fa022c70516",[],"SKITTLEZ",[],{"_key":5598,"_type":252,"asset":5599},"cc32477e1167",{"_ref":5600,"_type":248},"image-aa82b72daa13c94ad6e679bee93390769b4fb334-1179x815-jpg",{"_key":5602,"_type":22,"children":5603,"markDefs":5608,"style":30},"8e95803b74dd",[5604],{"_key":5605,"_type":26,"marks":5606,"text":5607},"bcf84fc59a19",[],"“I’m so excited for this event because they are really out here doing god's work for our community! Being someone who has experienced & witnessed ODing, I know first hand how scary the whole experience is & that’s part of the reason why this mission is SO SO important me. Thank you End Overdose for creating an open & safe space for those to learn, spread awareness, & really save lives!”",[],{"_key":5610,"_type":22,"children":5611,"markDefs":5616,"style":48},"33dd8eec9100",[5612],{"_key":5613,"_type":26,"marks":5614,"text":5615},"9b946f6d2191",[],"MAX LOW",[],{"_key":5618,"_type":252,"asset":5619},"4b52799446ed",{"_ref":5620,"_type":248},"image-ba7103de7af6f69fcf538317fb1b85090a0debb6-972x597-jpg",{"_key":5622,"_type":22,"children":5623,"markDefs":5628,"style":30},"d643762f1042",[5624],{"_key":5625,"_type":26,"marks":5626,"text":5627},"c8a13f14bd49",[],"“We’re stoked to bring the energy to this event with End Overdose—music has the power to unite, and we’re proud to support a cause that’s saving lives and raising awareness in the community!”",[],{"_key":5630,"_type":22,"children":5631,"markDefs":5636,"style":48},"0992b2e51006",[5632],{"_key":5633,"_type":26,"marks":5634,"text":5635},"76cbc6759864",[],"KINDRED",[],{"_key":5638,"_type":252,"asset":5639},"384ff4951d6c",{"_ref":5640,"_type":248},"image-125379bd3edc69e389abe2dab1c6dbaabcd9a222-763x533-jpg",{"_key":5642,"_type":22,"children":5643,"markDefs":5648,"style":30},"2dd7aa36ccc6",[5644],{"_key":5645,"_type":26,"marks":5646,"text":5647},"44fa48c22d35",[],"“I’m excited to play this show and be a part of End Overdose. Together, we’re raising awareness and making a difference to create a safer and more beautiful environment for everyone! See you there!”",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2025-04-02",{"_type":252,"asset":5652},{"_ref":5653,"_type":248},"image-d6ead69dc211cae969cb8aec1f6bb4adefad9ac4-4928x3264-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5655},"end-overdose-fundraiser-ft-hvdes-kindred-and-more","End Overdose Fundraiser [ft. HVDES, Kindred, and more]",{"_createdAt":5658,"_id":5659,"_rev":5660,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5661,"article":5662,"author_ref":5743,"date":5744,"image":5745,"slug":5748,"title":5750},"2025-04-01T18:06:35Z","a4a8b319-6200-4ba4-8658-55a9e12a6f88","wfuXrbr2BM2d5b5OcYQaNt","2025-04-01T18:33:59Z",[5663,5671,5679,5691,5703,5707,5719,5731],{"_key":5664,"_type":22,"children":5665,"markDefs":5670,"style":30},"51b751367416",[5666],{"_key":5667,"_type":26,"marks":5668,"text":5669},"3b8389937f84",[],"Alongside End Overdose's volunteer program, we have a selective internship program to show college students the ropes of overdose prevention and response. With the amazing initiative being shown by our spring and summer interns, we want to finally highlight their efforts, so this month our inaugural intern spotlight features Meagan Barrera! Attending CSU Long Beach, Meagan is a Volunteer Nonprofit Development Intern at End Overdose HQ.",[],{"_key":5672,"_type":22,"children":5673,"markDefs":5678,"style":30},"6655514d103d",[5674],{"_key":5675,"_type":26,"marks":5676,"text":5677},"3111d52501b0",[],"We spoke with Meagan to learn more about her efforts and interest in overdose prevention and response!",[],{"_key":5680,"_type":22,"children":5681,"markDefs":5690,"style":30},"bdda98e9d2e8",[5682,5686],{"_key":5683,"_type":26,"marks":5684,"text":5685},"b9a9e99c78f4",[45,402,231],"What are you majoring in at CSU Long Beach? Can you tell us about your academic background?",{"_key":5687,"_type":26,"marks":5688,"text":5689},"b91198364d7a",[],"\nI’m pursuing a BS in Health Science with an emphasis on Community and School Health Education at CSULB, but I transferred with an AA in Math and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences from Cypress College. Earlier last year, I was accepted into the Long Beach Public Service Corps fellowship, where I was able to work with the Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control division inside the Long Beach Health Department, specifically with the launch of their Harm Reduction Distribution Program. It was then that I learned that I love teaching people about the importance and benefits of harm reduction, like naloxone and fentanyl test strips, and doing outreach to communities who are deeply affected by the opioid overdose epidemic and would benefit the most from these services. When my fellowship came to an end, I felt fulfilled. I discovered what I was passionate about, but I didn’t want to stop doing the work I was doing. That is when I reached out to End Overdose to start a chapter for the city of Long Beach!",[],{"_key":5692,"_type":22,"children":5693,"markDefs":5702,"style":30},"d657e0b3d6a2",[5694,5698],{"_key":5695,"_type":26,"marks":5696,"text":5697},"4fd41e27e066",[45,402,231],"When did you first learn about End Overdose? And what inspired you to intern here?",{"_key":5699,"_type":26,"marks":5700,"text":5701},"e60aff3a2c73",[],"\nWhen I started attending Insomniac events a couple of years ago, I would always see their tent, whether it was in passing from one stage to another or if my friends wanted to have our meet-ups near their tent. My curiosity grew every time I passed the tent and one day, I walked in and learned about the organization and its mission. I have always been interested in health services because I, like many others, want to help others. I’ve learned that multiple reasons can push a person towards substance abuse, but there are even more reasons that can keep them there, and just because people are in disadvantaged situations, it doesn’t mean that we should leave them there, especially when there are other ways to help them. Harm reduction follows an overall principle of meeting people where they are without judgment or discrimination, especially when abstinence isn’t achievable, and I believe End Overdose fully embodies that principle, which is why I wanted to pursue an internship with them.",[],{"_key":5704,"_type":252,"asset":5705},"d640fba1b022",{"_ref":5706,"_type":248},"image-88eb75b5ab971c9acfe864349c4406e83677e46f-4032x3024-jpg",{"_key":5708,"_type":22,"children":5709,"markDefs":5718,"style":30},"865911bb95ca",[5710,5714],{"_key":5711,"_type":26,"marks":5712,"text":5713},"dfda75928629",[45,402,231],"What have been the most interesting and rewarding aspects of your internship?",{"_key":5715,"_type":26,"marks":5716,"text":5717},"b382c26f3774",[],"\nI’m currently working on two projects with End Overdose. One of those projects is a free online program for libraries across the state of Arkansas. I have helped create awareness handouts and materials, as well as called and set up meetings with several libraries. When I explained the training and resources we would be able to provide for free, I was met with a tremendous amount of gratitude and kindness, and that feeling of being able to bridge inequitable gaps in health is the most rewarding aspect of my internship this far.",[],{"_key":5720,"_type":22,"children":5721,"markDefs":5730,"style":30},"e5aa1842ed7e",[5722,5726],{"_key":5723,"_type":26,"marks":5724,"text":5725},"9bfb9bb46993",[45,402,231],"What lessons have you taken away from interning at End Overdose over the past 10 weeks?",{"_key":5727,"_type":26,"marks":5728,"text":5729},"ef62686972cd",[],"\nDuring recent years, I have seen and heard how opioid overdoses have affected communities local to me. I’ve learned about the opioid overdose epidemic throughout my classes, seminars, and conferences, but now, I’m hearing personal stories of how it’s affecting people elsewhere, and I realize there is so much more important work to be done. So many people, who are already affected or can be affected by the reality of the overdose epidemic, don’t know these resources exist, but every time it is shown to them, all I’ve heard is how much they wish they had known about this sooner, how they hope others hear about this, and how important our work is.",[],{"_key":5732,"_type":22,"children":5733,"markDefs":5742,"style":30},"dc5e10d00b4f",[5734,5738],{"_key":5735,"_type":26,"marks":5736,"text":5737},"8a6a75aec337",[45,402,231],"What are your ultimate goals post-internship and post-graduation?",{"_key":5739,"_type":26,"marks":5740,"text":5741},"1eb985a36168",[],"\nAfter my internship and graduation, I wish to continue to pursue areas of public health and harm reduction, whether it be in the public, private, or non-profit sector, or pursuing a master's in public policy, public administration, or general public health. All I am sure about is I want to continue helping others be safe and stay safe. ",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-04-01",{"_type":252,"asset":5746},{"_ref":5747,"_type":248},"image-f052d209ffdee1ab44949ce80d9355744a66a186-3264x2448-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5749},"intern-spotlight-meagan-barrera","Intern Spotlight: Meagan Barrera",{"_createdAt":5752,"_id":5753,"_rev":5754,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5755,"article":5756,"author_ref":5820,"date":5821,"image":5822,"slug":5825,"title":5827},"2025-03-25T17:36:37Z","743a6043-303f-446c-8ff2-00a3a93d209c","mF3F8O6wwxefsCzufkY25X","2025-03-25T17:42:03Z",[5757,5765,5772,5780,5788,5796,5804,5812],{"_key":5758,"_type":22,"children":5759,"markDefs":5764,"style":30},"b175859bbf9d",[5760],{"_key":5761,"_type":26,"marks":5762,"text":5763},"fd42abf74955",[],"End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our March Volunteer of the Month: Jessica Heller!",[],{"_key":5766,"_type":22,"children":5767,"markDefs":5771,"style":30},"bec8cf75d6cc",[5768],{"_key":5769,"_type":26,"marks":5770,"text":5410},"d6b7b76924c1",[],[],{"_key":5773,"_type":22,"children":5774,"markDefs":5779,"style":30},"e8e104354a2b",[5775],{"_key":5776,"_type":26,"marks":5777,"text":5778},"2e642ae2e0b7",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Can you tell us about yourself and your story?",[],{"_key":5781,"_type":22,"children":5782,"markDefs":5787,"style":30},"457a4302ae6c",[5783],{"_key":5784,"_type":26,"marks":5785,"text":5786},"db65b53cf0d1",[],"Jessica Heller: I’m a second year masters student at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work with a specialization in substance use and co-occurring disorders. During my time in undergrad at University of Maryland, I became set on working in substance use treatment. I saw first hand the impact that substance use can have on a person and the people around them, and I wanted to be a part of the support for those in that situation. With my graduation coming up in May, I hope to be able to continue to support End Overdose, and continue to work around substance use resources and treatment. Because no one else has to die.",[],{"_key":5789,"_type":22,"children":5790,"markDefs":5795,"style":30},"5be0bc4f8a9c",[5791],{"_key":5792,"_type":26,"marks":5793,"text":5794},"62cef15e92ed",[45,402,231],"EO: What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?",[],{"_key":5797,"_type":22,"children":5798,"markDefs":5803,"style":30},"5cab58e78876",[5799],{"_key":5800,"_type":26,"marks":5801,"text":5802},"2a824c757665",[],"JH: I’ve followed End Overdose on Instagram for years now. As an EDM lover myself, I was instantly drawn to the organization and its work in the community. Outside of that, I’ve seen the importance of overdose prevention first hand, both in my personal life and at my work in substance use clinics. One day I saw End Overdose post that they were accepting new chapter applications, and I quickly learned that they didn’t have any New York City chapters yet. I knew that this was a community that could really use this type of organization, and was able to make it happen thanks to my incredible team.",[],{"_key":5805,"_type":22,"children":5806,"markDefs":5811,"style":30},"7cb3ef623d9d",[5807],{"_key":5808,"_type":26,"marks":5809,"text":5810},"862543d6cd4f",[45,402,231],"EO: What’s your favorite memory of volunteering with End Overdose?",[],{"_key":5813,"_type":22,"children":5814,"markDefs":5819,"style":30},"504be6b439c8",[5815],{"_key":5816,"_type":26,"marks":5817,"text":5818},"3c99059d316a",[],"JH: My favorite End Overdose memory is definitely during our Charity Rock Concert in Fall 2024 with Vigil Records and Paperweight Management. It was a huge success, and we trained over 150 people in one night. But, the best part of that night was that one of the founders of Vigil Records offered to shave his head if we raised $500 for End Overdose. We ended up raising over $1,100. And I got to participate in shaving his beautiful hair off live on stage in front of 200 people. It was incredible and a dream come true honestly.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-03-25",{"_type":252,"asset":5823},{"_ref":5824,"_type":248},"image-7ab4bd32ca4f051ea08925801089e9cd8e44ca03-1536x677-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5826},"volunteer-of-the-month-jessica-heller","Volunteer of the Month: Jessica Heller",{"_createdAt":5829,"_id":5830,"_rev":5831,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5832,"article":5833,"author_ref":5970,"date":5971,"featured":2763,"image":5972,"slug":5975,"summary":5977,"title":5978},"2025-03-24T17:18:26Z","65f324d8-c51d-442f-84a5-29d80c77f0b8","slBtszXD0w5cdHvGkO7gHI","2025-04-09T19:10:33Z",[5834,5842,5858,5866,5874,5882,5890,5898,5906,5914,5922,5930,5938,5946,5954,5962],{"_key":5835,"_type":22,"children":5836,"markDefs":5841,"style":30},"bbb030fdb30f",[5837],{"_key":5838,"_type":26,"marks":5839,"text":5840},"a91ba96e7072",[],"Hard dance is having its moment in the United States. As hardcore, rawstyle, and countless other peripheral genres seep into headline sets, rail-grabbing headbangers are being supplemented by fist-pumping crowds. One of the most exciting artists at the core of this movement is Dead X. Since the release of his first single in 2021, the Los Angeles-based producer has blended thunderous kicks and crisp melodies into an alluring blend of all things hardcore. And through collaborations with heavy-hitters ranging from Lil Texas to Yosuf, he’s firmly cemented himself as an essential name in the scene.",[],{"_key":5843,"_type":22,"children":5844,"markDefs":5857,"style":30},"beea44e81ccc",[5845,5849,5853],{"_key":5846,"_type":26,"marks":5847,"text":5848},"17eb541ded85",[],"We spoke with the self-proclaimed “All American Boy” about his prolific production flow, a bird’s eye view of the American hard dance community, and his forthcoming EP, 'Smoking Section",{"_key":5850,"_type":26,"marks":5851,"text":5852},"db12109edeb6",[231],"'",{"_key":5854,"_type":26,"marks":5855,"text":5856},"ba4475a111a5",[]," – out April 18th.",[],{"_key":5859,"_type":22,"children":5860,"markDefs":5865,"style":30},"20eb87fe7341",[5861],{"_key":5862,"_type":26,"marks":5863,"text":5864},"87d0a7721091",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Your music strikes a fine balance between melodic elements and the rawness of hardcore. How do you find that precise middleground as a producer?",[],{"_key":5867,"_type":22,"children":5868,"markDefs":5873,"style":30},"1547132fcdc7",[5869],{"_key":5870,"_type":26,"marks":5871,"text":5872},"343c2559d61b",[],"Dead X: Most of the music I was raised on had both of those elements. I guess the dichotomy between melody and rawness is just in my DNA as a music lover. I’ve always loved industrial music as well, which is inherently raw. When I started listening to hard dance, the meeting of those elements immediately stuck out as pleasantly familiar to me. I definitely try to carry that forward in my production.",[],{"_key":5875,"_type":22,"children":5876,"markDefs":5881,"style":30},"8d53a0d7e935",[5877],{"_key":5878,"_type":26,"marks":5879,"text":5880},"04ee7a882774",[45,402,231],"EO: You've released music at a prolific clip over the past year. What's inspiring you creatively? And how do you maintain that pace?",[],{"_key":5883,"_type":22,"children":5884,"markDefs":5889,"style":30},"c6c681f2d69b",[5885],{"_key":5886,"_type":26,"marks":5887,"text":5888},"767dcc26ee6d",[],"DX: Lately, writing new tracks has been more about chasing a feeling than looking for a specific outcome or sound, then eventually I polish everything to make a finished product. I want to get that amazing feeling from my own music that I get when I listen to my favorite artists. I get as close to that as I can, then I finish the song and send it in for release. Many days and nights have been spent learning different approaches to certain genre-specific sounds, which has given me the confidence to begin carving a unique path with my production. As far as inspiration goes; it used to be that I would listen to artists in the same genre as me in order to get inspired, whereas now I’ll listen to other genres and find myself wanting to bring new elements into my own work whether it’s melodies or samples, etc. Every song presents a new challenge and a new lesson. As far as maintaining pace, I’m simply a workaholic and I love being in the studio. I start to go crazy if I haven’t sat down and produced for a few consecutive days.",[],{"_key":5891,"_type":22,"children":5892,"markDefs":5897,"style":30},"43904e9b4f43",[5893],{"_key":5894,"_type":26,"marks":5895,"text":5896},"a8b2f866d477",[45,402,231],"EO: Late last year, you dropped your 'The All American Boy Vol. 2' EP via Barong Family. Can you speak to their role in pushing hard dance globally?",[],{"_key":5899,"_type":22,"children":5900,"markDefs":5905,"style":30},"c1ed466f777e",[5901],{"_key":5902,"_type":26,"marks":5903,"text":5904},"25fac259b52b",[],"DX: Barong Family was awesome to work with. I kind of blindly trusted them from the start because they’ve hosted some amazing artists, so it felt like a natural step in the right direction for me when they reached out. I’ve built a relationship with the label manager (Ricky, AKA Sihk, also a super talented producer) who has since become a close friend, and here’s what I know about him: he LOVES the music and most of his decisions at the label are based on that…huge green flag in this day and age. What makes Barong cool is that they have relationships with artists all over the world and have been responsible for some collaborations that may not have happened otherwise. They also just have a generally cool vibe and their whole team are super fun to be around.",[],{"_key":5907,"_type":22,"children":5908,"markDefs":5913,"style":30},"c72e5b0a00d8",[5909],{"_key":5910,"_type":26,"marks":5911,"text":5912},"c953e648d17e",[45,402,231],"EO: What's exciting you most about the American hardcore scene? It feels like it's finally having its moment with crowds and streams only going up.",[],{"_key":5915,"_type":22,"children":5916,"markDefs":5921,"style":30},"08d5c64ad9c1",[5917],{"_key":5918,"_type":26,"marks":5919,"text":5920},"0e4bb09454c3",[],"DX: I think that in the last couple of years we’ve seen a ton of new underground/upcoming artists and parties pop up that were not around when I first started this project. I can go to an after hours in LA and the DJ is playing the latest Gearbox tracks, it wasn’t always that way. I’m also hyped on artists like Equal2 and Yosuf for example, who have a bunch of well deserved hype around them and are building their audience in a really cool way. There’s also just hype in general around subgenres like rawstyle and uptempo, with super devoted listeners - you’ve even got MUSTDIE dropping zaag kicks during his dubstep sets, which we love to see. I also have to mention the surge of hard techno over the last two to three years, and to see artists like Holy Priest and Fantasm collabing with hardstyle and hardcore artists definitely shows huge crossover potential. Exciting times for sure.",[],{"_key":5923,"_type":22,"children":5924,"markDefs":5929,"style":30},"bd6a81e87771",[5925],{"_key":5926,"_type":26,"marks":5927,"text":5928},"578b4a42296a",[45,402,231],"EO: You're performing at Beyond Wonderland this week. How does it feel bringing your project to such a crucial festival in the American dance circuit?",[],{"_key":5931,"_type":22,"children":5932,"markDefs":5937,"style":30},"390038aecaa0",[5933],{"_key":5934,"_type":26,"marks":5935,"text":5936},"2a3d90e9ff28",[],"DX: Yes! I’m extremely hyped to bring what I’ve been working on to the stage at Beyond. There are thousands of people who love the sound as much as I do, and I can confidently say they will not be disappointed when they hear my set. I’m coming very well prepared.",[],{"_key":5939,"_type":22,"children":5940,"markDefs":5945,"style":30},"72fcf31b5b5e",[5941],{"_key":5942,"_type":26,"marks":5943,"text":5944},"07e1d3bd7743",[45,402,231],"EO: What's your overarching vision for Dead X in the months and years moving forward?",[],{"_key":5947,"_type":22,"children":5948,"markDefs":5953,"style":30},"ec5d197c5ff3",[5949],{"_key":5950,"_type":26,"marks":5951,"text":5952},"a4680160c357",[],"DX: My team and I are working on building Dead X into a name that is unavoidably recognizable. I want to be headlining shows and continuing to play bigger and better festival stages as I grow. Performing is in my DNA and it helps that I’m obsessed with the production side of things as well. I’d obviously love to get to Europe eventually, and I’m ready to pull up as soon as they’ll have me.",[],{"_key":5955,"_type":22,"children":5956,"markDefs":5961,"style":30},"2637cfaed351",[5957],{"_key":5958,"_type":26,"marks":5959,"text":5960},"f37bf494f7fd",[45,402,231],"EO: Is there anything else you'd like to add?",[],{"_key":5963,"_type":22,"children":5964,"markDefs":5969,"style":30},"2862f491457b",[5965],{"_key":5966,"_type":26,"marks":5967,"text":5968},"92cffc032b77",[],"DX: My next EP, 'Smoking Section,' will be out April 18th. You heard it here first.",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2025-03-24",{"_type":252,"asset":5973},{"_ref":5974,"_type":248},"image-d57d8d0b56da06afb28c9ac320373c16b055ce84-1280x826-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":5976},"all-american-hardcore-an-interview-with-dead-x","End Overdose speaks with the self-proclaimed \"All American Boy\" about his prolific production flow, a bird’s eye view of the current hard dance community, and his forthcoming EP, 'Smoking Section' – out April 18th.","All-American Hardcore: An Interview with Dead X",{"_createdAt":5980,"_id":5981,"_rev":5982,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":5983,"article":5984,"author_ref":6265,"date":6266,"image":6267,"slug":6270,"title":6272},"2025-03-19T19:39:12Z","d33f4a5f-725d-44d2-ae8e-9765a580c2d8","syQB03Du1heYfZdlSzbzwU","2025-03-19T20:00:59Z",[5985,6001,6009,6017,6025,6033,6041,6049,6057,6065,6073,6081,6089,6097,6101,6109,6117,6125,6133,6141,6149,6173,6185,6193,6201,6209,6217,6225,6233,6237],{"_key":5986,"_type":22,"children":5987,"markDefs":6000,"style":30},"e378a21176be",[5988,5992,5996],{"_key":5989,"_type":26,"marks":5990,"text":5991},"445c5db5373b",[],"In a landscape where overdoses are ravaging the United States, it’s more important than ever to make overdose prevention resources accessible. A low cost barrier is vital to this process, but equally important is making resources ",{"_key":5993,"_type":26,"marks":5994,"text":5995},"9f60880dec80",[231,45],"approachable",{"_key":5997,"_type":26,"marks":5998,"text":5999},"e5ae418afa4e",[],". The concept of drug test kits can feel like an overwhelming chemistry project to the average user without proper training and resources, but the recently launched Overdrive Defense has figured out how to make overdose prevention as cool as the party itself.",[],{"_key":6002,"_type":22,"children":6003,"markDefs":6008,"style":30},"b08e07462b57",[6004],{"_key":6005,"_type":26,"marks":6006,"text":6007},"485dfe96db66",[],"With two styles of test kits – one for fentanyl, another for drink spikes – they come in a fashionably branded, low-profile container, that looks like your average cigarette box. Its smooth fit into rotations of nightlife essentials is a fascinating concept that has caught the attention of the extreme sports and music scenes who are receptive to overdose prevention and partying safely.",[],{"_key":6010,"_type":22,"children":6011,"markDefs":6016,"style":30},"a3c7c8d792fc",[6012],{"_key":6013,"_type":26,"marks":6014,"text":6015},"6e1084bc58dc",[],"To learn more about Overdrive Defense and their mission to curb overdoses nationwide, we spoke with General Manager Amy Emmerich about lessons she’s learned during her accomplished career, diversifying the kinds of drug-testing kits available to consumers, and her vision for the brand moving forward.",[],{"_key":6018,"_type":22,"children":6019,"markDefs":6024,"style":30},"925f125d7225",[6020],{"_key":6021,"_type":26,"marks":6022,"text":6023},"f098ad416eb7",[45,231,402],"End Overdose: You’ve held key roles at organizations like Refinery29 and the Miss Universe Organization. What are some vital lessons you’ve learned over the years as a leader in the media space?",[],{"_key":6026,"_type":22,"children":6027,"markDefs":6032,"style":30},"164a78cc6efa",[6028],{"_key":6029,"_type":26,"marks":6030,"text":6031},"b8f2d79d92b2",[],"Amy Emmerich: First and foremost, resilience and the resulting adaptability has been crucial. There are inevitable setbacks, but the ability to bounce back, learn from those experiences, and continue pushing forward is what ultimately makes a leader successful. Being able to quickly pivot, innovate, and stay ahead of trends has been vital to driving success.",[],{"_key":6034,"_type":22,"children":6035,"markDefs":6040,"style":30},"0fbc6d967272",[6036],{"_key":6037,"_type":26,"marks":6038,"text":6039},"0e011c122cbe",[],"Next is the importance of building a strong, diverse team. Diversity—whether it lies in background, perspective, or skill set—creates a more dynamic and creative environment. I’ve always prioritized bringing together a team of people who challenge each other, bring unique ideas to the table, and collectively work toward a shared vision.",[],{"_key":6042,"_type":22,"children":6043,"markDefs":6048,"style":30},"774fb56cc8a5",[6044],{"_key":6045,"_type":26,"marks":6046,"text":6047},"8e3b13755af9",[],"I’ve also learned that authenticity and transparency are fundamental to leadership. In a space where audiences crave genuine connections and brands need to build trust, leading with honesty and aligning your company’s values with its actions creates long-term loyalty.",[],{"_key":6050,"_type":22,"children":6051,"markDefs":6056,"style":30},"8d15e2a6b9e0",[6052],{"_key":6053,"_type":26,"marks":6054,"text":6055},"fbafd4fde69c",[],"These lessons have not only helped me in my roles but have also been instrumental in shaping my approach to leadership and guiding teams toward impactful, purpose-driven work.",[],{"_key":6058,"_type":22,"children":6059,"markDefs":6064,"style":30},"a5b4285d06e4",[6060],{"_key":6061,"_type":26,"marks":6062,"text":6063},"9489e989f12d",[45,231,402],"EO: What inspired you to join the Overdrive Defense team? What initially stood out to you about its concept to reinvent drug safety?",[],{"_key":6066,"_type":22,"children":6067,"markDefs":6072,"style":30},"f9de9cf65f2e",[6068],{"_key":6069,"_type":26,"marks":6070,"text":6071},"9324f670bd16",[],"AE: What inspired me to join the Overdrive Defense team was the opportunity to be part of a movement that’s working to transform nightlife safety and support harm reduction on a larger scale. Drink spiking and overdoses are critical issues in nightlife settings, and Overdrive is not only providing solutions, but also changing the narrative around these problems. I was inspired by the team’s dedication to promoting awareness, and turning harm reduction into a mainstream conversation. It’s about creating a culture where people understand that their safety matters, they have the power to protect themselves, and there are tools and strategies available to support them, without stigma or hesitation.",[],{"_key":6074,"_type":22,"children":6075,"markDefs":6080,"style":30},"ea93262eda31",[6076],{"_key":6077,"_type":26,"marks":6078,"text":6079},"774d92c84405",[45,402,231],"EO: How would you assess Overdrive’s integration into extreme sports and music culture? Why do those scenes seem to be so receptive to your mission?",[],{"_key":6082,"_type":22,"children":6083,"markDefs":6088,"style":30},"a655e624f457",[6084],{"_key":6085,"_type":26,"marks":6086,"text":6087},"98c0c616f671",[],"AE: Our Creative Director, Ryan Weaver’s vision is to integrate Overdrive into extreme sports and music culture - These communities are deeply rooted in pushing boundaries, embracing risk, and living in the moment—all qualities that resonate with Overdrive's focus on empowering individuals to take control of their safety in high-energy environments.",[],{"_key":6090,"_type":22,"children":6091,"markDefs":6096,"style":30},"306229ca69bb",[6092],{"_key":6093,"_type":26,"marks":6094,"text":6095},"c590d38828b0",[],"There’s a strong sense of community care in these spaces, where individuals look out for each other, which makes them more open to adopting harm-reduction solutions that enable safer participation. Additionally, both of these cultures are heavily influenced by a younger demographic—one that is more open to conversation about safety and well-being, without stigma. Overdrive’s mission of making safety products accessible and normalizing their use helps bridge the gap between a lifestyle of fun, spontaneity, and responsible self-care, making it a perfect fit for both extreme sports and music culture.",[],{"_key":6098,"_type":252,"asset":6099},"5db157230921",{"_ref":6100,"_type":248},"image-20c664c7260fad47d3d5fb017810e9ee881409dd-2531x2048-jpg",{"_key":6102,"_type":22,"children":6103,"markDefs":6108,"style":30},"68d7034a84a8",[6104],{"_key":6105,"_type":26,"marks":6106,"text":6107},"32a646fda286",[45,402,231],"EO: Alongside fentanyl test kits, it’s so essential that Overdrive has developed drink-spike test kits. Can you speak to the importance of diversifying the types of drugs the average person can test for?",[],{"_key":6110,"_type":22,"children":6111,"markDefs":6116,"style":30},"a8fea4706962",[6112],{"_key":6113,"_type":26,"marks":6114,"text":6115},"9e5828ec7a5b",[],"AE: The development of Overdrive’s drink-spike test kits alongside fentanyl test kits is a crucial step in addressing the wide range of dangers people face in social and nightlife environments. While fentanyl is a significant threat, there are many other substances that can be harmful, including those used to spike drinks, such as GHB, ketamine, and others. It’s essential that individuals have the ability to test for a variety of substances in order to fully protect themselves.",[],{"_key":6118,"_type":22,"children":6119,"markDefs":6124,"style":30},"560875990372",[6120],{"_key":6121,"_type":26,"marks":6122,"text":6123},"f83fefa90a03",[],"Diversifying the types of drugs people can test for helps to expand the scope of safety. A one-size-fits-all approach is no longer sufficient when it comes to drug safety. Different drugs have different effects and risks, and being able to test for a broader range gives individuals the power to take control of their environment, reducing harm and potentially saving lives.",[],{"_key":6126,"_type":22,"children":6127,"markDefs":6132,"style":30},"a02be71abc4a",[6128],{"_key":6129,"_type":26,"marks":6130,"text":6131},"4c9e5be68837",[],"Additionally, it sends an important message that prevention and safety are multi-faceted. We need to normalize the idea that testing for substances is not just about fentanyl—it's about creating a culture where individuals actively look out for their own well-being and are equipped with the tools they need to make informed decisions. Having a variety of test kits available ensures that people have access to a more comprehensive safety toolkit, ultimately helping to reduce the risks associated with substance use in public and social spaces.",[],{"_key":6134,"_type":22,"children":6135,"markDefs":6140,"style":30},"9c97bac44be2",[6136],{"_key":6137,"_type":26,"marks":6138,"text":6139},"508044231df3",[45,402,231],"EO: Why do you think it’s important for Overdrive to not only innovate in the drug safety space as a business, but collaborate with non-profit organizations like End Overdose?",[],{"_key":6142,"_type":22,"children":6143,"markDefs":6148,"style":30},"f13d0b883b2d",[6144],{"_key":6145,"_type":26,"marks":6146,"text":6147},"0b7fb22073b9",[],"AE: It’s incredibly important for Overdrive to not only innovate in the drug safety space as a business but also to collaborate with non-profit organizations like End Overdose because the impact of these issues extends far beyond any single company or product. While Overdrive’s innovations play a crucial role in offering accessible, life-saving tools, partnerships with organizations like End Overdose allow us to leverage their deep expertise and extensive community reach in a way that amplifies the broader mission.",[],{"_key":6150,"_type":22,"children":6151,"markDefs":6172,"style":30},"0f5c0814f1b0",[6152,6156,6160,6164,6168],{"_key":6153,"_type":26,"marks":6154,"text":6155},"70a974bf77cd",[],"Non-profits have already done significant, foundational work in raising awareness, providing education, and advocating for harm reduction. Their efforts need to be ",{"_key":6157,"_type":26,"marks":6158,"text":6159},"f56fdc882eb1",[45],"highlighted, respected, and valued",{"_key":6161,"_type":26,"marks":6162,"text":6163},"166791ae8280",[],". By working with these organizations, we can ensure that we’re building on that important groundwork, rather than reinventing the wheel. ",{"_key":6165,"_type":26,"marks":6166,"text":6167},"a208eb885048",[45],"Non-profits bring critical insights, resources, and networks",{"_key":6169,"_type":26,"marks":6170,"text":6171},"29767a635d2b",[]," that are essential for tackling complex issues like substance abuse, overdose prevention, and harm reduction. By collaborating, we can develop a more holistic, well-rounded approach that combines innovation with on-the-ground support, education, and advocacy.",[],{"_key":6174,"_type":22,"children":6175,"markDefs":6184,"style":30},"ee1231b078ae",[6176,6180],{"_key":6177,"_type":26,"marks":6178,"text":6179},"3e7cd52be9fc",[45],"It’s not just about creating products; it’s about contributing to a larger movement for positive change.",{"_key":6181,"_type":26,"marks":6182,"text":6183},"8327df20e58a",[]," The work of non-profits like End Overdose helps to foster a broader culture of care, empathy, and awareness around these issues, which in turn strengthens the effectiveness of our products and messages.",[],{"_key":6186,"_type":22,"children":6187,"markDefs":6192,"style":30},"de3179312bc2",[6188],{"_key":6189,"_type":26,"marks":6190,"text":6191},"bd2709ef95da",[],"Ultimately, collaboration maximizes the potential for lasting change. By working alongside non-profit organizations, Overdrive is able to extend its impact, reach more people, and contribute to a safer, healthier environment for everyone.",[],{"_key":6194,"_type":22,"children":6195,"markDefs":6200,"style":30},"f1aaefb574e4",[6196],{"_key":6197,"_type":26,"marks":6198,"text":6199},"11f808294cd5",[45,402,231],"EO: What big-picture goals do you have for Overdrive? How do you see the brand evolving in the coming months and years?",[],{"_key":6202,"_type":22,"children":6203,"markDefs":6208,"style":30},"97ccdb7504ec",[6204],{"_key":6205,"_type":26,"marks":6206,"text":6207},"99263917ee74",[],"​​AE: The big-picture goal for Overdrive is to create a lasting cultural shift in how people approach nightlife safety. We aim to empower individuals by giving them the tools they need to protect themselves—whether that’s through drink-spike test kits, fentanyl detection, or other harm-reduction products. Ultimately, we want Overdrive to become a household name associated with personal safety and proactive prevention, making these tools as commonplace as a phone or wallet when people go out. Everyone can party but we want them to party safely.",[],{"_key":6210,"_type":22,"children":6211,"markDefs":6216,"style":30},"9ab59f4d255f",[6212],{"_key":6213,"_type":26,"marks":6214,"text":6215},"6d156b37d8a3",[],"In the coming months and years, we see Overdrive continuing to innovate, expanding our product line, and deepening our partnerships with key organizations in both the private and non-profit sectors. Our mission is to not only provide the products but also to drive awareness and education at a larger scale, reaching more communities and groups across the country and beyond.",[],{"_key":6218,"_type":22,"children":6219,"markDefs":6224,"style":30},"f5f708fb95f5",[6220],{"_key":6221,"_type":26,"marks":6222,"text":6223},"c4d7180bf6eb",[],"We also want to help shape policy and societal attitudes around harm reduction. By partnering with nonprofits, advocacy groups, and industry leaders, Overdrive will play a role in pushing for greater access to life-saving products and driving changes in regulations that prioritize public health and safety.",[],{"_key":6226,"_type":22,"children":6227,"markDefs":6232,"style":30},"a82852c7267a",[6228],{"_key":6229,"_type":26,"marks":6230,"text":6231},"153700e9e753",[],"As we evolve, our goal is for Overdrive to be a trusted ally, helping people take charge of their safety, and ultimately contributing to a safer, more informed world.",[],{"_key":6234,"_type":252,"asset":6235},"ad31267988ca",{"_ref":6236,"_type":248},"image-d6d54730cf78a69a74ab38382eb301633fbe58e9-3791x5686-jpg",{"_key":6238,"_type":22,"children":6239,"markDefs":6260,"style":30},"2fa1cfd916c7",[6240,6244,6248,6252,6256],{"_key":6241,"_type":26,"marks":6242,"text":6243},"ecaa704e3489",[45,402,231],"**Visit Overdrive Defense's official website ",{"_key":6245,"_type":26,"marks":6246,"text":579},"9fe0072548b4",[6247,45,402,231],"0e76b8bf205e",{"_key":6249,"_type":26,"marks":6250,"text":6251},"fc02f7e6f57e",[45,402,231]," and Instagram ",{"_key":6253,"_type":26,"marks":6254,"text":579},"dafe6c2f0399",[6255,45,402,231],"e12da729869f",{"_key":6257,"_type":26,"marks":6258,"text":6259},"80109a5125a2",[45,402,231],"**",[6261,6263],{"_key":6247,"_type":244,"href":6262},"https://www.overdrivedefense.com/",{"_key":6255,"_type":244,"href":6264},"https://www.instagram.com/overdrivedefense/",{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-03-19",{"_type":252,"asset":6268},{"_ref":6269,"_type":248},"image-f7c84193584c80c8aa527c8166afae87b89935d4-1280x666-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":6271},"overdrive-defense-embraces-the-extreme","Overdrive Defense Embraces the Extreme",{"_createdAt":6274,"_id":6275,"_rev":6276,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":6277,"article":6278,"author_ref":6374,"date":6375,"image":6376,"slug":6379,"title":6381},"2025-03-19T16:51:30Z","a950071d-92c8-4506-b74f-a0a075c58994","NWAZZzGN16cinE4x1NeCC7","2025-03-19T19:52:36Z",[6279,6286,6294,6302,6310,6318,6326,6334,6342,6350,6358,6366],{"_key":6280,"_type":22,"children":6281,"markDefs":6285,"style":30},"d041a619c0d7",[6282],{"_key":6283,"_type":26,"marks":6284,"text":2538},"10b75df97e92",[],[],{"_key":6287,"_type":22,"children":6288,"markDefs":6293,"style":30},"562b8cc9d5f3",[6289],{"_key":6290,"_type":26,"marks":6291,"text":6292},"d6edf703a4c8",[],"Today, we're proud to highlight our chapter at Colorado State University! We spoke with founder and co-president Adam Harkins about discovering End Overdose, his chapter training over 1,000 people through campus and nightlife outreach, and much more.",[],{"_key":6295,"_type":22,"children":6296,"markDefs":6301,"style":30},"609bbb06b278",[6297],{"_key":6298,"_type":26,"marks":6299,"text":6300},"ebfd83e503b3",[45],"End Overdose: What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?",[],{"_key":6303,"_type":22,"children":6304,"markDefs":6309,"style":30},"d2ea53617f52",[6305],{"_key":6306,"_type":26,"marks":6307,"text":6308},"2a8b2976d0db",[],"Adam Harkins: I found an interest in overdose prevention about a year ago. I was disappointed by the rising number of overdoses in my community and at the events I attended. I found End Overdose and appreciated their values of community engagement and compassionate messaging. I saw End Overdose as being an invaluable asset to the Fort Collins/Larimer community and decided to apply. Being a part of End Overdose has been beneficial for my chapter members and I. It’s nice to be able to connect with our community on a personal level and be able to equip them with the resources they need to prevent overdoses. It has also been an opportunity to get to know fellow community members. We have built partnerships with the other people and organizations working on this problem and it is refreshing to see how many people are working to end overdose.",[],{"_key":6311,"_type":22,"children":6312,"markDefs":6317,"style":30},"788f1e437817",[6313],{"_key":6314,"_type":26,"marks":6315,"text":6316},"b7f176291602",[45],"EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president of CSU? How has it been building the chapter from the ground up on campus?",[],{"_key":6319,"_type":22,"children":6320,"markDefs":6325,"style":30},"bc27b2126dbb",[6321],{"_key":6322,"_type":26,"marks":6323,"text":6324},"fda5168a25b4",[],"AH: My co-president, Jorja Whyte, and I have found this experience to be quite rewarding! Building this chapter was one of the best decisions we have made. We have worked very hard to turn this chapter into what it is, and I think we underestimated the challenge that faced us. But we wouldn’t trade this for the world. We are grateful to have a space where we can connect with others across campus who are also interested in overdose prevention. The chapter has given both of us the chance to grow even more as leaders and make lasting bonds along the way. That is such a special feeling, and we are grateful to be a part of such a wonderful organization! If you are reading this and considering starting a chapter, don’t wait! You have the ability to make a tangible impact in your community.",[],{"_key":6327,"_type":22,"children":6328,"markDefs":6333,"style":30},"a38792981a19",[6329],{"_key":6330,"_type":26,"marks":6331,"text":6332},"70906a72e05e",[45],"EO: How have you developed authentic connections within the community?",[],{"_key":6335,"_type":22,"children":6336,"markDefs":6341,"style":30},"d41d3f019ce5",[6337],{"_key":6338,"_type":26,"marks":6339,"text":6340},"f6060d59c6c0",[],"AH: We have found authenticity through partnerships and community outreach. We have met a lot of other people, through other organizations, that are passionate about overdose prevention. For us, this has been invaluable and allowed us to learn so much while building relationships. We have also worked hard to connect with our community on a personal level. Each person has a story and understanding these stories helps us better connect with our community and provide solutions to problems they may be facing. We value authenticity in our work and believe that it is crucial to creating meaningful change in our community.",[],{"_key":6343,"_type":22,"children":6344,"markDefs":6349,"style":30},"218fd3d9c0e6",[6345],{"_key":6346,"_type":26,"marks":6347,"text":6348},"6be517de0ce2",[45],"EO: What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?",[],{"_key":6351,"_type":22,"children":6352,"markDefs":6357,"style":30},"84aef3024f0c",[6353],{"_key":6354,"_type":26,"marks":6355,"text":6356},"8e7ae3fd62fa",[],"AH: We have done a lot in the 8 months since the chapter first started. We began with 5 members and our amazing advisor Ariel. We have since grown to 12 members, with two subcommittees. Between last semester and the first part of this semester, we have distributed over 600 doses and trained more than 1200 people. We have worked with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), S.A.F.E., Active Minds, and Crown The Foundation to name a few. Our chapter members, who I am privileged to work with, give so much more than their time to this organization. This has been a labor of love, and I know many of us have spent countless hours each week working. We are a small team, but we work hard because we fully believe in the organization that we are a part of and the work that we do.",[],{"_key":6359,"_type":22,"children":6360,"markDefs":6365,"style":30},"9bc7f8fb3813",[6361],{"_key":6362,"_type":26,"marks":6363,"text":6364},"74d0f4e9ca8f",[45],"EO: What do you envision for the future of your chapter?",[],{"_key":6367,"_type":22,"children":6368,"markDefs":6373,"style":30},"15cb50374bcf",[6369],{"_key":6370,"_type":26,"marks":6371,"text":6372},"c31fae0a6f7a",[],"AH: I hope that this chapter will continue to grow and flourish after I graduate. When you work so hard on something, you become really attached to it. But I also hope that future leadership does things differently. Organizations are so wonderful because of the people that comprise them. Through this, they become diverse and grow to have their own personalities. I hope that the CSU chapter does the same. I hope that we continue to approach every situation with understanding and empathy. Overdose is a sensitive subject, and it is important that we support our community in every way we can. Lastly, I hope that our members continue to find value in the work that we do and grow the chapter for the benefit of future generations. We can do so much good, and we will continue to work hard because No One Else Has To Die.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-03-18",{"_type":252,"asset":6377},{"_ref":6378,"_type":248},"image-d242215b06bbfc7f3a0fa10c470f07ed797749ba-1920x1041-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":6380},"chapter-of-the-week-colorado-state-university","Chapter of the Week: Colorado State University",{"_createdAt":6383,"_id":6384,"_rev":6385,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":6383,"article":6386,"author_ref":6486,"date":6487,"image":6488,"slug":6491,"title":6493},"2025-02-21T19:03:44Z","3f713b6c-31c8-4107-af6c-7f379012f349","Vl7gLk6awWJkPrxItQJ4yM",[6387,6395,6403,6410,6421,6429,6436,6444,6452,6459,6467,6475,6482],{"_key":6388,"_type":22,"children":6389,"markDefs":6394,"style":30},"cd5719e1070a",[6390],{"_key":6391,"_type":26,"marks":6392,"text":6393},"f88fb52fa6fc",[],"End Overdose: Why was Olive selected as the January 2025 Volunteer of the Month?",[],{"_key":6396,"_type":22,"children":6397,"markDefs":6402,"style":30},"c5376d4b9278",[6398],{"_key":6399,"_type":26,"marks":6400,"text":6401},"94126ceaa01b",[],"Maddie Ward: Olive puts a smile on the face of anyone who interacts with her. Her passion for helping others is clear in any conversation you have with her, and it is impossible not to feel energized after speaking to her. Since starting her volunteer work with End Overdose, Olive has fully committed herself to developing innovative ideas and programs that uplift members of her community. I am always so excited to hear Olive's ideas, and End Overdose could not ask for a better volunteer.",[],{"_key":6404,"_type":22,"children":6405,"markDefs":6409,"style":30},"a46dcfcf0b2f",[6406],{"_key":6407,"_type":26,"marks":6408,"text":3316},"2ccec1015903",[],[],{"_key":6411,"_type":22,"children":6412,"markDefs":6420,"style":30},"3a6bb86c6797",[6413,6417],{"_key":6414,"_type":26,"marks":6415,"text":6416},"c02eabc0ef98",[],"End Overdose: ",{"_key":6418,"_type":26,"marks":6419,"text":287},"94bdaf1aefcf",[],[],{"_key":6422,"_type":22,"children":6423,"markDefs":6428,"style":30},"319cada5f750",[6424],{"_key":6425,"_type":26,"marks":6426,"text":6427},"f489d9ea68b20",[],"Olive Younts: I’m from Atlanta and have lived here my entire life! I love music, and I decided to take a 180 on my life years ago, to be able to work in the music industry. I didn’t care where I worked, I just wanted to be involved. I started working security at a few venues, and over time, I’ve had the opportunity to explore various roles, from event promotions to coordinating. As I’ve progressed, I eventually joined End Overdose as a volunteer and that experience truly transformed everything for me. It’s allowed me to connect with my community on a much deeper level and continue my work with a purpose.",[],{"_key":6430,"_type":22,"children":6431,"markDefs":6435,"style":30},"108e11e34f02",[6432],{"_key":6433,"_type":26,"marks":6434,"text":3316},"006d81375713",[],[],{"_key":6437,"_type":22,"children":6438,"markDefs":6443,"style":30},"26a4d6d3fd72",[6439],{"_key":6440,"_type":26,"marks":6441,"text":6442},"dc04c7d11c53",[],"End Overdose: What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?",[],{"_key":6445,"_type":22,"children":6446,"markDefs":6451,"style":30},"a4a1ddad6a7b",[6447],{"_key":6448,"_type":26,"marks":6449,"text":6450},"3c3522bdc12e0",[],"Olive Younts: I decided to volunteer with End Overdose after seeing firsthand how opioid overdose was affecting my community. After years of working in crowd safety, I realized there was a lack of awareness and preparation around drug use, with many people engaging with substances they didn’t fully understand. I started looking for resources to help educate and prepare those around me, and discovered End Overdose. When I heard there was a chapter opening in Atlanta, I knew I had to get involved. Since joining, my focus has been ensuring that everyone in our community knows about our presence and understands the importance of harm reduction. We’re still working hard to expand our impact here, and it’s been amazing to witness the positive reception of our mission.",[],{"_key":6453,"_type":22,"children":6454,"markDefs":6458,"style":30},"b13f3548e97d",[6455],{"_key":6456,"_type":26,"marks":6457,"text":3316},"535548c36787",[],[],{"_key":6460,"_type":22,"children":6461,"markDefs":6466,"style":30},"0fa4d1b7e09e",[6462],{"_key":6463,"_type":26,"marks":6464,"text":6465},"8e4e38d08dd1",[],"End Overdose: What’s your favorite memory of volunteering with End Overdose?",[],{"_key":6468,"_type":22,"children":6469,"markDefs":6474,"style":30},"55dda085674f",[6470],{"_key":6471,"_type":26,"marks":6472,"text":6473},"88b33143bf1b0",[],"Olive Younts: Working with End Overdose has been so fun! I think my favorite memory was when we hosted a candlelight vigil for those we’ve lost over overdose. This event really connected our community and turned into an amazing celebration of life with a ton of smiles and fun right before the holidays. This event connected those we’ve lost, but also made us extremely present in seeing our community and impact at work. This was also our first End Overdose Atlanta stand-alone event, and to see our team work together for the first time was incredible.",[],{"_key":6476,"_type":22,"children":6477,"markDefs":6481,"style":30},"908a20c0dad4",[6478],{"_key":6479,"_type":26,"marks":6480,"text":3316},"2dfb1aa1fa2c",[],[],{"_key":6483,"_type":252,"asset":6484},"240efa88354f",{"_ref":6485,"_type":248},"image-eb900ee4c06d20252d9ac573c0d264f95b6a4623-3024x4032-jpg",{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-02-21",{"_type":252,"asset":6489},{"_ref":6490,"_type":248},"image-39b1145da53669abdd58632c28af9c5ff9b01c0d-1616x1080-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":6492},"volunteer-of-the-month-olive-younts","Volunteer of the Month: Olive Younts",{"_createdAt":6495,"_id":6496,"_rev":6497,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":6498,"article":6499,"author_ref":6680,"date":6681,"featured":2763,"image":6682,"meta":6685,"slug":6692,"summary":6694,"title":6690},"2025-01-20T18:28:49Z","da364fc5-59ba-4db1-8577-ad43107e07ed","39NQ74o60c5TbS4zOt6uD6","2025-01-21T21:04:12Z",[6500,6517,6521,6529,6537,6544,6552,6560,6567,6575,6583,6591,6599,6606,6614,6622,6629,6637,6645,6652,6660,6668,6672],{"_key":6501,"_type":22,"children":6502,"markDefs":6514,"style":30},"a6aff7947998",[6503,6507,6511],{"_key":6504,"_type":26,"marks":6505,"text":6506},"f529949e5e6a",[],"Today, End Overdose will launch our collaborative merch collection with DropSlowLee, a brand by Cody Lee. Learn more about Cody and why he chose to work with End Overdose below. Check out the collaboration ",{"_key":6508,"_type":26,"marks":6509,"text":579},"3eebaa8fa597",[6510],"f7e61011caa1",{"_key":6512,"_type":26,"marks":6513,"text":583},"0790ba8eb5a9",[],[6515],{"_key":6510,"_type":244,"href":6516},"https://www.dropslowlee.com/deadend17/p/endoverdose-x-dropslowlee-collab",{"_key":6518,"_type":252,"asset":6519},"4b6440505996",{"_ref":6520,"_type":248},"image-ac4e0fa3bb941dcfb7c33985d9b7f75bfdd448dc-3024x4032-jpg",{"_key":6522,"_type":22,"children":6523,"markDefs":6528,"style":30},"657a8ba3704e",[6524],{"_key":6525,"_type":26,"marks":6526,"text":6527},"adfcf5615526",[],"End Overdose: Can you tell us a little about yourself?",[],{"_key":6530,"_type":22,"children":6531,"markDefs":6536,"style":30},"cbe7f10c2d33",[6532],{"_key":6533,"_type":26,"marks":6534,"text":6535},"46ea4e63772e",[],"Cody Lee: I was born in 1994 and raised in the rural landscapes of Upstate New York. My artistic inspiration is deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of my upbringing, marked by a blend of family turmoil and the comforting escape of nature. Now, five years into my journey of sobriety, I reside and work in New York City with my fiancée, our cat Kiki, and our French bulldog, Large Marge.",[],{"_key":6538,"_type":22,"children":6539,"markDefs":6543,"style":30},"a55f724b9779",[6540],{"_key":6541,"_type":26,"marks":6542,"text":3316},"f01bdc89f6c0",[],[],{"_key":6545,"_type":22,"children":6546,"markDefs":6551,"style":30},"3d64bb98d6ba",[6547],{"_key":6548,"_type":26,"marks":6549,"text":6550},"c87936bf1a56",[],"EO: Do you have a background in art or design, or is it a personal passion?",[],{"_key":6553,"_type":22,"children":6554,"markDefs":6559,"style":30},"8ea0dc4778a3",[6555],{"_key":6556,"_type":26,"marks":6557,"text":6558},"4bb8dbc6d7b1",[],"CL: I studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art from 2012 to 2016, where I earned a BFA and was honored with The Richard Lewis Bloch Memor ial Prize for Excellence in the Arts. My artistic practice explores themes of life and death, societal norms and fears, and the intricate dynamics between leaders and followers, all in pursuit of revealing the truth about finding inner peace in a chaotic world.\nIn addition to my visual art, I completed an apprenticeship with David Sena, the owner of Sena Tattoo in New York City, which has enriched my artistic knowledge. I currently create silk-screened works on paper and garments from my studio in Brooklyn, and I am also tattooing at Eight of SwordsTattoo in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.",[],{"_key":6561,"_type":22,"children":6562,"markDefs":6566,"style":30},"05cbbf620341",[6563],{"_key":6564,"_type":26,"marks":6565,"text":3316},"8aa024f88f37",[],[],{"_key":6568,"_type":22,"children":6569,"markDefs":6574,"style":30},"d00b83b5980a",[6570],{"_key":6571,"_type":26,"marks":6572,"text":6573},"b65cf70d85a3",[],"EO: What inspired you to work with End Overdose?",[],{"_key":6576,"_type":22,"children":6577,"markDefs":6582,"style":30},"18cabf8f5d7d",[6578],{"_key":6579,"_type":26,"marks":6580,"text":6581},"56ec869b633f",[],"CL: I am thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with End Overdose on a project that highlights the critical importance of drug overdose education. I would also like to give a special thanks to Sophie Kennedy, my fiancé's sister and the CU Boulder Chapter President, for making this project possible.",[],{"_key":6584,"_type":22,"children":6585,"markDefs":6590,"style":30},"4cc7f4d5cf1c",[6586],{"_key":6587,"_type":26,"marks":6588,"text":6589},"b7ac699ee7b2",[],"EO: Where can people see more of your work or connect with you?",[],{"_key":6592,"_type":22,"children":6593,"markDefs":6598,"style":30},"4a737e5ab00d",[6594],{"_key":6595,"_type":26,"marks":6596,"text":6597},"a3d2c56925cb",[],"CL: You can view my work on my website: www.dropslowlee.com, and on Instagram: @dropslowlee. Additionally, I have a curated gallery of my garment pieces under the clothing line name DEADEND17, which you can find on Instagram @deadend17. The name reflects my childhood home, which was number 17 located on a dead-end street. It serves as a metaphor for change and transition, highlighting the idea that situations that appear to be dead ends can often reveal themselves as new beginnings.",[],{"_key":6600,"_type":22,"children":6601,"markDefs":6605,"style":30},"eefbbec6ed30",[6602],{"_key":6603,"_type":26,"marks":6604,"text":3316},"9a20ff31812e",[],[],{"_key":6607,"_type":22,"children":6608,"markDefs":6613,"style":30},"e68f700e0b9d",[6609],{"_key":6610,"_type":26,"marks":6611,"text":6612},"bc2f9d112858",[],"EO: What was the inspiration behind this design?",[],{"_key":6615,"_type":22,"children":6616,"markDefs":6621,"style":30},"499a943cc482",[6617],{"_key":6618,"_type":26,"marks":6619,"text":6620},"007e4fb848de0",[],"This design is inspired by the concept that everything can be seen from\nmultiple perspectives, with many individuals often dwelling on the darker\naspects of those views. Concealing ourselves behind the fear of judgment, criticism, and vulnerability, we often prevent the necessary space for change to take place.",[],{"_key":6623,"_type":22,"children":6624,"markDefs":6628,"style":30},"2f98f85256ad",[6625],{"_key":6626,"_type":26,"marks":6627,"text":3316},"ec62d7c3f33a",[],[],{"_key":6630,"_type":22,"children":6631,"markDefs":6636,"style":30},"8853a15e349b",[6632],{"_key":6633,"_type":26,"marks":6634,"text":6635},"7a94ba0fd97a",[],"EO: Can you describe the meaning or symbolism behind the elements in the design?",[],{"_key":6638,"_type":22,"children":6639,"markDefs":6644,"style":30},"ebe8834f09c6",[6640],{"_key":6641,"_type":26,"marks":6642,"text":6643},"a6718d6e436a",[],"CL: The bat’s imagery embodies death and rebirth, serving as a guide through challenging transitions that can often feel daunting. It signifies the conclusion of one phase and the dawn of another. Despite being largely misunderstood, the bat carries rich symbolic meanings that are frequently misinterpreted as fear-based. In contrast, the barbed wire represents protection—a symbol of power, strength, and defiance against outside pressures and influences. The arrangement of the sad and happy faces illustrates the emotional journey experienced when one chapter closes and another begins anew.",[],{"_key":6646,"_type":22,"children":6647,"markDefs":6651,"style":30},"14e043979f84",[6648],{"_key":6649,"_type":26,"marks":6650,"text":3316},"267f27eff0fe",[],[],{"_key":6653,"_type":22,"children":6654,"markDefs":6659,"style":30},"a6cebca97525",[6655],{"_key":6656,"_type":26,"marks":6657,"text":6658},"467f9efd40fe",[],"EO: What message or feeling do you hope people take away from wearing this shirt?",[],{"_key":6661,"_type":22,"children":6662,"markDefs":6667,"style":30},"e6b241e7039b",[6663],{"_key":6664,"_type":26,"marks":6665,"text":6666},"ddc2f23e29890",[],"CL: The overarching message I hope people take away from wearing this shirt is that any negative stigma associated with drug use undermines the fundamental belief that no one deserves to die. It aims to empower individuals to join a growing community that is transforming the conversation around drug use, moving it from a dark and unspoken past into a future brightened by resources, education, and the commitment of people working toward a better world.",[],{"_key":6669,"_type":252,"asset":6670},"8d21b758c7c0",{"_ref":6671,"_type":248},"image-5bf809c2fb969733040fa583c5ac37c1c2d867f3-3024x4032-jpg",{"_key":6673,"_type":22,"children":6674,"markDefs":6679,"style":30},"eede1ad0a63f",[6675],{"_key":6676,"_type":26,"marks":6677,"text":6678},"98f8fc57ff72",[],"Thank you, Cody, for all your work on this collaboration! We are so excited to get it out into people's hands.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-01-20",{"_type":252,"asset":6683},{"_ref":6684,"_type":248},"image-bfaa4e5f85f1e471ac860f2a642e3d8f04669a85-3024x4032-jpg",{"meta_description":6686,"meta_keywords":6687,"meta_share_img":6688,"meta_share_title":6690,"page_title":6691},"Learn more about End Overdose's recent collaborator, DropSlowLee.","clothing, nonprofit, donation, new york, brand, silk screen, handmade",{"_type":252,"asset":6689},{"_ref":6520,"_type":248},"DropSlowLee: An Interview with Cody Lee","DropSlowLee x End Overdose",{"_type":256,"current":6693},"dropslowlee-an-interview-with-cody-lee","End Overdose launched a NEW collaborative merch collection with DropSlowLee, a New York-based brand by Cody Lee. Learn more about Cody and his inspiration for the collection.",{"_createdAt":6696,"_id":6697,"_rev":6698,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":6699,"article":6700,"author_ref":6823,"date":6824,"image":6825,"slug":6828,"title":6830},"2025-01-14T20:04:11Z","753fdd14-fab3-413f-93cd-a499145bc74d","c8NhmAx8eMp2WUPG5yBd54","2025-01-14T20:40:27Z",[6701,6709,6713,6721,6733,6740,6748,6760,6767,6778,6789,6796,6803,6815,6819],{"_key":6702,"_type":22,"children":6703,"markDefs":6708,"style":30},"e023252e754c",[6704],{"_key":6705,"_type":26,"marks":6706,"text":6707},"e73224c2997e",[],"Meet Sophie Kennedy, End Overdose's December Volunteer of the Month and the President and Founder of End Overdose's chapter at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Sophie leads one of our most active chapters, overseeing the training of 2,517 people and the distribution of 3,227 naloxone doses and 3,538 test strips in 2024 alone!",[],{"_key":6710,"_type":252,"asset":6711},"e34d98cc9067",{"_ref":6712,"_type":248},"image-5d2aca097ccbcc7cf23c4b03add52f9e2d3445c8-2819x2457-jpg",{"_key":6714,"_type":22,"children":6715,"markDefs":6720,"style":30},"4e780aa071e7",[6716],{"_key":6717,"_type":26,"marks":6718,"text":6719},"14a392e71d8f",[231],"End Overdose: Why was Sophie selected as the Volunteer of the Month?",[],{"_key":6722,"_type":22,"children":6723,"markDefs":6732,"style":30},"878defeb8355",[6724,6728],{"_key":6725,"_type":26,"marks":6726,"text":6727},"7f14f8748225",[231],"Maddie Ward:",{"_key":6729,"_type":26,"marks":6730,"text":6731},"462551d7f6b1",[]," Sophie shows a rare level of dedication and commitment to the well-being of her peers and campus community. Through any conversation you have with her, Sophie's passion for keeping others safe and healthy is apparent. On her campus, Sophie consistently advocates for increased resources and education for her peers, and she serves as a vital resource for new and developing End Overdose chapters-- making herself available as a mentor for other student leaders across the country.",[],{"_key":6734,"_type":22,"children":6735,"markDefs":6739,"style":30},"aea205780e2e",[6736],{"_key":6737,"_type":26,"marks":6738,"text":3316},"639544d9d58d",[],[],{"_key":6741,"_type":22,"children":6742,"markDefs":6747,"style":30},"aa92ad3f2da0",[6743],{"_key":6744,"_type":26,"marks":6745,"text":6746},"8ae61ee79a09",[231],"EO: Can you tell us about yourself and your story?",[],{"_key":6749,"_type":22,"children":6750,"markDefs":6759,"style":30},"41e50e0f12ed",[6751,6755],{"_key":6752,"_type":26,"marks":6753,"text":6754},"55f0caa2761b",[231],"Sophie Kennedy: ",{"_key":6756,"_type":26,"marks":6757,"text":6758},"7f79fd2f0232",[],"I am a senior studying integrative physiology on a pre-PA track at CU Boulder. I grew up in Boulder, about 5 minutes from CU’s campus. I do love it here, but as you can imagine, I am counting down the days until I can move. When I am not ending overdose or studying, I am usually working out or with friends. Some of my favorite things are googling literally everything, blueberry Red Bull and the Cleveland Browns.",[],{"_key":6761,"_type":22,"children":6762,"markDefs":6766,"style":30},"d988109e2efe",[6763],{"_key":6764,"_type":26,"marks":6765,"text":3316},"faed9459c7d8",[],[],{"_key":6768,"_type":22,"children":6769,"markDefs":6777,"style":30},"1b8fd09eefce",[6770,6773],{"_key":6771,"_type":26,"marks":6772,"text":1394},"3020ff5bd9a9",[231],{"_key":6774,"_type":26,"marks":6775,"text":6776},"dc97f57dc8de",[]," What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?",[],{"_key":6779,"_type":22,"children":6780,"markDefs":6788,"style":30},"96986dd7aea8",[6781,6784],{"_key":6782,"_type":26,"marks":6783,"text":6754},"0e7001b59a1c",[231],{"_key":6785,"_type":26,"marks":6786,"text":6787},"ad1fff6dee85",[],"I started our chapter in 2022 because frankly, I was sick of losing my friends. Fentanyl overdose is uniquely terrifying in that it affects both people who are intentionally taking opioids and people who have no intention to. As a sober college student, I have an equal amount of friends in recovery as friends who still use. Although accidental opioid overdoses impact both of these groups indiscriminately, how we reach them needs to be totally different. End Overdose has found the perfect mission and messaging to reach every type of person that fentanyl overdose has or will impact. Every day, I am amazed at the grace with which End Overdose operates, adapts, and handles stigma.",[],{"_key":6790,"_type":22,"children":6791,"markDefs":6795,"style":30},"ffe63521e18d",[6792],{"_key":6793,"_type":26,"marks":6794,"text":3316},"48081d4bc8cf",[],[],{"_key":6797,"_type":22,"children":6798,"markDefs":6802,"style":30},"d2b0902b9389",[6799],{"_key":6800,"_type":26,"marks":6801,"text":5810},"4c920300713f",[231],[],{"_key":6804,"_type":22,"children":6805,"markDefs":6814,"style":30},"6130dca2f064",[6806,6810],{"_key":6807,"_type":26,"marks":6808,"text":6809},"7702c35933c0",[231],"Sophie Kennedy:",{"_key":6811,"_type":26,"marks":6812,"text":6813},"f42e813c364a",[]," My favorite memory of volunteering with End Overdose is coordinating a photoshoot with CU basketball player Courtney Anderson Jr. While End Overdose has a strong presence in the music scene, I think it is important to break into communities where there are not yet resources. I wanted to combine my love of sports with this cause. After a LOT of no’s, we finally found an athlete who was excited to work with us. Seeing Courtney in the merch that our chapter designed was really rewarding. I hope this year we can find more athletes willing to start a conversation about opioid misuse and overdose!",[],{"_key":6816,"_type":252,"asset":6817},"d510c1b955a4",{"_ref":6818,"_type":248},"image-a158c0f8af4558e641c9e41952cbc0dfcc72bb89-3434x3882-jpg",{"_key":6820,"_type":252,"asset":6821},"a70cc8db073c",{"_ref":6822,"_type":248},"image-6471625a24c13a2484afe1b8d6c65e42432a00cc-3024x4032-jpg",{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2025-01-14",{"_type":252,"asset":6826},{"_ref":6827,"_type":248},"image-a59bd50be19aa595e8a099ad3b853584866260e6-6000x4000-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":6829},"volunteer-of-the-month-sophie-kennedy","Volunteer of the Month: Sophie Kennedy",{"_createdAt":6832,"_id":6833,"_rev":6834,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":6835,"article":6836,"author_ref":6952,"date":6953,"image":6954,"slug":6957,"title":6959},"2024-12-10T20:15:06Z","c32bfd00-7a29-415f-b66c-67270d5f0b8c","5C7r9qKmADH0BJVlK2NYqE","2024-12-10T20:53:59Z",[6837,6845,6852,6860,6872,6879,6886,6898,6905,6915,6926,6933,6940],{"_key":6838,"_type":22,"children":6839,"markDefs":6844,"style":30},"81d4dd81fb8a",[6840],{"_key":6841,"_type":26,"marks":6842,"text":6843},"0d47352ce3ed0",[],"Meet Kevin Ourvan, End Overdose's November Volunteer of the Month and the President and Founder of End Overdose's chapter at Cornell University. Since founding the chapter, Kevin has dedicated himself to creating a safer campus community. This semester alone, Kevin trained over 400 individuals and over 18 student organizations!",[],{"_key":6846,"_type":22,"children":6847,"markDefs":6851,"style":30},"1ef28dd80b4b",[6848],{"_key":6849,"_type":26,"marks":6850,"text":3316},"899ff879bb3b",[],[],{"_key":6853,"_type":22,"children":6854,"markDefs":6859,"style":30},"c01cfe3bf521",[6855],{"_key":6856,"_type":26,"marks":6857,"text":6858},"32dc059ac6c7",[231],"End Overdose: Why was Kevin selected as the Volunteer of the Month?",[],{"_key":6861,"_type":22,"children":6862,"markDefs":6871,"style":30},"c6a08297c718",[6863,6867],{"_key":6864,"_type":26,"marks":6865,"text":6866},"bfeb6c9c90a6",[231],"Maddie Ward: ",{"_key":6868,"_type":26,"marks":6869,"text":6870},"b232a5f64e7a",[],"Kevin has founded and grown a thriving End Overdose chapter at Cornell University and demonstrated remarkable leadership, compassion, and commitment to making a difference. The work he has done on his campus has made a tangible impact on the lives of others, and it is apparent in any conversation you have with him how deeply he cares about the safety and well-being of his peers. Kevin has been an absolute joy to work with, and the End Overdose team is proud to recognize him as our December Volunteer of the Month.",[],{"_key":6873,"_type":22,"children":6874,"markDefs":6878,"style":30},"617649b0da93",[6875],{"_key":6876,"_type":26,"marks":6877,"text":3316},"9fe6203b5172",[],[],{"_key":6880,"_type":22,"children":6881,"markDefs":6885,"style":30},"c2d4c7375550",[6882],{"_key":6883,"_type":26,"marks":6884,"text":6746},"5d1e2d351a49",[231],[],{"_key":6887,"_type":22,"children":6888,"markDefs":6897,"style":30},"a45a05cd3a8b",[6889,6893],{"_key":6890,"_type":26,"marks":6891,"text":6892},"aa8d3cb9a6c0",[231],"Kevin Ourvan: ",{"_key":6894,"_type":26,"marks":6895,"text":6896},"0c235386867d",[],"I’m a senior studying Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University where I founded and lead its End Overdose chapter. I grew up in New York City playing basketball and now I also love being in nature, skiing and hiking. When I am not in class or engaging with my community through End Overdose, I am working on my senior thesis on the current disciplinary system in NYC public schools and how it impacts certain vulnerable groups. I am also preparing for the LSAT this coming spring/summer and plan to attend law school after taking a gap year. During my gap year, I hope to work abroad as a Fulbright Scholar, teaching English to students in Romania.",[],{"_key":6899,"_type":22,"children":6900,"markDefs":6904,"style":30},"3509d976f421",[6901],{"_key":6902,"_type":26,"marks":6903,"text":3316},"658f43c6fdc8",[],[],{"_key":6906,"_type":22,"children":6907,"markDefs":6914,"style":30},"3b41aa650a29",[6908,6911],{"_key":6909,"_type":26,"marks":6910,"text":1394},"86d0193301b40",[231],{"_key":6912,"_type":26,"marks":6913,"text":6776},"59f727ab7a09",[],[],{"_key":6916,"_type":22,"children":6917,"markDefs":6925,"style":30},"10a3632b36c4",[6918,6921],{"_key":6919,"_type":26,"marks":6920,"text":6892},"770bb9519c880",[231],{"_key":6922,"_type":26,"marks":6923,"text":6924},"fc5e107d4f9d",[],"I was inspired to join End Overdose after two friends of mine died from overdoses during my freshman year of college. Growing up in New York City, I witnessed firsthand the agony and grief caused by overdose deaths, and I felt helpless to do anything about this tragedy. End Overdose gave me a way to make a tangible impact on my community. My work in harm reduction has been deeply healing and has helped me process past experiences. I’ve always wanted to help people, and End Overdose inspired me to pursue work in the nonprofit and public interest space. This led me to intern last summer with the nonprofit OPEN DOORS—an artist collective of diverse wheelchair users on Roosevelt Island. I hope to continue bettering my community in my professional life and making a meaningful impact on individuals’ lives.",[],{"_key":6927,"_type":22,"children":6928,"markDefs":6932,"style":30},"74274981a677",[6929],{"_key":6930,"_type":26,"marks":6931,"text":3316},"d058530313ae",[],[],{"_key":6934,"_type":22,"children":6935,"markDefs":6939,"style":30},"41ba98d6e2b5",[6936],{"_key":6937,"_type":26,"marks":6938,"text":5810},"e71a29595bda0",[231],[],{"_key":6941,"_type":22,"children":6942,"markDefs":6951,"style":30},"3dae5e1a976a",[6943,6947],{"_key":6944,"_type":26,"marks":6945,"text":6946},"b4c360350bd9",[231],"Kevin Ourvan:",{"_key":6948,"_type":26,"marks":6949,"text":6950},"6e040dcb6f11",[]," I genuinely enjoy every opportunity I get to volunteer on campus, so it’s hard to pick one specific favorite moment. However, the ones that stand out the most are when I hear about the tangible impact our work has had on our community. For instance, our faculty advisor, Officer Robinson of the Cornell University Police Department, once told me that he responded to calls where students used the knowledge and tools we provided to save someone’s life. Similarly, a younger club member shared that their work with the chapter has been personally healing for them. These moments are incredibly meaningful to me and provide the motivation to continue this community work. If I had to choose one favorite memory, it would be our recruitment cycle at Clubfest. After I started the club, seeing the overwhelming interest from students, faculty, and other organization leaders all in one place was truly inspiring. It reminded me of something a professor once told me: that we are living in a time when advocacy and community work are at a peak. Despite how divided the world may seem, there has never been as much concerted effort to help one another as there is now.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2024-12-10",{"_type":252,"asset":6955},{"_ref":6956,"_type":248},"image-45795035b7ca01ec908c69547642a2b7bd51bfba-4032x3024-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":6958},"volunteer-of-the-month-kevin-ourvan","Volunteer of the Month: Kevin Ourvan",{"_createdAt":6961,"_id":6962,"_rev":6963,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":6964,"article":6965,"author_ref":7157,"date":7158,"image":7159,"slug":7162,"title":7164},"2024-11-04T20:51:23Z","260ae03d-e904-47b6-a32c-be5b91a899d2","7zAkg79kO00yKzX4olZPhU","2024-11-18T23:23:44Z",[6966,6974,6982,6990,6998,7006,7013,7021,7028,7052,7074,7081,7104,7111,7134,7150],{"_key":6967,"_type":22,"children":6968,"markDefs":6973,"style":30},"484cdd840f59",[6969],{"_key":6970,"_type":26,"marks":6971,"text":6972},"b7049808ca0c0",[],"Mood enhancing beverages are becoming increasingly popular in wellness communities. These products offer a tincture of herbs and minerals that are noted to improve mood and enhance overall wellness. Kratom is typically the active ingredient in these “wellness drinks”. While companies are being transparent about the drinks ingredients, many individuals are unaware that kratom is a natural opioid. This plant-derived opioid is legal, and has historical uses, but also carries an understudied addiction liability. By spreading information about the ways that kratom works on the brain’s opioid system, individuals can better understand the drug itself.",[],{"_key":6975,"_type":22,"children":6976,"markDefs":6981,"style":30},"08bac3d91b75",[6977],{"_key":6978,"_type":26,"marks":6979,"text":6980},"18186d4192b50",[],"Kratom “bars” are beginning to pop up in metropolitan areas, leading to more public exposure and accessibility. This substance is misunderstood by much of the public, and carries its own unique neurological abilities and properties. Although, kratom is not a mysterious substance to those in recovery from an opioid use disorder. Since kratom is an opioid itself, it is used to reduce withdrawal, craving, and anxiety-like symptoms associated with abstinence from opioids. In a study of 2,798 kratom consumers, 41% of participants reported drinking kratom to reduce their use of other opioids and maintain abstinence. While kratom acts on opioid receptors, it does not impact the brain in the same way as morphine, heroin, or fentanyl. Kratom can induce relaxation, decrease pain, and increase mood. However, it does not bind to receptors with the same strength as other opioids, leading to very mild effects.",[],{"_key":6983,"_type":22,"children":6984,"markDefs":6989,"style":30},"953f8664da09",[6985],{"_key":6986,"_type":26,"marks":6987,"text":6988},"b73ea08e75b90",[],"Dependence and withdrawal can occur from kratom use, which is not commonly mentioned as a possible risk. It is estimated that 2.35 million people had consumed kratom in 2022. Just as other opioids, kratom activates Mu opioid receptors, which are the primary receptor for opioid reinforcement. Continuous activation of these receptors by kratom, can lead to craving and potential withdrawal symptoms if use is discontinued. Stopping kratom use can result in opioid withdrawal symptoms, which can be life threatening if symptoms are severe.",[],{"_key":6991,"_type":22,"children":6992,"markDefs":6997,"style":30},"f8ea508bd15c",[6993],{"_key":6994,"_type":26,"marks":6995,"text":6996},"b46a2319a3ab0",[],"Many people have symptoms ranging from tremor, pain, and anxiety, during withdrawal. In 2019, the Center of Disease Control (CDC) reported that less than 1% of opioid overdoses involved kratom, making kratom overdose quite rare. The primary concern with long term kratom use is not overdose, but dependence and withdrawal symptoms if use is discontinued.",[],{"_key":6999,"_type":22,"children":7000,"markDefs":7005,"style":30},"e91807b9d847",[7001],{"_key":7002,"_type":26,"marks":7003,"text":7004},"ec52836bec030",[],"Opioid withdrawal from stopping kratom use can be extremely unpleasant. The brain has to begin a process of resetting its chemical balance during the withdrawal period. The Mu opioid receptors are conditioned to be frequently activated, so during withdrawal, receptors are waiting for kratom to bind to them. With no kratom present in the system, these receptors are not firing, leading to muscle aches, craving, and irritability. Stopping kratom use also impacts other neurochemical brain systems, such as dopamine and serotonin activity. Withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from 24 hours to a week, depending on how frequently kratom was being used. It is important to monitor symptoms of use and withdrawal, and understand that kratom is an opioid that carries a risk for dependence. In the event that the signs of an opioid overdose are present in someone using kratom, naloxone will work to reverse these effects. Naloxone works by removing kratom from the opioid receptors, and inhibiting further binding for the next 30-90 minutes. Through understanding how kratom can induce dependence and withdrawal, we can increase public awareness surrounding this legal opioid.",[],{"_key":7007,"_type":22,"children":7008,"markDefs":7012,"style":30},"6556c33aefad",[7009],{"_key":7010,"_type":26,"marks":7011,"text":3316},"64ede151b91c0",[],[],{"_key":7014,"_type":22,"children":7015,"markDefs":7020,"style":30},"7c202bc2d997",[7016],{"_key":7017,"_type":26,"marks":7018,"text":7019},"d01c770fd8ce0",[],"SOURCES:",[],{"_key":7022,"_type":22,"children":7023,"markDefs":7027,"style":30},"8bb13a587c36",[7024],{"_key":7025,"_type":26,"marks":7026,"text":3316},"3516a62a82b10",[],[],{"_key":7029,"_type":22,"children":7030,"markDefs":7051,"style":30},"943f3195414c",[7031,7035,7039,7043,7047],{"_key":7032,"_type":26,"marks":7033,"text":7034},"3993496f185f0",[],"Garcia-Romeu, A., Cox, D. J., Smith, K. E., Dunn, K. E., & Griffiths, R. R. (2020). Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): User demographics, use patterns, and implications for the opioid epidemic. ",{"_key":7036,"_type":26,"marks":7037,"text":7038},"3993496f185f1",[231],"Drug and Alcohol Dependence",{"_key":7040,"_type":26,"marks":7041,"text":7042},"3993496f185f2",[],", ",{"_key":7044,"_type":26,"marks":7045,"text":7046},"3993496f185f3",[231],"208",{"_key":7048,"_type":26,"marks":7049,"text":7050},"3993496f185f4",[],", 107849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107849",[],{"_key":7053,"_type":22,"children":7054,"markDefs":7072,"style":30},"efaf0f8ee3f2",[7055,7059,7063,7067],{"_key":7056,"_type":26,"marks":7057,"text":7058},"9beb6e4fc9650",[],"Prozialeck, Walter C., Jivan, Jateen K. and Andurkar, Shridhar V.. \"Pharmacology of Kratom: An \tEmerging Botanical Agent With Stimulant, Analgesic and Opioid-Like Effects\" ",{"_key":7060,"_type":26,"marks":7061,"text":7062},"9beb6e4fc9651",[231],"Journal of Osteopathic Medicine",{"_key":7064,"_type":26,"marks":7065,"text":7066},"9beb6e4fc9652",[],", vol. 112, no. 12, 2012, pp. 792-799.\t\t ",{"_key":7068,"_type":26,"marks":7069,"text":7071},"9beb6e4fc9653",[7070,402],"12a2de5aefda","https://doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2012.112.12.792",[7073],{"_key":7070,"_type":244,"href":7071},{"_key":7075,"_type":22,"children":7076,"markDefs":7080,"style":30},"b6ab84930ecf",[7077],{"_key":7078,"_type":26,"marks":7079,"text":3316},"de9c349154650",[],[],{"_key":7082,"_type":22,"children":7083,"markDefs":7103,"style":30},"57a790dcf5f4",[7084,7088,7092,7095,7099],{"_key":7085,"_type":26,"marks":7086,"text":7087},"96c1c901143a0",[],"Palamar, J. J. (2021). Past-Year Kratom use in the U.S.: Estimates from a nationally representative sample. ",{"_key":7089,"_type":26,"marks":7090,"text":7091},"96c1c901143a1",[231],"American Journal of Preventive Medicine",{"_key":7093,"_type":26,"marks":7094,"text":7042},"96c1c901143a2",[],{"_key":7096,"_type":26,"marks":7097,"text":7098},"96c1c901143a3",[231],"61",{"_key":7100,"_type":26,"marks":7101,"text":7102},"96c1c901143a4",[],"(2), 240–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.02.004",[],{"_key":7105,"_type":22,"children":7106,"markDefs":7110,"style":30},"387172e95366",[7107],{"_key":7108,"_type":26,"marks":7109,"text":3316},"64c6c95c1a480",[],[],{"_key":7112,"_type":22,"children":7113,"markDefs":7133,"style":30},"8267e5145d33",[7114,7118,7122,7125,7129],{"_key":7115,"_type":26,"marks":7116,"text":7117},"d6a96cf567b80",[],"Olsen, E. O., O’Donnell, J., Mattson, C. L., Schier, J. G., & Wilson, N. (2019). Notes from the Field: Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths with Kratom Detected — 27 States, July 2016–December 2017. ",{"_key":7119,"_type":26,"marks":7120,"text":7121},"d6a96cf567b81",[231],"MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report",{"_key":7123,"_type":26,"marks":7124,"text":7042},"d6a96cf567b82",[],{"_key":7126,"_type":26,"marks":7127,"text":7128},"d6a96cf567b83",[231],"68",{"_key":7130,"_type":26,"marks":7131,"text":7132},"d6a96cf567b84",[],"(14), 326–327. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6814a2",[],{"_key":7135,"_type":22,"children":7136,"markDefs":7149,"style":30},"b5c44cba62fa",[7137,7141,7145],{"_key":7138,"_type":26,"marks":7139,"text":7140},"c4e176aec2b30",[],"BS, M. C. (2024, August 23). ",{"_key":7142,"_type":26,"marks":7143,"text":7144},"c4e176aec2b31",[231],"Kratom Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline & Detox Treatment",{"_key":7146,"_type":26,"marks":7147,"text":7148},"c4e176aec2b32",[],". American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/kratom/withdrawal",[],{"_key":7151,"_type":22,"children":7152,"markDefs":7156,"style":30},"82106df223ab",[7153],{"_key":7154,"_type":26,"marks":7155,"text":3316},"eeeca7a50c130",[],[],{"_ref":5102,"_type":248},"2024-11-18",{"_type":252,"asset":7160},{"_ref":7161,"_type":248},"image-6915fd36174a9159cc1e5f37b61551d4857e27c0-1024x1024-webp",{"_type":256,"current":7163},"unknown-opioids-how-kratom-works-on-the-brain-s-opioid-system","Unknown Opioids: How Kratom Works On The Brain’s Opioid System",{"_createdAt":7166,"_id":7167,"_rev":7168,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":7169,"article":7170,"author_ref":7354,"date":7158,"image":7355,"slug":7358,"title":7360},"2024-11-19T00:06:56Z","9cf57f49-9d4c-4ba7-9c67-d3742e72dc7d","gn4JWQC4RhX1iKAyhSnis7","2024-11-19T00:17:27Z",[7171,7179,7187,7195,7211,7219,7227,7235,7243,7251,7259,7267,7275,7283,7291,7299,7307,7314,7322,7330,7338,7346],{"_key":7172,"_type":22,"children":7173,"markDefs":7178,"style":30},"ebe2cc948fa2",[7174],{"_key":7175,"_type":26,"marks":7176,"text":7177},"fa269e00ddad0",[],"We had the privilege of sitting down with the President of the End Overdose Alabama Chapter, Tyler Zuspann, to gain insight into their incredible work and dedication to the cause. From leading local trainings to organizing community outreach events, the Alabama chapter is making a significant impact in the fight against the overdose crisis.",[],{"_key":7180,"_type":22,"children":7181,"markDefs":7186,"style":30},"e8cabdd53aad",[7182],{"_key":7183,"_type":26,"marks":7184,"text":7185},"95b76b764ad00",[],"During our one-on-one conversation, we explored their personal motivation for joining End Overdose, the unique challenges they face in Alabama, and the innovative ways they’re addressing overdose prevention. With a passionate team behind them, the Alabama chapter is not only saving lives but also fostering a culture of education and empowerment in their community.",[],{"_key":7188,"_type":22,"children":7189,"markDefs":7194,"style":30},"7c2d400d98d9",[7190],{"_key":7191,"_type":26,"marks":7192,"text":7193},"491e42999bd0",[45,231],"EO: You and your chapter have done incredible work, Can you describe your experience as chapter president? How has it been continuing to build the chapter?",[],{"_key":7196,"_type":22,"children":7197,"markDefs":7210,"style":30},"9574986900c6",[7198,7202,7206],{"_key":7199,"_type":26,"marks":7200,"text":7201},"e3d7edefeff1",[],"Tyler Zuspann:",{"_key":7203,"_type":26,"marks":7204,"text":7205},"548ff5847220",[45]," ",{"_key":7207,"_type":26,"marks":7208,"text":7209},"c6c686a50a600",[],"It’s been a great experience serving as our chapter’s president and watching how we have grown since we were founded 2 years ago. Looking back, it wasn’t always easy but it’s extremely rewarding to see how much of an impact we’ve made. I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of wonderful people who all deeply care about the overdose epidemic and I’m excited to see what the future holds for our chapter.",[],{"_key":7212,"_type":22,"children":7213,"markDefs":7218,"style":30},"2fa5e244f573",[7214],{"_key":7215,"_type":26,"marks":7216,"text":7217},"1ce310c0af20",[45,231],"EO: What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?",[],{"_key":7220,"_type":22,"children":7221,"markDefs":7226,"style":30},"544aa7acc84d",[7222],{"_key":7223,"_type":26,"marks":7224,"text":7225},"e536c0d5c44f0",[],"TZ: I became a part of End Overdose because I wanted to make a difference in my community. Overdose is the leading cause of death for young adults so being able to train college students and community members on overdose prevention was a great way I could make a real impact.",[],{"_key":7228,"_type":22,"children":7229,"markDefs":7234,"style":30},"505efffe5fd7",[7230],{"_key":7231,"_type":26,"marks":7232,"text":7233},"5c0ac405781f",[45,231],"EO: What challenges have you faced, and how have you worked to overcome them?",[],{"_key":7236,"_type":22,"children":7237,"markDefs":7242,"style":30},"195820d7bf05",[7238],{"_key":7239,"_type":26,"marks":7240,"text":7241},"79b2da9068bb",[],"TZ: One of the biggest challenges our chapter faced was working in partnership with the University. Before Naloxone was approved over the counter, the University had some reservations about our work and potential liability concerns. It took a lot of pushing, meetings and talking to the right people but eventually we successfully sold our message and the importance of overdose prevention.",[],{"_key":7244,"_type":22,"children":7245,"markDefs":7250,"style":30},"177acfa7deee",[7246],{"_key":7247,"_type":26,"marks":7248,"text":7249},"657dced157420",[45],"How do you connect with your community to spread awareness, and what tactics have been most effective?",[],{"_key":7252,"_type":22,"children":7253,"markDefs":7258,"style":30},"1ce9fde94777",[7254],{"_key":7255,"_type":26,"marks":7256,"text":7257},"e8f9ec4f40e3",[],"TZ: One of the reasons our chapter has been so successful is due to our outreach strategy. We have built an executive team made up of campus leaders who have a broad network of connections. Through our team we can spread awareness and reach a wide range of the student body. Since our founding we have trained over 5,000 people and have emphasized training captive audiences including greek life, classrooms and other student run organizations.",[],{"_key":7260,"_type":22,"children":7261,"markDefs":7266,"style":30},"6318f7c8b8b1",[7262],{"_key":7263,"_type":26,"marks":7264,"text":7265},"983c89153b93",[45,231],"EO: What advice would you give to someone interested in joining a chapter or starting one of their own?",[],{"_key":7268,"_type":22,"children":7269,"markDefs":7274,"style":30},"0a3f2dbb67bf",[7270],{"_key":7271,"_type":26,"marks":7272,"text":7273},"2acfe03c5398",[],"TZ: I would advise anyone interested in joining EO or starting a chapter to get out and do so. Joining this organization was a lifechanging decision and I love that my work is helping to save lives. No matter what role you take in this organization you’re making a difference so if you have the opportunity to get involved, take it and make the most of it.",[],{"_key":7276,"_type":22,"children":7277,"markDefs":7282,"style":30},"7955300cda04",[7278],{"_key":7279,"_type":26,"marks":7280,"text":7281},"4a9b541252e0",[45,231],"EO: How do you see your work with End Overdose impacting your future goals or career?",[],{"_key":7284,"_type":22,"children":7285,"markDefs":7290,"style":30},"12a03c3fb6a8",[7286],{"_key":7287,"_type":26,"marks":7288,"text":7289},"fe5d840f3a27",[],"TZ: My work with End Overdose has given me a lot more confidence when it comes to public speaking. The first long form training presentation I gave was in a room of 400 people and that was the most nerve-racking experience of my life. The more practice I had the more confident I became, and I now feel comfortable speaking in front of any crowd. This is an invaluable skill that I can now take with me throughout my future endeavors and I owe it to my experiences in End Overdose.",[],{"_key":7292,"_type":22,"children":7293,"markDefs":7298,"style":30},"0fbb3af66667",[7294],{"_key":7295,"_type":26,"marks":7296,"text":7297},"5aeb292991d0",[45,231],"EO: What personal passions, hobbies, or interests do you bring to your role as chapter president?",[],{"_key":7300,"_type":22,"children":7301,"markDefs":7306,"style":30},"8d78b7fd8ebb",[7302],{"_key":7303,"_type":26,"marks":7304,"text":7305},"ef4e9aa8a346",[],"TZ: I’m a diehard Alabama football fan and sports fanatic. I grew up playing hockey and baseball, so I always loved being part of a team and working with others. I’ve found that serving as the chapter president can be similar to sports as we are all playing our part to achieve the same goal. Each person in our chapter has a different role but we are all working to end opioid overdose deaths.",[],{"_key":7308,"_type":22,"children":7309,"markDefs":7313,"style":30},"9f516103c950",[7310],{"_key":7311,"_type":26,"marks":7312,"text":6332},"38b999d2c9f1",[45,231],[],{"_key":7315,"_type":22,"children":7316,"markDefs":7321,"style":30},"2a937ee66394",[7317],{"_key":7318,"_type":26,"marks":7319,"text":7320},"49009abe2909",[],"TZ: Because of End Overdose I have developed lasting connections with university administration. I have been fortunate to work alongside some fantastic individuals who have been resources for our chapter. One of the best ways to develop connections has been sending emails and asking to speak in person. This has helped us build connections that we have been able to leverage to advance our organization.",[],{"_key":7323,"_type":22,"children":7324,"markDefs":7329,"style":30},"7859e0366a84",[7325],{"_key":7326,"_type":26,"marks":7327,"text":7328},"f9178ed0e072",[45,231],"EO: You’ve set up some amazing collaborations and events. What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?",[],{"_key":7331,"_type":22,"children":7332,"markDefs":7337,"style":30},"ffcdf90261dd",[7333],{"_key":7334,"_type":26,"marks":7335,"text":7336},"905e16baa62a",[],"TZ: In the last 2 years we have trained over 5,000 students, provided approximately 4,000 fentanyl test strips and nearly 300 kits of naloxone. We have formed partnerships with the university police department, the department of student health and worked closely with the student government association. We also successfully lobbied to university to mandate Naloxone in all residential campus buildings. Additionally, we raised over $3,000 last year holding cup events, percentage nights and more. This year we are excited to put on our first major fundraising event on November 15th called Rocking to End Overdose featuring a live band and prize giveaway.",[],{"_key":7339,"_type":22,"children":7340,"markDefs":7345,"style":30},"10566eb0c694",[7341],{"_key":7342,"_type":26,"marks":7343,"text":7344},"14be94f539c3",[45,231],"EO: What do you envision for the future of the chapter?",[],{"_key":7347,"_type":22,"children":7348,"markDefs":7353,"style":30},"50bdfa295247",[7349],{"_key":7350,"_type":26,"marks":7351,"text":7352},"d507f7ba107a",[],"TZ: I would love for our chapter to continue to remain a prominent figure in the Tuscaloosa community long after I graduate. As a founder of our chapter, I want to ensure that I leave a strong blueprint for our organization. I also aim to put others in a position to succeed so that they have the tools and know how to continue serving our mission.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},{"_type":252,"asset":7356},{"_ref":7357,"_type":248},"image-4fed64f07d53bbe7aaa66c92fc514db4f7edc67f-590x885-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":7359},"chapter-of-the-week-end-overdose-bama","Chapter of the week: End Overdose Bama",{"_createdAt":7362,"_id":7363,"_rev":7364,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":7365,"article":7366,"author_ref":7485,"date":7486,"image":7487,"slug":7490,"title":7492},"2024-11-04T23:45:38Z","31a8f0b5-a933-42b6-8b6f-76a9c64ae389","ZEcVf5O59jnkECez0u7YUL","2024-11-16T02:37:03Z",[7367,7375,7382,7390,7398,7405,7412,7420,7427,7434,7442,7452,7460,7467],{"_key":7368,"_type":22,"children":7369,"markDefs":7374,"style":30},"910f674dfd30",[7370],{"_key":7371,"_type":26,"marks":7372,"text":7373},"86518943978f0",[],"Meet Randal Macias, End Overdose’s October Volunteer of the Month! Randal’s dedication, energy, and passion for making a difference have made a significant impact within the End Overdose community. In his time volunteering for End Overdose, Randal has been instrumental in distributing over 24,000 naloxone doses at events in multiple states.",[],{"_key":7376,"_type":22,"children":7377,"markDefs":7381,"style":30},"90c908ded03a",[7378],{"_key":7379,"_type":26,"marks":7380,"text":3316},"6b80ee5529d4",[],[],{"_key":7383,"_type":22,"children":7384,"markDefs":7389,"style":30},"39b70f8d1731",[7385],{"_key":7386,"_type":26,"marks":7387,"text":7388},"309eed3a3349",[231],"End Overdose: Why was Randal selected as the Volunteer of the Month?",[],{"_key":7391,"_type":22,"children":7392,"markDefs":7397,"style":30},"845c8e9d98f7",[7393],{"_key":7394,"_type":26,"marks":7395,"text":7396},"2b21a19877aa",[],"Maddie Ward: Randal brings his all to every event and is known throughout the End Overdose team as someone you can always count on. He’s quick to step up and help without being asked, constantly looking for ways to make events more enjoyable for everyone involved. Whether he’s the first to arrive for setup, the last to leave after cleanup, or providing his trademark opinions on the day’s sets, Randal’s presence is always a positive force. His deep commitment to educating those around him and ensuring music events are safe spaces for everyone has made him an invaluable part of our team.",[],{"_key":7399,"_type":22,"children":7400,"markDefs":7404,"style":30},"95e0e2806b4d",[7401],{"_key":7402,"_type":26,"marks":7403,"text":3316},"7164ce5b5f82",[],[],{"_key":7406,"_type":22,"children":7407,"markDefs":7411,"style":30},"3e9c9efe8c80",[7408],{"_key":7409,"_type":26,"marks":7410,"text":6746},"1f07425c253e",[231],[],{"_key":7413,"_type":22,"children":7414,"markDefs":7419,"style":30},"3b1247d5f5e5",[7415],{"_key":7416,"_type":26,"marks":7417,"text":7418},"87ebba767f30",[],"Randal Macias: I’m Randal! A little bit about me: I grew up in Huntington Beach, CA before successfully graduating from UCLA this past summer. Nowadays, my life consists of work, rave (or listen to house music on my drive home from work if a workday), sleep, repeat! I first got introduced to rave culture and EDM through my younger brother—which is something he will indefinitely take credit for—in August 2022 and have basically made it my entire personality since.",[],{"_key":7421,"_type":22,"children":7422,"markDefs":7426,"style":30},"ce565db4f94b",[7423],{"_key":7424,"_type":26,"marks":7425,"text":3316},"90d842cd680c",[],[],{"_key":7428,"_type":22,"children":7429,"markDefs":7433,"style":30},"91fff695e467",[7430],{"_key":7431,"_type":26,"marks":7432,"text":5794},"0b4c3f0e4b38",[231],[],{"_key":7435,"_type":22,"children":7436,"markDefs":7441,"style":30},"433684f6a192",[7437],{"_key":7438,"_type":26,"marks":7439,"text":7440},"efe998d95a6e",[],"Randal Macias: Like my introduction to raving and EDM, my younger brother also introduced me to End Overdose at Countdown 2023. I didn’t start volunteering until Maddie—then president of the inaugural End Overdose college chapter at UCLA and my upstairs neighbor—invited me to apply. I thought it would be a great opportunity to educate my peers whilst attending events I loved. After learning more about End Overdose’s mission and the palpable impact that distributing naloxone had on others in the rave community, I came to realize that I really cared about these people’s stories. I really enjoy empowering and teaching people that they can save lives. To that end, End Overdose is and has been an extremely rewarding organization to be a part of.",[],{"_key":7443,"_type":22,"children":7444,"markDefs":7451,"style":30},"2232d98b4421",[7445,7448],{"_key":7446,"_type":26,"marks":7447,"text":4481},"2b874c33259a",[],{"_key":7449,"_type":26,"marks":7450,"text":5810},"fb2263b887c0",[231],[],{"_key":7453,"_type":22,"children":7454,"markDefs":7459,"style":30},"2edb213f314c",[7455],{"_key":7456,"_type":26,"marks":7457,"text":7458},"ab5e75f130ef",[],"Randal Macias: Every single memory with End Overdose is a great one. A particularly not great one was spending 3 nights volunteering next to the Wasteland stage at EDC LV (I am not a hardstyle fan… I’m sorry). But even that was redeemed by meeting 50 End Overdose volunteers and seeing the ways each of them impacts their respective communities. Portola was another incredible experience just reuniting with Ben and Emily after volunteering alongside them at Hard Summer and EDC, and Emma and Abby after not having seen them since graduation. Basically, I love End Overdose 🫶",[],{"_key":7461,"_type":22,"children":7462,"markDefs":7466,"style":30},"5fbc90bf3e02",[7463],{"_key":7464,"_type":26,"marks":7465,"text":3316},"52de1f97cd09",[],[],{"_key":7468,"_type":22,"children":7469,"markDefs":7482,"style":30},"9d79be573e4d",[7470,7474,7479],{"_key":7471,"_type":26,"marks":7472,"text":7473},"32b5ac607e0c",[231],"If you are interested in volunteering with End Overdose, ",{"_key":7475,"_type":26,"marks":7476,"text":7478},"fd8c237cb866",[231,7477],"d99c862473a6","click here for more information",{"_key":7480,"_type":26,"marks":7481,"text":583},"a45090efe6ba",[231],[7483],{"_key":7477,"_type":244,"href":7484},"https://endoverdose.net/get-involved/volunteer/",{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2024-11-04",{"_type":252,"asset":7488},{"_ref":7489,"_type":248},"image-454bda1a5c6b1da0066e4ca30f5500521d536f7c-4032x3024-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":7491},"volunteer-of-the-month-randal-macias","Volunteer of the Month: Randal Macias",{"_createdAt":7494,"_id":7495,"_rev":7496,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":7497,"article":7498,"author_ref":7667,"date":7668,"featured":2763,"image":7669,"slug":7672,"summary":7674,"title":7675},"2024-11-01T00:53:30Z","5aff45f4-b642-4099-93e3-265a8672d1e2","MNQV6K6DhN1lYtEL1Nv6Z0","2025-03-24T17:36:18Z",[7499,7507,7514,7522,7529,7537,7544,7552,7559,7567,7581,7588,7606,7613,7635,7642,7660],{"_key":7500,"_type":22,"children":7501,"markDefs":7506,"style":30},"9c89c9101fe9",[7502],{"_key":7503,"_type":26,"marks":7504,"text":7505},"e29df1a7ed3f",[],"Many people think of serotonin as the brain’s “happy chemical”, but what happens when you have too much of a good thing? About 13% of adults in the United States are on antidepressant medications, such as SSRIs. An SSRI, or selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is used to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety by preventing serotonin removal from the brain. Even though SSRIs are widely used, many people are unaware of their potentially dangerous interactions with other drugs. In particular, MDMA, also known as “Molly” or “Ecstasy”, highly interacts with SSRIs and can cause life threatening side effects. By learning about how these two substances work in the brain, we can bring awareness to the risks of serotonin syndrome.",[],{"_key":7508,"_type":22,"children":7509,"markDefs":7513,"style":30},"c287ed2ce938",[7510],{"_key":7511,"_type":26,"marks":7512,"text":3316},"3bb8272005cb",[],[],{"_key":7515,"_type":22,"children":7516,"markDefs":7521,"style":30},"a62d657048ba",[7517],{"_key":7518,"_type":26,"marks":7519,"text":7520},"e40ec93eeb660",[],"Serotonin does more than just increase our happiness. This neurotransmitter is organically produced by the body, and plays a role in mood, hunger, memory, and even your gastrointestinal system. We understand that a lack of serotonin can lead to issues like depression and anxiety, but it is less often mentioned that too much serotonin can have negative impacts as well. Serotonin syndrome occurs when the brain is unable to keep up with the rapid release and removal of serotonin. The brain is fine tuned to regulate a complex feedback system of many neurotransmitters. When a neuron becomes activated, it sends its serotonin messenger molecules out into the brain. Serotonin then binds to a receptor that is specifically designed to fit with the molecule. Binding then causes a cascade of signals that results in serotonin’s influence on behavior. In order to maintain the brain’s desired balance, SERT (serotonin reuptake transporter) removes serotonin from the receptor and recycles it for later use.",[],{"_key":7523,"_type":22,"children":7524,"markDefs":7528,"style":30},"b1f98074b8cb",[7525],{"_key":7526,"_type":26,"marks":7527,"text":3316},"c35bb7700d670",[],[],{"_key":7530,"_type":22,"children":7531,"markDefs":7536,"style":30},"042c9278e252",[7532],{"_key":7533,"_type":26,"marks":7534,"text":7535},"bf75a249f3830",[],"Certain drugs have the ability to affect the amount and type of neurotransmitters that are released. MDMA possesses a unique ability to act as a stimulant and a psychedelic, causing feelings of extreme euphoria, energy, and hallucinations. Other names for MDMA include “Molly” or “Ecstasy”, and is commonly used recreationally. When MDMA is used, it rapidly overwhelms the brain with signals to release more serotonin. More neurotransmitters means more opportunities to bind to receptors, creating lots of activation all at once. Essentially, your brain begins to fire on all cylinders. This leads to the overwhelming emotions that are associated with MDMA consumption. The desired balance of serotonin needed has to be considered when mixing two or more substances. Both MDMA and SSRIs work in different ways to increase serotonin, so taking them together may cause complications.",[],{"_key":7538,"_type":22,"children":7539,"markDefs":7543,"style":30},"5082b35c5220",[7540],{"_key":7541,"_type":26,"marks":7542,"text":3316},"98501dfd73070",[],[],{"_key":7545,"_type":22,"children":7546,"markDefs":7551,"style":30},"1280af008950",[7547],{"_key":7548,"_type":26,"marks":7549,"text":7550},"c7111188a2a50",[],"SSRI medications block the removal of serotonin, but MDMA increases serotonin release. The combination of these substances causes a mass release of serotonin, but inhibits its removal. For example, imagine that you are trying to find a place to park in a crowded lot. Almost every spot is taken, and no one seems to be leaving anytime soon. You have no other option but to make your own spot, and parallel park next to a curb. More cars file in, and start parking in the middle of the street or blocking in other cars. Now, no spots are available and other cars are unable to leave the lot. This example mirrors the effects of MDMA and SSRIs when they are both present in the brain. Serotonin has no spot to park in, but also has no way of leaving the lot. The brain is then sent into serotonergic overdrive, causing serotonin syndrome. Symptoms can range from minorly impairing, to extremely life threatening. When too much serotonin gets stuck in the brain, a person can have symptoms of rapid heart rate, dilated pupils, tremor, seizures, and unconsciousness. These symptoms can range from mild, moderate, and severe. Typically, within 24 to 72 hours the brain starts to slowly restore its natural balance. Don’t worry, this is very different from an overdose, and can be reversed and treated by a doctor! It is important to note that naloxone will not be effective in treating serotonin syndrome, since it functions in a different biological system than opioids do. If you are curious about the potential of prescription and recreational drug interactions, talk to your provider about your concerns!",[],{"_key":7553,"_type":22,"children":7554,"markDefs":7558,"style":30},"7bdc95150657",[7555],{"_key":7556,"_type":26,"marks":7557,"text":3316},"9e183cedce330",[],[],{"_key":7560,"_type":22,"children":7561,"markDefs":7566,"style":30},"cfb81b576a86",[7562],{"_key":7563,"_type":26,"marks":7564,"text":7565},"14fea5ca38f50",[],"Sources:",[],{"_key":7568,"_type":22,"children":7569,"markDefs":7579,"style":30},"8048382196d7",[7570,7574],{"_key":7571,"_type":26,"marks":7572,"text":7573},"91daebf398740",[],"Bamalan OA, Moore MJ, Al Khalili Y. Physiology, Serotonin. [Updated 2023 Jul 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: ",{"_key":7575,"_type":26,"marks":7576,"text":7578},"91daebf398741",[7577,402],"3f706900ade4","https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545168/",[7580],{"_key":7577,"_type":244,"href":7578},{"_key":7582,"_type":22,"children":7583,"markDefs":7587,"style":30},"47a0fe5335d8",[7584],{"_key":7585,"_type":26,"marks":7586,"text":3316},"43ad360d7eb80",[],[],{"_key":7589,"_type":22,"children":7590,"markDefs":7604,"style":30},"3bc2c3fdacff",[7591,7595,7599],{"_key":7592,"_type":26,"marks":7593,"text":7594},"88d6069ef9ca0",[],"Begum, Jabeen, 2024. WebMD. ",{"_key":7596,"_type":26,"marks":7597,"text":7598},"88d6069ef9ca1",[231],"SSRIs: Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects ",{"_key":7600,"_type":26,"marks":7601,"text":7603},"88d6069ef9ca2",[7602,402,231],"9cc6a6065516","https://www.webmd.com/depression/ssris-myths-and-facts-about-antidepressants",[7605],{"_key":7602,"_type":244,"href":7603},{"_key":7607,"_type":22,"children":7608,"markDefs":7612,"style":30},"2edce0f74642",[7609],{"_key":7610,"_type":26,"marks":7611,"text":3316},"fddd28351cb30",[],[],{"_key":7614,"_type":22,"children":7615,"markDefs":7633,"style":30},"8ca7c6a07365",[7616,7620,7624,7628],{"_key":7617,"_type":26,"marks":7618,"text":7619},"7f3b276d596d0",[],"Mayo Clinic, 2024. ",{"_key":7621,"_type":26,"marks":7622,"text":7623},"7f3b276d596d1",[231],"Serotonin Syndrome",{"_key":7625,"_type":26,"marks":7626,"text":7627},"7f3b276d596d2",[],". ",{"_key":7629,"_type":26,"marks":7630,"text":7632},"7f3b276d596d3",[7631,402],"09e8e0deeeb7","https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/serotonin-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354758#",[7634],{"_key":7631,"_type":244,"href":7632},{"_key":7636,"_type":22,"children":7637,"markDefs":7641,"style":30},"b0c9db02d4e4",[7638],{"_key":7639,"_type":26,"marks":7640,"text":3316},"d9b3476974cf0",[],[],{"_key":7643,"_type":22,"children":7644,"markDefs":7658,"style":30},"a65e8034c05c",[7645,7649,7653],{"_key":7646,"_type":26,"marks":7647,"text":7648},"d13dc310da730",[],"Wang et al., 2016. Cleveland Clinical Journal of Medicine. ",{"_key":7650,"_type":26,"marks":7651,"text":7652},"d13dc310da731",[231],"Serotonin Syndrome: Preventing, Recognizing, and Treating It. ",{"_key":7654,"_type":26,"marks":7655,"text":7657},"d13dc310da732",[7656,402],"732c8df72119","https://www.ccjm.org/content/83/11/810",[7659],{"_key":7656,"_type":244,"href":7657},{"_key":7661,"_type":22,"children":7662,"markDefs":7666,"style":30},"ef7bdec59d6f",[7663],{"_key":7664,"_type":26,"marks":7665,"text":3316},"0548d9cc45cc0",[],[],{"_ref":5102,"_type":248},"2024-10-31",{"_type":252,"asset":7670},{"_ref":7671,"_type":248},"image-27dc0f0e46ef9e7d777a30f948132c5e755e819d-1024x768-png",{"_type":256,"current":7673},"serotonin-syndrome-how-antidepressant-medications-and-mdma-interact-in-the-brain","Taking antidepressants? Popular party drug \"Molly\" could be deadly when mixed. The combination can cause a dangerous buildup of brain chemicals, leading to severe medical emergencies.","Serotonin Syndrome: How Antidepressant Medications and MDMA Interact In The Brain ",{"_createdAt":7677,"_id":7678,"_rev":7679,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":7680,"article":7681,"author_ref":7859,"date":7860,"image":7861,"slug":7864,"title":7866},"2024-10-29T23:38:35Z","296f1693-152b-4065-b1c3-2b07e6111af1","WjCSgltQjFOKCDx5HQPYCt","2024-10-30T21:51:21Z",[7682,7701,7708,7716,7723,7731,7739,7746,7754,7762,7769,7777,7785,7792,7803,7810,7818,7826,7836,7844,7851],{"_key":7683,"_type":22,"children":7684,"markDefs":7698,"style":30},"dc22ce16fd32",[7685,7689,7694],{"_key":7686,"_type":26,"marks":7687,"text":7688},"a46a0af4ee4c",[],"This week, we're proud to highlight our ",{"_key":7690,"_type":26,"marks":7691,"text":7693},"bcc1353e4a29",[7692],"5a247bb9a274","The University of Texas at Dallas",{"_key":7695,"_type":26,"marks":7696,"text":7697},"0ce59db163ed",[]," chapter! Founded by president Aspen Hough, she was inspired to make a difference with End Overdose. She is leading the charge to make training available!",[7699],{"_key":7692,"_type":244,"href":7700},"https://www.utdallas.edu/",{"_key":7702,"_type":22,"children":7703,"markDefs":7707,"style":30},"945fe0e9a964",[7704],{"_key":7705,"_type":26,"marks":7706,"text":7217},"94f0873a261c",[45,231],[],{"_key":7709,"_type":22,"children":7710,"markDefs":7715,"style":30},"ebba8b76bab2",[7711],{"_key":7712,"_type":26,"marks":7713,"text":7714},"6011411e59b30",[],"Aspen Hough: Many people assume that I have lost someone close to me and that’s why I’m involved. But this isn’t the case. I just care. I’ve never really understood the controversy of harm reduction. I believe that no one deserves to die, and I think more people should think the same. My interest in overdose prevention/response began in high school, when I did my high school capstone project on addiction recovery and harm reduction. I decided then that I was going to continue this research into college as a neuroscience and psychology student. At some point, scrolling on TikTok, (it was Cami Petyn’s page actually) I discovered End Overdose. Seeing how overdose had affected many of my communities, I signed up to volunteer for Electric Forest. This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I knew from here how essential their work was and that I wanted to be a part of spreading their mission. As soon as I got home from Forest, I applied to have an End Overdose chapter at UT Dallas.",[],{"_key":7717,"_type":22,"children":7718,"markDefs":7722,"style":30},"9e2a91bb6214",[7719],{"_key":7720,"_type":26,"marks":7721,"text":3316},"ec11e8c677c8",[],[],{"_key":7724,"_type":22,"children":7725,"markDefs":7730,"style":30},"9895e72a1472",[7726],{"_key":7727,"_type":26,"marks":7728,"text":7729},"b700bf3b814b0",[45,231],"EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president of EO UTD?",[],{"_key":7732,"_type":22,"children":7733,"markDefs":7738,"style":30},"7a76b1d0385b",[7734],{"_key":7735,"_type":26,"marks":7736,"text":7737},"3f9057663df70",[],"AH: Being chapter president has been a rewarding and challenging experience. I dedicate a lot of time to this organization but seeing its impact has been so worth it. I’m proud to say that we’re the first harm reduction organization on campus, and we’re bringing life-saving education and resources to both students and the community.",[],{"_key":7740,"_type":22,"children":7741,"markDefs":7745,"style":30},"2d0b893c35e9",[7742],{"_key":7743,"_type":26,"marks":7744,"text":3316},"59a1822d94d3",[],[],{"_key":7747,"_type":22,"children":7748,"markDefs":7753,"style":30},"5b1d4734595e",[7749],{"_key":7750,"_type":26,"marks":7751,"text":7752},"7e1d23ca6c2b0",[45,231],"EO: How has it been building the chapter from the ground up?",[],{"_key":7755,"_type":22,"children":7756,"markDefs":7761,"style":30},"9826f60308dd",[7757],{"_key":7758,"_type":26,"marks":7759,"text":7760},"a8ee8da800240",[],"AH: It took us a while to get started. Building a dedicated team that is prepared to put in the work it takes for us to achieve our goals has been challenging. Drug usage and harm reduction is very stigmatized at my university, and I’ve discovered that there is not a whole lot of knowledge on the topic. I knew this going into it, and is a big reason why I started the chapter. After a year of finding a solid officer team and making initial connections with other organizations, we finally have picked up some steam. Our chapter has done 22 events and distributed 1354 doses Naloxone. And we have more trainings popping up all the time.",[],{"_key":7763,"_type":22,"children":7764,"markDefs":7768,"style":30},"da702eea0914",[7765],{"_key":7766,"_type":26,"marks":7767,"text":3316},"2c1d0fa28436",[],[],{"_key":7770,"_type":22,"children":7771,"markDefs":7776,"style":30},"179d672f2e59",[7772],{"_key":7773,"_type":26,"marks":7774,"text":7775},"16434423a80a0",[45,231],"EO: Where can you use support?",[],{"_key":7778,"_type":22,"children":7779,"markDefs":7784,"style":30},"586bdc1107d3",[7780],{"_key":7781,"_type":26,"marks":7782,"text":7783},"02771952804c0",[],"AH: We always need more volunteers. Currently we have a very small team, but in order to expand our outreach we need more people. I want End Overdose to have a presence at festivals all over Texas and more nightlife in DFW. We’ve also been wanting to branch out to community assistance organizations, like harm reduction, sober living communities, addiction rehabilitation centers, and unhoused resource centers. We have big goals in helping the larger Texas area, not just our campus, so having additional trainers to volunteer at these events could be huge for us.",[],{"_key":7786,"_type":22,"children":7787,"markDefs":7791,"style":30},"e913f3dbf9da",[7788],{"_key":7789,"_type":26,"marks":7790,"text":3316},"6ba293b649a2",[],[],{"_key":7793,"_type":22,"children":7794,"markDefs":7802,"style":30},"c365e75ec73f",[7795,7798],{"_key":7796,"_type":26,"marks":7797,"text":6332},"229528bd2a58",[45],{"_key":7799,"_type":26,"marks":7800,"text":7801},"cfb520de1d810",[],"\nAH: Our most meaningful connections have been with organizations which our members have had previous relationships with outside of End Overdose. I am very involved in the nightlife/music industry in Dallas so we have been able to do a lot of trainings there. Our vice president, Pranav Kumar, is an EMT ion campus for UEMR. , so we have done a lot of collaborations with them as well. We have had the most success using our existing individual networks. Any other collaborations, have come from us tabling and making ourselves known on campus.",[],{"_key":7804,"_type":22,"children":7805,"markDefs":7809,"style":30},"3e008ca86fd9",[7806],{"_key":7807,"_type":26,"marks":7808,"text":3316},"48cbbce399c6",[],[],{"_key":7811,"_type":22,"children":7812,"markDefs":7817,"style":30},"59776fac9908",[7813],{"_key":7814,"_type":26,"marks":7815,"text":7816},"4475fa6891970",[45,231],"EO: You’ve set up some amazing collaborations and events. What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date, whether it’s in night life or the general community?",[],{"_key":7819,"_type":22,"children":7820,"markDefs":7825,"style":30},"c01911ac0141",[7821],{"_key":7822,"_type":26,"marks":7823,"text":7824},"1dd2f64e0dab0",[],"AH: We are cooking up some big things at the UT Dallas chapter. Our major highlights haven’t happened yet, we have some huge collaborations coming up that I’m very excited about. So keep an eye out to see what we are doing next. We recently partnered with our campus’s Center for Students in Recovery. We have an established relationship with Hyperpop Hell and they bring us out to all of their events. They have been so supportive of us and are currently helping us with a fundraising event.",[],{"_key":7827,"_type":22,"children":7828,"markDefs":7835,"style":30},"a4e32b3ee838",[7829,7832],{"_key":7830,"_type":26,"marks":7831,"text":4481},"8572236bce290",[],{"_key":7833,"_type":26,"marks":7834,"text":6364},"2fa4a0e3f000",[45,231],[],{"_key":7837,"_type":22,"children":7838,"markDefs":7843,"style":30},"3502374009d7",[7839],{"_key":7840,"_type":26,"marks":7841,"text":7842},"274595ff958a0",[],"AH: I really want to expand End Overdose’s outreach across Texas. End Overdose has such a large presence in the nightlife scene in LA and other places, and I want to continue this trend in Texas. However, I would also like to reach some other demographics as well. I also want to become a staple on UT Dallas campus.",[],{"_key":7845,"_type":22,"children":7846,"markDefs":7850,"style":30},"e61b9e7d51b4",[7847],{"_key":7848,"_type":26,"marks":7849,"text":3316},"ddd2eba2ab01",[],[],{"_key":7852,"_type":22,"children":7853,"markDefs":7858,"style":30},"0c7a24db266e",[7854],{"_key":7855,"_type":26,"marks":7856,"text":7857},"5744776c38e4",[231],"*End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping people with lifesaving education and resources. We trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. With 50 chapters nationwide, members and volunteers are committing hours upon hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week*.",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2024-10-29",{"_type":252,"asset":7862},{"_ref":7863,"_type":248},"image-1d86621dc04301db21e752d330f65cfefc1a41e6-3024x4032-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":7865},"chapter-of-the-week-university-dallas-texas","Chapter of the week: University Dallas Texas",{"_createdAt":7868,"_id":7869,"_rev":7870,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":7871,"article":7872,"author_ref":8002,"date":8003,"image":8004,"slug":8007,"title":8009},"2024-10-21T22:34:28Z","32fdf273-660c-44fa-a595-8a16ca21bb6f","BRxxHYbvnOye3Rn7sWbEEl","2024-10-21T22:45:15Z",[7873,7881,7888,7896,7904,7912,7919,7927,7934,7942,7949,7957,7965,7973,7980,7988,7995],{"_key":7874,"_type":22,"children":7875,"markDefs":7880,"style":30},"30602bee65d4",[7876],{"_key":7877,"_type":26,"marks":7878,"text":7879},"29fb603772f10",[],"This week, we're proud to highlight our Wake Forest University chapter out of North Carolina! Founded by president Brooke Sanders, she was inspired to make a difference with End Overdose. She is leading the charge to make training available!",[],{"_key":7882,"_type":22,"children":7883,"markDefs":7887,"style":30},"691bf8cbdf49",[7884],{"_key":7885,"_type":26,"marks":7886,"text":7217},"fe804ae6c3ec",[45,231],[],{"_key":7889,"_type":22,"children":7890,"markDefs":7895,"style":30},"f86d86a7dd24",[7891],{"_key":7892,"_type":26,"marks":7893,"text":7894},"4e7ddf63644a0",[],"Brooke Sanders: I have lived all over the county and met people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, almost all of them had a story to tell about how they have been personally impacted by overdose. After moving to North Carolina for graduate school, I quickly realized that our community was no exception to this issue. There was a problem waiting to be addressed, and I knew that End Overdose had the ability to do so. I am a STEM-based social media influencer, and my content is centered around substance use and harm reduction. I discovered End Overdose through their advocacy on social media and began speaking about their efforts on my platforms. I knew that I wanted to be a part of this amazing organization in some way, so when the opportunity to begin a chapter arose, I felt that this would be the best way to get involved. End Overdose has allowed us to bring resources into Wake Forest and the surrounding community that were urgently needed and has united a group passionate about ending overdose.",[],{"_key":7897,"_type":22,"children":7898,"markDefs":7903,"style":30},"d7d2f43e5d78",[7899],{"_key":7900,"_type":26,"marks":7901,"text":7902},"441ad3ef8c370",[45,231],"EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president of WFU?",[],{"_key":7905,"_type":22,"children":7906,"markDefs":7911,"style":30},"84cfb6468060",[7907],{"_key":7908,"_type":26,"marks":7909,"text":7910},"d19967760ec0",[],"Brooke Sanders: Being the chapter president of Wake Forest is a role that requires a strong sense of confidence in your leadership abilities. Especially as a new chapter, we have experienced a lot of “firsts” in these last few months. This chapter is the first of its kind at Wake Forest, cultivating a driven team was essential. Luckily, our executive board and volunteers are not only driven, but ready for any opportunity that comes our way. This has allowed us to achieve so many milestones in just a few months, such as becoming the fourth highest grossing chapter for fundraising! Serving as the president of End Overdose at Wake Forest has been such an honorable and fulfilling experience.",[],{"_key":7913,"_type":22,"children":7914,"markDefs":7918,"style":30},"4831926c68b9",[7915],{"_key":7916,"_type":26,"marks":7917,"text":7752},"2a7f7d7585c80",[45,231],[],{"_key":7920,"_type":22,"children":7921,"markDefs":7926,"style":30},"7167f01bb699",[7922],{"_key":7923,"_type":26,"marks":7924,"text":7925},"6c5c4d198593",[],"Brooke Sanders: I am lucky to say that every student, staff, community, and faculty member that I have spoken with has been incredibly excited and accepting our of chapter! When I first got word that chapter interviews were beginning, I immediately ran to Dr. Michael Nader and Mia Allen, who both now serve on our executive board. I admire both of them greatly, and their support and encouragement early on was detrimental in my decision to open this chapter. Ever since then, any win that we experience, whether big or small, reminds me how many people were cheering us on when this was simply just an idea. I could say that this has not been an easy journey, but the support from End Overdose staff, our amazing board, and volunteers have made it much easier.",[],{"_key":7928,"_type":22,"children":7929,"markDefs":7933,"style":30},"2563d847b25a",[7930],{"_key":7931,"_type":26,"marks":7932,"text":7775},"115f76f0c4c60",[45,231],[],{"_key":7935,"_type":22,"children":7936,"markDefs":7941,"style":30},"dd177c8b6ccb",[7937],{"_key":7938,"_type":26,"marks":7939,"text":7940},"330887845b8a",[],"Brooke Sanders: Since our chapter is relatively new, we are still in the process of recruiting volunteers. We have been able to run all of our events smoothly with our board members and current volunteers, but as the chapter grows, we are looking forward to more people joining! If you are near the Winston-Salem area, we encourage you to see how you can get involved!",[],{"_key":7943,"_type":22,"children":7944,"markDefs":7948,"style":30},"a080f3fc9198",[7945],{"_key":7946,"_type":26,"marks":7947,"text":6332},"10b263977bc20",[45,231],[],{"_key":7950,"_type":22,"children":7951,"markDefs":7956,"style":30},"e50eb680f3b4",[7952],{"_key":7953,"_type":26,"marks":7954,"text":7955},"eeb5a6eec7f3",[],"Brooke Sanders: We are super lucky to be based in Winston-Salem, where we have a growing community of professionals, students, artists, and advocates. I believe that the first step to connect with the community is to listen. Allowing others to come to you, and acknowledging their experience and needs creates a genuine connection. You can not lead from the outside, so listening to our community has allowed us to better direct our efforts. Specifically, we are organizing training sessions for local bar staff, who have frequently told us that they are seeing overdoses occur, but do not have the materials or education to respond. I am proud of all of our chapter members who take the time to listen, so we can provide our community with what they need.",[],{"_key":7958,"_type":22,"children":7959,"markDefs":7964,"style":30},"801f5e32eca0",[7960],{"_key":7961,"_type":26,"marks":7962,"text":7963},"c86b9b6729d80",[45,231],"EO: What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date, whether it’s in nightlife or the general community?",[],{"_key":7966,"_type":22,"children":7967,"markDefs":7972,"style":30},"8a6ffe0b50f2",[7968],{"_key":7969,"_type":26,"marks":7970,"text":7971},"5be73791ab7b",[],"Brooke Sanders: I believe that our entire chapter can agree that our favorite event so far was Breakaway Carolina. We trained over 1,200 people and had a great time doing it! Festival attendees were overjoyed to see our booth at Breakaway, and said it made the festival feel much safer. One attendee even had made an End Overdose necklace with a dose of naloxone hanging from it! This work reminds all of us that we are making a change by unifying communities for the common goal of saving lives and having fun while doing it!",[],{"_key":7974,"_type":22,"children":7975,"markDefs":7979,"style":30},"9d42855668b3",[7976],{"_key":7977,"_type":26,"marks":7978,"text":6364},"a374780cbb9f0",[45,231],[],{"_key":7981,"_type":22,"children":7982,"markDefs":7987,"style":30},"5542172d19d8",[7983],{"_key":7984,"_type":26,"marks":7985,"text":7986},"85d39b81c64c",[],"Brooke Sanders: End Overdose at Wake Forest has some very ambitious goals, and we have the confidence to achieve them! We plan on expanding our Opioid Overdose Response & Prevention training into the M1 Medical Student curriculum for the Winston-Salem and Charlotte campuses. Our chapter is also hoping to make this training available for all first-year undergraduate students during their orientation. We want to create a welcoming, forward-thinking community, and make End Overdose a staple of Winston-Salem. I have no doubt in my mind that our chapter is able to achieve all of this, and more!",[],{"_key":7989,"_type":22,"children":7990,"markDefs":7994,"style":30},"93e6ffb3a2d4",[7991],{"_key":7992,"_type":26,"marks":7993,"text":3316},"9762931b74b6",[],[],{"_key":7996,"_type":22,"children":7997,"markDefs":8001,"style":30},"27497c21c52e",[7998],{"_key":7999,"_type":26,"marks":8000,"text":7857},"727bbdd56d38",[231],[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2024-10-21",{"_type":252,"asset":8005},{"_ref":8006,"_type":248},"image-ce97d4b70852b70af63f61f7506a3b7c387320a0-2438x3250-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":8008},"chapter-of-the-week-wake-forst-university","Chapter of the Week: Wake Forest University",{"_createdAt":8011,"_id":8012,"_rev":8013,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8014,"article":8015,"author_ref":8142,"date":8143,"image":8144,"slug":8147,"title":8149},"2024-10-16T21:16:44Z","b6b19062-d73b-4e9b-b0eb-789eed2a9b21","BRxxHYbvnOye3Rn7rEKk2F","2024-10-17T16:11:50Z",[8016,8024,8032,8039,8046,8054,8062,8070,8078,8086,8093,8104,8112,8119,8127,8134],{"_key":8017,"_type":22,"children":8018,"markDefs":8023,"style":30},"bef1ff5bef7a",[8019],{"_key":8020,"_type":26,"marks":8021,"text":8022},"82147aa1334a0",[],"End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. Rather than proselytizing from a soapbox to Gen-Z and Millennial communities, we trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. With 50 chapters nationwide, members and volunteers are committing hours upon hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.",[],{"_key":8025,"_type":22,"children":8026,"markDefs":8031,"style":30},"51034f9c38f4",[8027],{"_key":8028,"_type":26,"marks":8029,"text":8030},"9da5997f3bad0",[],"This week, we're proud to highlight our Bay Area chapter! Founded by president Ben Compton, he was inspired to make a difference with End Overdose in the wake of his experience as an educator. He is leading the charge to regularly make training available to vulnerable populations impacted by fentanyl inside and outside of the dance community.",[],{"_key":8033,"_type":22,"children":8034,"markDefs":8038,"style":30},"fc9725b36547",[8035],{"_key":8036,"_type":26,"marks":8037,"text":3316},"9cdc06ff0c6d",[],[],{"_key":8040,"_type":22,"children":8041,"markDefs":8045,"style":30},"2c7dcabaafb9",[8042],{"_key":8043,"_type":26,"marks":8044,"text":7217},"83ea0678e075",[45,231],[],{"_key":8047,"_type":22,"children":8048,"markDefs":8053,"style":30},"fa53b1e1f20b",[8049],{"_key":8050,"_type":26,"marks":8051,"text":8052},"7ce6b897a9b30",[],"Ben Compton: For two reasons. The first is that I was originally drawn to End Overdose as someone who lives a rave/festival lifestyle and loves expanding my rave posse. I want to continue to do this for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to do it alone. To grow the rave community, it that requires everyone is safe. The second is that, as an educator, and through my time with End Overdose, I’ve discovered that there are too many vulnerable populations that are impacted by fentanyl outside of just the dance community. Everyone deserves access to an education, regardless of their lifestyle choices or the hand that they were dealt. It is an incredibly rewarding experience to be helping to educate the community and just seems like an obvious decision.\n",[],{"_key":8055,"_type":22,"children":8056,"markDefs":8061,"style":30},"afd89b819d3e",[8057],{"_key":8058,"_type":26,"marks":8059,"text":8060},"bb8d242643440",[45,231],"EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president of EO bay area?",[],{"_key":8063,"_type":22,"children":8064,"markDefs":8069,"style":30},"b5b23d4d6704",[8065],{"_key":8066,"_type":26,"marks":8067,"text":8068},"3f08738802400",[],"Ben Compton: As a brand-new chapter, my main goal so far has been to begin to build our group of volunteers. Luckily, in only a month we have had almost 10 individuals reach out about wanting to get involved. At the end of the day, a chapter can only accomplish as much as it hopes if it has amazing volunteers, and so far, things are looking great on that front!",[],{"_key":8071,"_type":22,"children":8072,"markDefs":8077,"style":30},"49598224e07f",[8073],{"_key":8074,"_type":26,"marks":8075,"text":8076},"439f9db3e6ff0",[45,231]," EO: How has it been building the chapter from the ground up?",[],{"_key":8079,"_type":22,"children":8080,"markDefs":8085,"style":30},"35c993834fe1",[8081],{"_key":8082,"_type":26,"marks":8083,"text":8084},"88367798964f0",[],"BC: Fortunately, I was able to get involved with the Boston chapter, in which I worked closely with their chapter president, Ben Lewis. As mentioned, our organization can only go as far as the volunteers take it, so seeing the impact, passion, and structure of the Boston chapter firsthand allowed a blueprint for what I hope for our new Bay Area chapter.\n",[],{"_key":8087,"_type":22,"children":8088,"markDefs":8092,"style":30},"af63dfb9b234",[8089],{"_key":8090,"_type":26,"marks":8091,"text":7775},"1e11712e4a270",[45,231],[],{"_key":8094,"_type":22,"children":8095,"markDefs":8103,"style":30},"f2d0cb8eaaa4",[8096,8100],{"_key":8097,"_type":26,"marks":8098,"text":8099},"a6f801aca0ff0",[],"BC: We simply need to grow our numbers. We have volunteers all over the Bay Area, but the Bay Area is so large and has such a large and diverse population. Through volunteers we get connections to different organizations, venues, or social spaces that work with us to make sure everyone and every community can be safe.\n\n",{"_key":8101,"_type":26,"marks":8102,"text":6332},"6739bf14a7b30",[45,231],[],{"_key":8105,"_type":22,"children":8106,"markDefs":8111,"style":30},"a05f7eb83105",[8107],{"_key":8108,"_type":26,"marks":8109,"text":8110},"58775c9bed4e0",[],"BC: Just like social connections, I have begun to develop connections within the community by simply starting conversations with those I meet while out in the Bay Area, whether that is during a volunteering shift or in my own personal life. Most of the connections so far have been in person, but I am not shy to send a DM on Insta or to send emails. People are either willing to work with us or not, so there’s no reason to be shy about inquiring!\n",[],{"_key":8113,"_type":22,"children":8114,"markDefs":8118,"style":30},"dceb5062e04e",[8115],{"_key":8116,"_type":26,"marks":8117,"text":7816},"9e77c222b3ac0",[45,231],[],{"_key":8120,"_type":22,"children":8121,"markDefs":8126,"style":30},"03be65363d9b",[8122],{"_key":8123,"_type":26,"marks":8124,"text":8125},"3a9694328c470",[],"BC: The biggest event thus far has been Portola, in which a handful of our volunteers got the opportunity to work. Being our first festival in the area, we were able to distribute over 1800 naloxone, while also recruiting new volunteers and connecting with local organizations. It was our first chance to really show the Bay Area that we are here and always ready to talk, educate, and welcome anyone in.",[],{"_key":8128,"_type":22,"children":8129,"markDefs":8133,"style":30},"b5142ccee66b",[8130],{"_key":8131,"_type":26,"marks":8132,"text":6364},"195257117a170",[45,231],[],{"_key":8135,"_type":22,"children":8136,"markDefs":8141,"style":30},"5d7c12375d55",[8137],{"_key":8138,"_type":26,"marks":8139,"text":8140},"3ef3ab48b9750",[],"In the short term, we are hoping to get a few regularly scheduled events with local organizations or venues that we can table at. In the long haul, it would be amazing to be connected and working with numerous entities, both in the nightlife community, the social work community, and the medical community. We are here to serve the entire Bay Area, so until we have the luxury of being overwhelmed with requests, we have a lot of work to do!",[],{"_ref":362,"_type":248},"2024-10-17",{"_type":252,"asset":8145},{"_ref":8146,"_type":248},"image-40fccf8b38f941434a1bdbcbbc66e86ae6dd813a-3000x2003-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":8148},"chapter-of-the-week-bay-area","Chapter of the week: Bay Area",{"_createdAt":8151,"_id":8152,"_rev":8153,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8151,"article":8154,"author_ref":8250,"date":8251,"image":8252,"slug":8255,"title":8257},"2024-10-08T16:46:22Z","c92501f9-2bb1-4319-bbb3-9062cd1ccba2","3GUDmcZdXMS7XYzeFytFXa",[8155,8163,8171,8178,8186,8194,8202,8210,8218,8226,8234,8242],{"_key":8156,"_type":22,"children":8157,"markDefs":8162,"style":30},"a44bea60ae03",[8158],{"_key":8159,"_type":26,"marks":8160,"text":8161},"cee1ac027bd0",[],"End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. Rather than proselytizing from a soapbox to Gen-Z and Millennial communities, we trust young people in cities and on college campuses to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. With 50 chapters nationwide, members and volunteers are committing hours upon hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week. ",[],{"_key":8164,"_type":22,"children":8165,"markDefs":8170,"style":30},"ffea7d6e672f",[8166],{"_key":8167,"_type":26,"marks":8168,"text":8169},"43d9e091628f",[],"This week, we're proud to highlight our Atlanta chapter! Founded by president Jill Stevenson, she was inspired to make a difference with End Overdose in the wake of personal tragedy. Now regularly training ATLiens everywhere from the Beltline to night clubs, her chapter is constantly pushing to make the community safer. We spoke with Jill about her personal story and her chapter's work below!",[],{"_key":8172,"_type":22,"children":8173,"markDefs":8177,"style":30},"76d3a2a83021",[8174],{"_key":8175,"_type":26,"marks":8176,"text":7217},"a3f8c85f43cb0",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":8179,"_type":22,"children":8180,"markDefs":8185,"style":30},"03872a2d12e4",[8181],{"_key":8182,"_type":26,"marks":8183,"text":8184},"54172bde78b00",[],"Jill Stevenson: In March 2022, I lost my sister, Amanda, to an overdose, which left me with overwhelming grief that I needed to channel into something constructive. At the time, I didn’t know much about Naloxone, so I began researching harm reduction groups in my area. I discovered End Overdose on Instagram and was particularly drawn to their strong presence within the EDM and nightlife communities—spaces I’ve been a part of for over a decade. Their branding, messaging, and ability to connect with the audience who most needs to hear it felt authentic and impactful. What resonated even more was that many of the staff and volunteers are part of the scene themselves. Hearing this message from peers with lived experience makes it that much more meaningful. End Overdose has given me a profound sense of purpose and a meaningful way to honor my sister’s memory. Every person I’ve trained carries her legacy forward.",[],{"_key":8187,"_type":22,"children":8188,"markDefs":8193,"style":30},"f5ace372dc60",[8189],{"_key":8190,"_type":26,"marks":8191,"text":8192},"a24b89bd6b2b0",[45,402,231],"EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president of Atlanta? How has it been building the chapter from the ground up?",[],{"_key":8195,"_type":22,"children":8196,"markDefs":8201,"style":30},"762402f76497",[8197],{"_key":8198,"_type":26,"marks":8199,"text":8200},"d8913bc445eb0",[],"After discovering End Overdose, I immediately knew I wanted to get involved. I reached out to EO to host a fundraiser, and on April 29, 2023, I organized the first End Overdose event in Atlanta at one of the city’s most iconic nightclubs, District Atlanta. It was a day party on the outdoor patio, featuring nine local DJs, a food truck, and an incredible turnout. We raised over $4,000 in donations and trained 130 attendees in overdose prevention. The event marked the true beginning of our local chapter. Seeing the community’s enthusiasm and willingness to learn and contribute made it clear that this was just the start. Reflecting on the past year and the number of people we’ve been able to train, I’m deeply grateful to EO for believing in me and to all the volunteers, venues, and communities that have made this journey possible.",[],{"_key":8203,"_type":22,"children":8204,"markDefs":8209,"style":30},"1ec28bab65a3",[8205],{"_key":8206,"_type":26,"marks":8207,"text":8208},"5f43efe7c5480",[45,402,231],"EO: How have you developed authentic connections with the Atlanta community?",[],{"_key":8211,"_type":22,"children":8212,"markDefs":8217,"style":30},"1536733d8375",[8213],{"_key":8214,"_type":26,"marks":8215,"text":8216},"c2a04187562c0",[],"JS: Being part of the music scene for a while, I initially reached out to personal connections, and from there, everything grew through word of mouth and networking. Lately, most of the connections I’ve built have come from tabling at events or simply bringing up End Overdose in casual conversations. Unfortunately, so many lives have been impacted by an overdose that most people I talk to want to get involved or help in some way. By having open, vulnerable conversations and sharing my own story, I’ve been able to form deeper, more authentic connections with the people I meet.",[],{"_key":8219,"_type":22,"children":8220,"markDefs":8225,"style":30},"5bc513266589",[8221],{"_key":8222,"_type":26,"marks":8223,"text":8224},"ae432d0b971c0",[45,402,231],"EO: You’ve set up some amazing collaborations and events, ranging from a VicBlends video to tabling for Illenium. What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date, whether it’s in night life or the general community?",[],{"_key":8227,"_type":22,"children":8228,"markDefs":8233,"style":30},"54786272cdfe",[8229],{"_key":8230,"_type":26,"marks":8231,"text":8232},"562e257863ac0",[],"JS: We’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some truly incredible artists like Ravenscoon, Illenium, VicBlends, William Black, Elvie Shane, and Anthony Green, just to name a few. We’ve also trained staff at several iconic Atlanta venues, like Tongue and Groove, District, Believe Music Hall, and Underground Atlanta, with more exciting partnerships on the horizon, including a collaboration with DEF. One of our standout initiatives was hosting an industry night specifically for training nightlife workers in overdose prevention. While these collaborations are all remarkable, what stands out most to me is our time spent directly in the community. We’ve recently partnered with Connect Atlanta and Atlanta EDM to table at their monthly “Beats on the Beltline” event—a free, all-day event open to the public. Engaging with people face-to-face at events like this is what I find most fulfilling about our work at End Overdose.",[],{"_key":8235,"_type":22,"children":8236,"markDefs":8241,"style":30},"3bf57182888a",[8237],{"_key":8238,"_type":26,"marks":8239,"text":8240},"6efa4d6f53dd0",[45,402,231],"EO: What do you envision for the future of the Atlanta chapter?",[],{"_key":8243,"_type":22,"children":8244,"markDefs":8249,"style":30},"89b8066b4e9e",[8245],{"_key":8246,"_type":26,"marks":8247,"text":8248},"3e335e46363b0",[],"JS: We’re really just getting started. My vision is to train the staff at every local bar, venue, and club in Atlanta. We already have a great ongoing partnership with Believe Music Hall, where we regularly table at their events, but I’d love to expand and create more consistent collaborations across the city. Right now, our focus is on growing our team of volunteers so we can increase our presence at events. In the future, I also want to branch out beyond the music scene by offering training sessions at schools and recovery homes. My ultimate goal is to make overdose education resources accessible to everyone and to break the stigma around discussing overdose prevention, response, and education. No one else has to die.",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-10-08",{"_type":252,"asset":8253},{"_ref":8254,"_type":248},"image-b1dbaf85553a4c15928d6e2633e422e97c4a7ecc-960x642-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":8256},"chapter-of-the-week-atlanta","Chapter of the Week: Atlanta",{"_createdAt":8259,"_id":8260,"_rev":8261,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8262,"article":8263,"author_ref":8427,"date":8428,"image":8429,"slug":8432,"title":8434},"2024-09-27T19:07:03Z","dcd18820-c5f9-4995-a432-28b1d901ef2d","CpMKaRUkHgcJqVbXW44BdS","2024-10-03T18:28:26Z",[8264,8272,8280,8288,8296,8304,8312,8320,8328,8336,8344,8352,8360,8368,8376,8384,8392,8399,8413],{"_key":8265,"_type":22,"children":8266,"markDefs":8271,"style":30},"1f66b7b3570f",[8267],{"_key":8268,"_type":26,"marks":8269,"text":8270},"fc4b14ad4fab0",[],"Fitting squarely within the pantheon of revelatory '90s bands, Sublime are a testament to timeless music that has carried across generations. Hits like \"Doin' Time\" and \"Santeria\" are ubiquitous to summer soundtracks and continue to drift across scorching beaches from coast to coast.",[],{"_key":8273,"_type":22,"children":8274,"markDefs":8279,"style":30},"b3afa0c972f0",[8275],{"_key":8276,"_type":26,"marks":8277,"text":8278},"5adee3797bce",[],"Equal to Sublime's influence is the tragedy that defined the end of an era. On May 25, 1996, vocalist, guitarist, and frontman Bradley Nowell passed away from a heroin overdose. It was a tragic conclusion to a battle with addiction that shook the band and overarching music community. It also foreshadowed generational hurdles, as years later, Bradley's son Jakob faced addiction like his father before fortunately finding recovery.",[],{"_key":8281,"_type":22,"children":8282,"markDefs":8287,"style":30},"4f38d53dcd41",[8283],{"_key":8284,"_type":26,"marks":8285,"text":8286},"82ccf6cf872f",[],"Between the loss of her brother Bradley and recovery of her new nephew Jakob, Kellie Nowell was inspired to found the Nowell Family Foundation in 2017. Created as a non-profit to assist musicians experiencing substance use disorder, it steadily grew until they developed a residential treatment center called Bradley's House. The Nowell Family Foundation has become a beacon of hope in the music community and saved real lives. ",[],{"_key":8289,"_type":22,"children":8290,"markDefs":8295,"style":30},"7ef594210582",[8291],{"_key":8292,"_type":26,"marks":8293,"text":8294},"170fc60d9d66",[],"In anticipation of her organization's presence at the SAVE A L!FE fundraiser with End Overdose this weekend, we spoke with Kellie about the evolution and future of the Nowell Family Foundation. ",[],{"_key":8297,"_type":22,"children":8298,"markDefs":8303,"style":30},"fc3a0f29c5a9",[8299],{"_key":8300,"_type":26,"marks":8301,"text":8302},"d61ea8410182",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Can you tell us a bit about the Nowell Family Foundation and how it came to be?",[],{"_key":8305,"_type":22,"children":8306,"markDefs":8311,"style":30},"57a636912bce",[8307],{"_key":8308,"_type":26,"marks":8309,"text":8310},"395a41d7978e0",[],"Kellie Nowell: My family and I were inspired to start the Nowell Family Foundation after losing my brother, Bradley, from a heroin overdose in 1996. As the front man for Sublime, we witnessed firsthand some of the unique challenges faced by musicians in recovery. We started fundraising in 2017 with the goal of providing support for people in the music industry who struggle with substance use disorder. In December 2023, we opened Bradley’s House in his honor.",[],{"_key":8313,"_type":22,"children":8314,"markDefs":8319,"style":30},"13ecad709c9f",[8315],{"_key":8316,"_type":26,"marks":8317,"text":8318},"6b339d3597270",[45,402,231],"EO: Can you speak to the importance of providing a residential facility to people in pursuit of recovery?",[],{"_key":8321,"_type":22,"children":8322,"markDefs":8327,"style":30},"54b0fa0304d7",[8323],{"_key":8324,"_type":26,"marks":8325,"text":8326},"e98cb43ed2860",[],"KN: It’s no secret that change is a big part of the recovery process. For many people, getting out of their current environment allows them to focus on the work. A residential program with a positive atmosphere can be key to success.",[],{"_key":8329,"_type":22,"children":8330,"markDefs":8335,"style":30},"b899f9db08dc",[8331],{"_key":8332,"_type":26,"marks":8333,"text":8334},"bc6663771d280",[45,402,231],"EO: As the Executive Director of the foundation, how do you approach spreading your message and mission? What currently excites you most about your nonprofit?",[],{"_key":8337,"_type":22,"children":8338,"markDefs":8343,"style":30},"7d9371221478",[8339],{"_key":8340,"_type":26,"marks":8341,"text":8342},"00ef56733bf10",[],"KN: As a grassroots organization, we rely heavily on social media and word of mouth to spread our message. We serve the music community, which impacts everyone. Musicians are influencers, and it is our hope that they will carry the message of hope and healing to their audiences. Since opening Bradley’s House, we have had the privilege of working with so many people – from clients to volunteers. It’s exciting … and humbling.",[],{"_key":8345,"_type":22,"children":8346,"markDefs":8351,"style":30},"8fd2e67acbcc",[8347],{"_key":8348,"_type":26,"marks":8349,"text":8350},"462125ed676e0",[45,231,402],"EO: How does it feel to see Sublime thriving with your nephew now publicly clean and sober at the helm?",[],{"_key":8353,"_type":22,"children":8354,"markDefs":8359,"style":30},"f800e90f0242",[8355],{"_key":8356,"_type":26,"marks":8357,"text":8358},"91eff91c7ea50",[],"KN: Over the past year, it’s been awesome to see Jakob connecting with his father’s musical legacy. It’s even better that he’s doing it clean and sober. He’s a talented musician in his own right (check out Jakobs Castle!), and he’s in this position because he’s put in the work to get here. Like all Sublime fans, I’m really glad Bud and Eric wanted to reunite. It’s a great opportunity for them to reconnect with their audience in a very special way. I’m so proud of all of them.",[],{"_key":8361,"_type":22,"children":8362,"markDefs":8367,"style":30},"ffbb4786398e",[8363],{"_key":8364,"_type":26,"marks":8365,"text":8366},"c60a8b178f3f0",[45,402,231],"EO: Looking forward to our fundraiser in October, what inspired you to get involved with SAVE A L!FE?",[],{"_key":8369,"_type":22,"children":8370,"markDefs":8375,"style":30},"6236ad1a55a8",[8371],{"_key":8372,"_type":26,"marks":8373,"text":8374},"fa4e3497aba20",[],"KN: Substance abuse is a massive problem, not something that has an easy fix. We all need to join together in this fight ... to break the stigma through education and awareness, to increase access to quality treatment programs, and to save lives through harm reduction. We’re stoked to play a small part in this at the SAVE A L!FE event next month.",[],{"_key":8377,"_type":22,"children":8378,"markDefs":8383,"style":30},"0571c15bc84e",[8379],{"_key":8380,"_type":26,"marks":8381,"text":8382},"0f117f1912e80",[45,402,231],"EO: What does ending overdose mean to you?",[],{"_key":8385,"_type":22,"children":8386,"markDefs":8391,"style":30},"6b92ff10ffdc",[8387],{"_key":8388,"_type":26,"marks":8389,"text":8390},"bb32d22f2bfa0",[],"KN: Ending overdose is taking back the power!",[],{"_key":8393,"_type":22,"children":8394,"markDefs":8398,"style":30},"f62adcb8b00b",[8395],{"_key":8396,"_type":26,"marks":8397,"text":3316},"a44b07f7bb22",[],[],{"_key":8400,"_type":22,"children":8401,"markDefs":8410,"style":30},"98099cdaaec6",[8402,8406],{"_key":8403,"_type":26,"marks":8404,"text":8405},"9504148c87fa",[45,402,231],"Buy tickets to the SAVE A L!FE fundraiser ",{"_key":8407,"_type":26,"marks":8408,"text":579},"94f8ad6bf7b4",[8409,45,402,231],"8fdccb9bb57b",[8411],{"_key":8409,"_type":244,"href":8412},"https://events.webserv.io/end-overdose",{"_key":8414,"_type":22,"children":8415,"markDefs":8424,"style":30},"9f4434c9f69d",[8416,8420],{"_key":8417,"_type":26,"marks":8418,"text":8419},"54bead12c2cb",[45,231,402],"Visit the Nowell Family Foundation's official website ",{"_key":8421,"_type":26,"marks":8422,"text":579},"77cb3200082d",[8423,45,231,402],"883e51a2c4a0",[8425],{"_key":8423,"_type":244,"href":8426},"https://thenowellfamilyfoundation.org/",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-27",{"_type":252,"asset":8430},{"_ref":8431,"_type":248},"image-600868f9c81ec7bf072d95b97aa6a71720fd556b-700x700-png",{"_type":256,"current":8433},"the-nowell-family-foundation-an-interview-with-kellie-nowell","The Nowell Family Foundation: An Interview with Kellie Nowell",{"_createdAt":8436,"_id":8437,"_rev":8438,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8439,"article":8440,"author_ref":8559,"date":8560,"image":8561,"slug":8564,"title":8566},"2024-09-18T19:36:20Z","7b2b0294-7597-4e9a-bc79-12ac448e8ce3","7ZndkalX8BjYrYtkkiEJ2r","2024-09-18T20:59:26Z",[8441,8448,8456,8464,8471,8479,8487,8495,8503,8511,8519,8527,8535,8543,8551],{"_key":8442,"_type":22,"children":8443,"markDefs":8447,"style":30},"96b1a820b243",[8444],{"_key":8445,"_type":26,"marks":8446,"text":8161},"4b38c3ea9e12",[],[],{"_key":8449,"_type":22,"children":8450,"markDefs":8455,"style":30},"eafdc366b8e4",[8451],{"_key":8452,"_type":26,"marks":8453,"text":8454},"6cb0848cacff",[],"Thus, our inaugural chapter of the week is none other than CU Boulder! Founded by student Sophie Kennedy, the Colorado chapter is one of our most vibrant success stories. They've built a culture on campus that is now collectively aware and equipped thanks to the highly dedicated chapter members. Whether they're fundraising via a headline OMNOM show or tabling at Red Rocks, their excitement to save lives is palpable.",[],{"_key":8457,"_type":22,"children":8458,"markDefs":8463,"style":30},"62d5d91e9799",[8459],{"_key":8460,"_type":26,"marks":8461,"text":8462},"f900866023a3",[],"We spoke with Sophie about the early days of the CU Boulder chapter and what she envisions for its future after she graduates!",[],{"_key":8465,"_type":22,"children":8466,"markDefs":8470,"style":30},"de5ce1a31b55",[8467],{"_key":8468,"_type":26,"marks":8469,"text":6300},"2a4c24fcfc120",[45,402,231],[],{"_key":8472,"_type":22,"children":8473,"markDefs":8478,"style":30},"4f9e6da88707",[8474],{"_key":8475,"_type":26,"marks":8476,"text":8477},"16a249e01055",[],"Sophie Kennedy: Fentanyl overdose really fascinates and scares me because it kills so indiscriminately. As someone in recovery, I have known just as many people who intentionally use fentanyl who have overdosed as people who rarely use drugs and overdosed from accidental fentanyl poisoning. I saw the need for resources at CU and started dreaming up a way to supply these materials peer to peer, no strings attached and free of judgement. I was beginning to get stressed about how I was going to tackle all of this when an End Overdose ad popped up on my instagram feed! I reached out to start a chapter not knowing college chapters already existed. Every step of the way I fell more in love with the messaging and the people.",[],{"_key":8480,"_type":22,"children":8481,"markDefs":8486,"style":30},"4d849acc5a97",[8482],{"_key":8483,"_type":26,"marks":8484,"text":8485},"cf75307582b9",[45,402,231],"EO: How has it been building the chapter from the ground up on campus?",[],{"_key":8488,"_type":22,"children":8489,"markDefs":8494,"style":30},"03e0870b82d2",[8490],{"_key":8491,"_type":26,"marks":8492,"text":8493},"0f53e2545290",[],"Building the chapter from the ground up was really difficult. As one of the first chapters outside of not only the UC system but California, there was a huge learning curve. For a year, there were only about 5 of us doing everything. Our first meeting was around my childhood best friend’s kitchen table and the kits we packed were placed in empty Busch boxes and door dash bags which we stored under my VP’s bed. Two years later, we work out of an office on campus, where as I write, my fundraising director is packing duffel bags (huge upgrade) full of naloxone and tabling materials for a multi day, student organized music festival in Moab. Although we are operating at a different scale, the work and the messaging remains the same.",[],{"_key":8496,"_type":22,"children":8497,"markDefs":8502,"style":30},"8c945b048bee",[8498],{"_key":8499,"_type":26,"marks":8500,"text":8501},"28845d8dec9e",[45,402,231],"EO: Can you describe your experience as chapter president for CU Boulder?",[],{"_key":8504,"_type":22,"children":8505,"markDefs":8510,"style":30},"83b0fcd3d58b",[8506],{"_key":8507,"_type":26,"marks":8508,"text":8509},"556bf50cf8a7",[],"SK: As president I fill the role of liaison between the school, headquarters and the state. It’s really hard to watch the state cut off nonprofit naloxone supply and the school cut our funding. Sometimes, I wish I could be planning fundraising events or making graphics, but I know that underneath it all, we need the supplies, the infrastructure and the organization to do the work and I am so privileged to be trusted with that. The whole experience has been so rewarding and I am so amazed at the amazing team I have somehow attracted and the things they have accomplished!",[],{"_key":8512,"_type":22,"children":8513,"markDefs":8518,"style":30},"5059db0884a8",[8514],{"_key":8515,"_type":26,"marks":8516,"text":8517},"95c15becf3e5",[45,402,231],"EO: Can you describe the process of developing relationships with other students?",[],{"_key":8520,"_type":22,"children":8521,"markDefs":8526,"style":30},"614f0a3ff5e1",[8522],{"_key":8523,"_type":26,"marks":8524,"text":8525},"a7ef32e47b4d",[],"SK: Gaining the trust of the student body has been so so fun! I love seeing people relax through a long form training as they realize we are not DARE, we are students with real experience and a sense of humor. The fraternities at CU are not affiliated with the school and notoriously difficult to ‘get in with.’ To at risk populations like these, we have access that the school does not. To me, this really shows the importance of the peer to peer aspect of our work. It’s always the highlight of my day when I am called ‘Narcan Girl’ by strangers.",[],{"_key":8528,"_type":22,"children":8529,"markDefs":8534,"style":30},"52b9af8bd43e",[8530],{"_key":8531,"_type":26,"marks":8532,"text":8533},"51d21f8a3d3d",[45,402,231],"EO: You’ve put on some amazing events like the OMNOM show. What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date, whether it’s in night life or the general community?",[],{"_key":8536,"_type":22,"children":8537,"markDefs":8542,"style":30},"4d5381eebab0",[8538],{"_key":8539,"_type":26,"marks":8540,"text":8541},"00744ce53014",[],"SK: Fundraising events are always a huge feat. April of this year, we hosted a fundraiser called Flatiron Fest where OMNOM played! I have to give all the credit to my fundraising director, Gracie Stockwell, who worked 20+ hours a week the month leading up to the event. I think the stress took years off my life to be honest, but I knew it was a success seeing OMNOM playing his set in an End Overdose hoodie! All of that said, I think the highlight of the work though is hearing testimonies that people used the naloxone we supplied them for a reversal. For the first time ever, overdose deaths decreased Colorado and I can’t help but feel like our trainings are part of the reason why.",[],{"_key":8544,"_type":22,"children":8545,"markDefs":8550,"style":30},"a5b5785b020a",[8546],{"_key":8547,"_type":26,"marks":8548,"text":8549},"be217d29c21a",[45,402,231],"EO: What do you envision for the future of the Boulder chapter?",[],{"_key":8552,"_type":22,"children":8553,"markDefs":8558,"style":30},"84c046e19b66",[8554],{"_key":8555,"_type":26,"marks":8556,"text":8557},"c58fc1fa5a77",[],"SK: I think each of our exec members has their own grand goals for their position… I would love to see the chapter be recognized from the school or a media outlet for our efforts; my team does so much and my thanks doesn’t feel like enough. I would love if we had enough supplies for every person we train to get naloxone and strips. More than anything, I want to see our chapter stay strong after our original current exec board graduates in the Spring! Oh, and Coach Prime filming a reel on how to administer naloxone would be nice.",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-18",{"_type":252,"asset":8562},{"_ref":8563,"_type":248},"image-bf8fe4fefa570e52d549655c3ab92d6bd3b3a9e8-800x400-webp",{"_type":256,"current":8565},"chapter-of-the-week-cu-boulder","Chapter of the Week: CU Boulder",{"_createdAt":8568,"_id":8569,"_rev":8570,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8568,"article":8571,"author_ref":8795,"date":8796,"image":8797,"slug":8800,"title":8802},"2024-09-16T19:32:27Z","759631a4-fd61-4d46-bced-423e8cfb9804","R5Nwo2wgBUbo1xFZSWTCQu",[8572,8580,8588,8596,8604,8612,8620,8628,8636,8644,8652,8660,8663,8671,8679,8687,8695,8703,8710,8718,8726,8734,8753,8761],{"_key":8573,"_type":22,"children":8574,"markDefs":8579,"style":30},"b1e4b570345e",[8575],{"_key":8576,"_type":26,"marks":8577,"text":8578},"dd0fbdd1ef390",[],"Some of our most personal triumphs are transmuted from tragedy. In the case of Stephanie Wiley, tragedy struck when her teenage son Tommy Saliamonas passed away in 2020 from an accidental fentanyl overdose. As an avid snowboarder, hiker, and nature enthusiast, Tommy was another unwilling victim to the opioid epidemic with an entire life of exploration ahead of him. ",[],{"_key":8581,"_type":22,"children":8582,"markDefs":8587,"style":30},"fbc5d5b7cdee",[8583],{"_key":8584,"_type":26,"marks":8585,"text":8586},"985150c3dcd8",[],"While the loss of her child was earth-shattering, Stephanie was determined to channel grief into something that gave people joy. After baking in the years following Tommy's death for a fulfilling escape, Stephanie's brother encouraged her to make her passion a business. The result of that is Fat Kid Cookie Company. Available online and spreading through stores across the country, Stephanie's vision is truly taking shape.",[],{"_key":8589,"_type":22,"children":8590,"markDefs":8595,"style":30},"38aec9687dc1",[8591],{"_key":8592,"_type":26,"marks":8593,"text":8594},"61dff906e4d2",[],"In anticipation of Fat Kid Cookie Company hosting a booth at our Mobilize Recovery bus tour launch event on September 20th, we spoke with Stephanie about her company's inspiration, evolution, and a fitting name change arriving in 2025. ",[],{"_key":8597,"_type":22,"children":8598,"markDefs":8603,"style":30},"414dd2d90bc4",[8599],{"_key":8600,"_type":26,"marks":8601,"text":8602},"055f528b42ef",[231,402,45],"You’ve always had a passion for baking. When did you start to realize that it was a possible career path?",[],{"_key":8605,"_type":22,"children":8606,"markDefs":8611,"style":30},"91b464a47b41",[8607],{"_key":8608,"_type":26,"marks":8609,"text":8610},"a2f880bbce010",[],"Yes, I've always loved baking, but I never saw it as a career path until I sent some of the cookies to one of my brothers in 2021. He called and said, \"Steph, you could really do something with these.\" That was sort of a light bulb moment! I had taken some time away from working after Tommy died and was trying to figure out what was next, so I just decided to go for it. It was a sense of, \"What do I have to lose?\"",[],{"_key":8613,"_type":22,"children":8614,"markDefs":8619,"style":30},"ba997d6ad13d",[8615],{"_key":8616,"_type":26,"marks":8617,"text":8618},"1ba79d6e44470",[45,231,402],"You officially founded your company after the tragic death of your son Tommy. How were you able to channel your grief into something that brings joy to others? I feel like grief can cause many people to retreat from the world.",[],{"_key":8621,"_type":22,"children":8622,"markDefs":8627,"style":30},"9559182632c1",[8623],{"_key":8624,"_type":26,"marks":8625,"text":8626},"7ae64c8dadc60",[],"I did take time off for myself after Tommy died. It was the first time I'd experienced unfathomable grief and I do understand how it can make people retreat. Peter, Tommy’s older brother by two years, also needed my support during this time, so he gave me a reason to stay present in the world as much as any of us could during Covid. I started writing a blog that allowed me to share my experience. It gave me the space I needed while still maintaining connections with others.",[],{"_key":8629,"_type":22,"children":8630,"markDefs":8635,"style":30},"ba08930a2a8a",[8631],{"_key":8632,"_type":26,"marks":8633,"text":8634},"4e27bfb767910",[],"I wanted to do something that would help me to make something meaningful out of something so horrible, I just didn't know what it would be. Tommy died so young, he didn't have a chance to create a legacy for himself. I knew early on I wanted to do something to create a legacy for both of us.",[],{"_key":8637,"_type":22,"children":8638,"markDefs":8643,"style":30},"9fc0ef55524a",[8639],{"_key":8640,"_type":26,"marks":8641,"text":8642},"f2b36ba875f50",[],"My family and I were determined to be open about the truth surrounding Tommy's death. I saw Tommy in so much pain and a lot of it was shame. As his mom, I would've done anything to help him get out of that negative space. I knew I wanted to create a place that not only welcomed vulnerability, but brought joy to others. Fat Kid Cookies are extremely delicious, and they are a product we sell with the hopes of making a difference by giving back.",[],{"_key":8645,"_type":22,"children":8646,"markDefs":8651,"style":30},"e44fe3010ee1",[8647],{"_key":8648,"_type":26,"marks":8649,"text":8650},"4df4db1397750",[231,45,402],"You’ve done a lot for End Overdose. Why do you think it’s so important for resources like naloxone to be readily available?",[],{"_key":8653,"_type":22,"children":8654,"markDefs":8659,"style":30},"60854d19e950",[8655],{"_key":8656,"_type":26,"marks":8657,"text":8658},"74800eee5d090",[],"I'm so grateful I was introduced to End Overdose. I think normalizing talking about overdose, teaching people to use naloxone and having it available are critical in saving lives. Before Tommy died, he overdosed at home a few times. Until then, I had no idea what an overdose looked like or what to do if someone was experiencing an overdose. I really wish I'd known more at that time and that I'd had the chance to save him. End Overdose is a fantastic organization and I'm very happy to support in any way that I can.",[],{"_key":8661,"_type":3043,"url":8662},"d0b792f754dd","https://youtu.be/FXsO0fx69tc?si=iZJM9WZgwZ32vn28",{"_key":8664,"_type":22,"children":8665,"markDefs":8670,"style":30},"d2657f7189b4",[8666],{"_key":8667,"_type":26,"marks":8668,"text":8669},"712190d058530",[45,402,231],"What can other members of the community do to help prevent overdose deaths?",[],{"_key":8672,"_type":22,"children":8673,"markDefs":8678,"style":30},"4c2c2f56ff26",[8674],{"_key":8675,"_type":26,"marks":8676,"text":8677},"3d68b8dc80be0",[],"Talk about it. Be knowledgeable and not afraid to normalize this conversation. Try to take the shame out of it by opening up the dialog and being willing to listen. Educate your kids and your friends about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs. Start these conversations early. If someone you know is struggling, don't judge - listen. Learn the signs of overdose and have naloxone on hand. No one is immune to being touched by this and you never know when you may save a life.",[],{"_key":8680,"_type":22,"children":8681,"markDefs":8686,"style":30},"96e9f86a75a7",[8682],{"_key":8683,"_type":26,"marks":8684,"text":8685},"c48c7a4f0fef0",[45,231,402],"What are you most excited about for the Mobilize Recovery launch event in LA?",[],{"_key":8688,"_type":22,"children":8689,"markDefs":8694,"style":30},"58deee21b7c1",[8690],{"_key":8691,"_type":26,"marks":8692,"text":8693},"4e240429619d0",[],"Honestly, I am excited for the people who are going to be saved because of Mobilize Recovery. I just wish Tommy had been able to benefit from organizations who are working in the addiction and recovery space. It's all so important and I just want so badly to help and to make a difference.",[],{"_key":8696,"_type":22,"children":8697,"markDefs":8702,"style":30},"e854f78dbb2c",[8698],{"_key":8699,"_type":26,"marks":8700,"text":8701},"551ed188256b0",[],"Since I live in Montana, I won't be there that night, but my amazing niece, Ariana (Tommy’s cousin), will be there in my place, representing Fat Kid Cookie Company, which is currently going through a rebranding and in 2025 will officially be called Tommy’s Cookie Company.",[],{"_key":8704,"_type":22,"children":8705,"markDefs":8709,"style":30},"190d588c30a9",[8706],{"_key":8707,"_type":26,"marks":8708,"text":796},"740fffdeea8b0",[45,231,402],[],{"_key":8711,"_type":22,"children":8712,"markDefs":8717,"style":30},"5b23ff556235",[8713],{"_key":8714,"_type":26,"marks":8715,"text":8716},"fe0894c20adc0",[],"A couple of extras:",[],{"_key":8719,"_type":22,"children":8720,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":8725,"style":30},"439e23a79f9d",[8721],{"_key":8722,"_type":26,"marks":8723,"text":8724},"60234fd9aaff0",[],"A huge thank you for all that you at End Overdose and Mobilize Recovery are doing to help. I truly love seeing the announcements of more college chapters and the excitement about the events that you are attending.",[],{"_key":8727,"_type":22,"children":8728,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":8733,"style":30},"d19120fab861",[8729],{"_key":8730,"_type":26,"marks":8731,"text":8732},"2bfaaf8de2b90",[],"I really encourage people to be open and honest in conversation about addiction, recovery, etc. It's scary, often because of fear of being judged. Being vulnerable and open allows others the freedom to also be open and vulnerable and that's when humans truly connect and know that we're not alone.",[],{"_key":8735,"_type":22,"children":8736,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":8750,"style":30},"bfea1ff1736d",[8737,8741,8746],{"_key":8738,"_type":26,"marks":8739,"text":8740},"5e30757a40cf0",[],"I’ve heard from people that it’s been helpful, so I’d love to share a link to my blog: ",{"_key":8742,"_type":26,"marks":8743,"text":8745},"5e30757a40cf1",[8744],"258f8ac4347d","www.lifeaftertommy.com",{"_key":8747,"_type":26,"marks":8748,"text":8749},"5e30757a40cf2",[],". I’m also always open to anyone reaching out if they want to.",[8751],{"_key":8744,"_type":244,"href":8752},"http://www.lifeaftertommy.com/",{"_key":8754,"_type":22,"children":8755,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":8760,"style":30},"647246bcfd96",[8756],{"_key":8757,"_type":26,"marks":8758,"text":8759},"092d43ca1e3f0",[],"I’m very excited about our rebrand and going forward as Tommy’s Cookie Company. Emotionally, I’m finally ready to say his name over and over. I know that it will be a positive change and it just took time to get there.",[],{"_key":8762,"_type":22,"children":8763,"markDefs":8788,"style":30},"0a6aa2ec11e7",[8764,8768,8772,8776,8780,8784],{"_key":8765,"_type":26,"marks":8766,"text":8767},"9c1e6c94ae28",[402,231,45],"Follow Fat Kid Cookie Company on Facebook ",{"_key":8769,"_type":26,"marks":8770,"text":579},"8c549fd193b6",[402,231,45,8771],"c749302fbcc5",{"_key":8773,"_type":26,"marks":8774,"text":8775},"063c85b28365",[402,231,45],", Instagram ",{"_key":8777,"_type":26,"marks":8778,"text":579},"5dc31e90ba9d",[8779,402,231,45],"0f10d0869067",{"_key":8781,"_type":26,"marks":8782,"text":8783},"5343d7ef9514",[402,231,45],", and purchase from their website ",{"_key":8785,"_type":26,"marks":8786,"text":579},"f4b37cccc102",[402,231,45,8787],"f57b728250b0",[8789,8791,8793],{"_key":8779,"_type":244,"href":8790},"https://www.instagram.com/fatkidcookiecompany/",{"_key":8771,"_type":244,"href":8792},"https://www.facebook.com/fatkidcookiecompany",{"_key":8787,"_type":244,"href":8794},"https://www.fatkidcookiecompany.com/",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-16",{"_type":252,"asset":8798},{"_ref":8799,"_type":248},"image-bf744cedcce2605f65d22a18d902a7076e0252c4-1920x1242-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":8801},"tragedy-to-triumph-fat-kid-cookie-company-s-stephanie-wiley","Tragedy to Triumph: Fat Kid Cookie Company's Stephanie Wiley",{"_createdAt":8804,"_id":8805,"_rev":8806,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8807,"article":8808,"author_ref":8975,"date":8976,"image":8977,"meta":8980,"slug":8982,"title":8981},"2024-09-12T17:50:55Z","713ce54a-e89b-4d29-bdb0-ca38f2e3c200","R5Nwo2wgBUbo1xFZSNk3Q0","2024-09-13T18:40:30Z",[8809,8817,8825,8833,8841,8849,8857,8865,8873,8881,8884,8892,8900,8908,8916,8924,8932,8935,8943,8951,8959,8967],{"_key":8810,"_type":22,"children":8811,"markDefs":8816,"style":30},"a57f11008767",[8812],{"_key":8813,"_type":26,"marks":8814,"text":8815},"b1d377b54c3a0",[],"Dr. Smita Malhotra is as accomplished as they come. The Chief Medical Director of Los Angeles Unified School District, she’s overseen significant moments throughout the course of the country’s second largest school district. As the guiding force during the COVID-19 pandemic, she also spearheaded the introduction of naloxone to all K-12 schools in LAUSD. Outside of her daily duties as Chief Medical Director that impact the lives of over half a million students, she’s also an accomplished public speaker, writer, and photographer.",[],{"_key":8818,"_type":22,"children":8819,"markDefs":8824,"style":30},"ad4b2f652e0f",[8820],{"_key":8821,"_type":26,"marks":8822,"text":8823},"62efcbbeee4c0",[],"In fact, photography was a fulcrum point in her non-linear journey to her role in LAUSD. She began her career as a pediatrician – foreshadowing her eventual service to Los Angeles youth – but she defied traditional narratives and took a leap into wedding photography. While it’s likely difficult for outsiders to reconcile these two seemingly opposed career paths, she sees them as intrinsically related: “A physician saves a life and a photographer preserves life.”",[],{"_key":8826,"_type":22,"children":8827,"markDefs":8832,"style":30},"ea397ff23b28",[8828],{"_key":8829,"_type":26,"marks":8830,"text":8831},"b341ab34f6340",[],"Her work to bring naloxone to all K-12 LAUSD schools is especially lifesaving, so we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Malhotra as End Overdose’s Youth Medical Advisor. In commemoration of her joining the End Overdose advisory team, we spoke with Dr. Malhotra about her fascinating professional journey and the unreplicable insights she’s collected along the way.",[],{"_key":8834,"_type":22,"children":8835,"markDefs":8840,"style":30},"1252be460c8e",[8836],{"_key":8837,"_type":26,"marks":8838,"text":8839},"d4fa19c169800",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Can you tell us about your background? What initially sparked your interest in medicine?",[],{"_key":8842,"_type":22,"children":8843,"markDefs":8848,"style":30},"b793384b4fc0",[8844],{"_key":8845,"_type":26,"marks":8846,"text":8847},"8e1179b690260",[],"Dr. Smita Malhotra: I am a first-generation immigrant and a pediatrician by training. I think my immigrant experience greatly influenced and affected my choice to pursue a career in medicine. My family is from a South Asian background and culturally, it was important for my parents that I pursued a career that was traditionally thought of as 'successful' especially because of how much they struggled when they first came to this country. When I was younger, I loved photography, film and theater but I also knew that I wanted to be with people and families during some of the hardest times of their lives-and medicine gave me the opportunity to do that. Throughout college, I spent my time volunteering in hospitals and medicine became a natural path for me to follow.",[],{"_key":8850,"_type":22,"children":8851,"markDefs":8856,"style":30},"859b30fc3164",[8852],{"_key":8853,"_type":26,"marks":8854,"text":8855},"ecce9e130a660",[],"Now as I've followed a 'non-linear' career path, I've learned that often what we were taught about careers as children limits us and puts us into a box. My career now involves medicine, public speaking and the ability to be creative beyond my wildest imagination. I'm grateful that I've found my own unique career path that allows me to follow my curiosity and fulfills me.",[],{"_key":8858,"_type":22,"children":8859,"markDefs":8864,"style":30},"14ff459434ff",[8860],{"_key":8861,"_type":26,"marks":8862,"text":8863},"acce57fa49b50",[45,402,231],"EO: I know your story is non-linear with a career in wedding photography! How do you look back on your pre-medicine years as a wedding photographer? Did any lessons from that field transfer over into your work today?",[],{"_key":8866,"_type":22,"children":8867,"markDefs":8872,"style":30},"8ac7d6d9d9d8",[8868],{"_key":8869,"_type":26,"marks":8870,"text":8871},"af1170e672840",[],"SM: I became a wedding photographer after I became a pediatrician. In fact, I left full-time medicine for a while to build my wedding photography business! No one could understand why I would do something like that after spending years training in medicine. But here's the thing - years of training in medicine prepared me for exactly this step. The long hours of being on my feet and being on call in the hospital prepared me for being on my feet all day photographing weddings. The ability to think on my feet in the emergency room prepared me to be able to capture once in a lifetime fleeting moments in weddings. I always said 'a physician saves a life and a photographer preserves life'.",[],{"_key":8874,"_type":22,"children":8875,"markDefs":8880,"style":30},"c70e473f5eee",[8876],{"_key":8877,"_type":26,"marks":8878,"text":8879},"3f3a8c7b37cb0",[],"So while no one could understand my decision, for me, it felt like a natural next step. And because I have continued to follow my curiosity and I'm able to take risks that allow me to grow and develop as a human being-I've found myself exactly where I'm supposed to be today. Every step has prepared me for the next one.",[],{"_key":8882,"_type":3043,"url":8883},"c4d6d0bde49d","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KllBDbjOhRk&t=8s&ab_channel=TEDxTalks",{"_key":8885,"_type":22,"children":8886,"markDefs":8891,"style":30},"e54d7cc0a135",[8887],{"_key":8888,"_type":26,"marks":8889,"text":8890},"f99115609f5c0",[45,402,231],"EO: You worked in pediatrics for a decade and now work as the Chief Medical Director of LAUSD. What inspired you to work with adolescents in particular?",[],{"_key":8893,"_type":22,"children":8894,"markDefs":8899,"style":30},"f6734341674c",[8895],{"_key":8896,"_type":26,"marks":8897,"text":8898},"70ffb2735de30",[],"SM: One thing I knew for sure when I was younger was that I would work with children someday. I was drawn to the idea of how impactful childhood can be. I knew that childhood, though short, can impact us for a lifetime. And so if I wanted to impact the trajectory of someone's life, I needed to start in childhood. I knew I wanted to be a pediatrician before I even went to medical school.",[],{"_key":8901,"_type":22,"children":8902,"markDefs":8907,"style":30},"8e52358b0912",[8903],{"_key":8904,"_type":26,"marks":8905,"text":8906},"85a4a9d95b600",[],"Now I get to shape policies that care for the children of LAUSD as well as bring health access to the place where children spend 95% of their days for 13 years of their lives: at school.",[],{"_key":8909,"_type":22,"children":8910,"markDefs":8915,"style":30},"44488591778d",[8911],{"_key":8912,"_type":26,"marks":8913,"text":8914},"392676f737e40",[45,402,231],"EO: You led LAUSD through the COVID-19 pandemic which is a seemingly monumental effort. What insights did you glean from navigating a global crisis for over half a million students?",[],{"_key":8917,"_type":22,"children":8918,"markDefs":8923,"style":30},"1b690841edf1",[8919],{"_key":8920,"_type":26,"marks":8921,"text":8922},"515df38b81810",[],"SM: The COVID-19 pandemic involved adjusting nimbly to the changing conditions of the virus. We had to quickly adjust our policies and procedures as conditions kept evolving and changing.",[],{"_key":8925,"_type":22,"children":8926,"markDefs":8931,"style":30},"dc3af8b38dff",[8927],{"_key":8928,"_type":26,"marks":8929,"text":8930},"861b9378fb8c0",[],"One of the biggest lessons I learned through all of this was the importance of communication. Even more important than policies themselves—how you communicate them matters. ​Communication with repetition and consistency creates an environment of safety. Now in my work, it is of utmost importance to me that I communicate clearly and consistently with my teams and that we are communicating clearly and consistently with our communities. I think many people in medicine learned the importance of communication through the pandemic.",[],{"_key":8933,"_type":3043,"url":8934},"86d9667db0c6","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Re0pMKhRfw&t=55s&ab_channel=SouthAsianWellness",{"_key":8936,"_type":22,"children":8937,"markDefs":8942,"style":30},"e54664763bfa",[8938],{"_key":8939,"_type":26,"marks":8940,"text":8941},"31b8ccdceeed0",[45,402,231],"EO: You also led the effort to bring naloxone into all K-12 schools. Why is it so important to equip schools with naloxone? And are there any other measures you believe are crucial to respond to the fentanyl epidemic?",[],{"_key":8944,"_type":22,"children":8945,"markDefs":8950,"style":30},"d46790c9c5a7",[8946],{"_key":8947,"_type":26,"marks":8948,"text":8949},"c3ae7f15b2450",[],"SM: I'm proud that all K-12 schools in LAUSD are equipped with Naloxone. In addition, our healthcare staff and many of our school site staff members are trained to administer Naloxone. We also have a policy that students can carry Naloxone on campus without discipline.",[],{"_key":8952,"_type":22,"children":8953,"markDefs":8958,"style":30},"5df07e316f50",[8954],{"_key":8955,"_type":26,"marks":8956,"text":8957},"15545e91a7d50",[],"However, Naloxone is not the only answer to the Fentanyl epidemic. Before that has to come education. I love how the group 'Fentanyl Awareness Day' states that this isn't a 'Just say NO conversation. It's Just Say KNOW'. And to that end, we have implemented webinars for parents and modules for schools to help educate about the dangers of Fentanyl. I look forward to our efforts to increase awareness and education on this throughout our District.",[],{"_key":8960,"_type":22,"children":8961,"markDefs":8966,"style":30},"e41235e5f133",[8962],{"_key":8963,"_type":26,"marks":8964,"text":8965},"1100b455d11f0",[45,402,231],"EO: We’re thrilled that you’re now an End Overdose advisor! How do you think organizations and nonprofits outside of the traditional public school structure can contribute to student safety?",[],{"_key":8968,"_type":22,"children":8969,"markDefs":8974,"style":30},"8abe886a6982",[8970],{"_key":8971,"_type":26,"marks":8972,"text":8973},"ebebea67daf70",[],"SM: I think it's so important that none of us work in a silo. Student safety and well-being is not just for a school district to handle, it's a community effort. It's essential to collaborate to ensure that we are all working together to contribute to student safety.",[],{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-12",{"_type":252,"asset":8978},{"_ref":8979,"_type":248},"image-3cb15ee93b0f8ea9d53bff00d1e622ec84a315d4-1000x600-jpg",{"meta_share_title":8981,"page_title":8981},"Saving and Preserving Lives: An Interview with Dr. Smita Malhotra",{"_type":256,"current":8983},"non-linear-pathways-an-interview-with-dr-smita-malhotra",{"_createdAt":8985,"_id":8986,"_rev":8987,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":8985,"article":8988,"author_ref":9118,"date":9119,"image":9120,"slug":9123,"title":9125},"2024-09-11T18:26:23Z","85468ccb-d139-49e0-ae17-e8d5d512a403","LyzAN8Ta3itKofrhPjc9QI",[8989,8997,9005,9013,9029,9032,9040,9056,9064,9072,9075,9083,9091,9099,9107],{"_key":8990,"_type":22,"children":8991,"markDefs":8996,"style":30},"0c62051ffba4",[8992],{"_key":8993,"_type":26,"marks":8994,"text":8995},"fc01ab9399ea0",[],"In the midst of country music’s watershed moment on the mainstream charts, artists like Noah Thompson are remaining steadfast in their unflinching honesty. Thompson – the winner of American Idol’s 20th season – showcases that knack for introspective songwriting on his new single, “Upbringing.” Written in an environment that felt like therapy, it’s fittingly reflective as he solemnly confesses, “I'm way too young to feel this hungover.” Steeped in the tradition of a genre that has historically grappled with personal demons, his most autobiographical single is also his best work to date.",[],{"_key":8998,"_type":22,"children":8999,"markDefs":9004,"style":30},"b0f2f1550c92",[9000],{"_key":9001,"_type":26,"marks":9002,"text":9003},"843c1ec6ea5c0",[],"On September 20th, Thompson is slated to perform at the Mobilize Recovery bus tour’s Los Angeles launch event. Hosted in partnership with End Overdose, it’s a night in celebration of recovery and overdose prevention, so we’re grateful to have Thompson deliver an intimate set on stage which will of course include “Upbringing.” In anticipation of his performance, we spoke about the release of his new single, the excitement of writing with Luke Combs, and why it’s essential to have conversations about recovery in the public eye.",[],{"_key":9006,"_type":22,"children":9007,"markDefs":9012,"style":30},"630efddda186",[9008],{"_key":9009,"_type":26,"marks":9010,"text":9011},"2c716eaea3320",[45,402,231],"End Overdose: Congratulations on your new single! Being just over a year since your ‘Middle of God Knows Where’ EP, how does it feel to have this track out?",[],{"_key":9014,"_type":22,"children":9015,"markDefs":9028,"style":30},"7df2469be2c7",[9016,9020,9024],{"_key":9017,"_type":26,"marks":9018,"text":9019},"40532b275bc00",[],"Noah Thompson: Honestly, l feel the best right now about my music at this point in my career than I’ve ever felt. Although I’m extremely proud of my very first project ",{"_key":9021,"_type":26,"marks":9022,"text":9023},"40532b275bc01",[231],"Middle of God Knows Where",{"_key":9025,"_type":26,"marks":9026,"text":9027},"40532b275bc02",[],", this new realm of songs that I’ve been working on are completely me and who I want to be as an artist.",[],{"_key":9030,"_type":3043,"url":9031},"524cc6df454d","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuLeVv6ryrA&ab_channel=NoahThompson",{"_key":9033,"_type":22,"children":9034,"markDefs":9039,"style":30},"f0c07762f591",[9035],{"_key":9036,"_type":26,"marks":9037,"text":9038},"26d9b9aefab70",[45,402,231],"EO: Your track co-written with Luke Combs, \"Front Door Famous,\" also debuted this year. Was that a bit of a full-circle moment artistically? And how would you compare your collaborative process with your solo songwriting?",[],{"_key":9041,"_type":22,"children":9042,"markDefs":9055,"style":30},"086f2016f51c",[9043,9047,9051],{"_key":9044,"_type":26,"marks":9045,"text":9046},"43505838ffdc0",[],"NT: Never in a million lifetimes would I ever think I would have an opportunity to say that I have a Luke Combs cut. That song started out when I basically first started coming back-and-forth from Nashville and I was staying in Airbnbs at the time. It’s crazy to think two years after we started that song, that Luke would hear it and put it on his new album ",{"_key":9048,"_type":26,"marks":9049,"text":9050},"43505838ffdc1",[231],"Fathers and Sons",{"_key":9052,"_type":26,"marks":9053,"text":9054},"43505838ffdc2",[],". I just made the decision to become an independent artist and I fully believed that everything was downhill for me from there, but it wasn’t long after I made that decision that I heard about Luke cutting our song; more like a god thing if you ask me. I find myself digging a lot deeper into the lyrics of songs I personally write on my own rather than writing with other people.",[],{"_key":9057,"_type":22,"children":9058,"markDefs":9063,"style":30},"67242c0619dc",[9059],{"_key":9060,"_type":26,"marks":9061,"text":9062},"80d3bb3be2610",[45,402,231],"EO: What inspired you to perform at the Mobilize Recovery launch event? What should fans and new faces expect from your set?",[],{"_key":9065,"_type":22,"children":9066,"markDefs":9071,"style":30},"9566afe3afe8",[9067],{"_key":9068,"_type":26,"marks":9069,"text":9070},"ccacb4d948140",[],"NT: I honestly have a soft spot for people that want to turn their lives around, especially when it comes to addiction. I come from a family of addicts, so I’ve seen a thing or two throughout my life. My first job straight out of high school, I worked for a company called Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) and met some of my greatest friends that I still talk to till this day. For this particular event, I feel like we have a lot of songs that touch on addiction and struggle, things that I’ve dealt with myself and just things that I feel like aren’t talked about enough in music in general.",[],{"_key":9073,"_type":3043,"url":9074},"979bb510888f","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_SCTzm0RE&ab_channel=NoahThompson",{"_key":9076,"_type":22,"children":9077,"markDefs":9082,"style":30},"cd48208ce137",[9078],{"_key":9079,"_type":26,"marks":9080,"text":9081},"d7dc92fff7740",[45,402,231],"EO: Why do you think it's important to not only have a public conversation around recovery, but outright celebrate it with the support of musicians like yourself?",[],{"_key":9084,"_type":22,"children":9085,"markDefs":9090,"style":30},"b76f86adc27f",[9086],{"_key":9087,"_type":26,"marks":9088,"text":9089},"a63de9518a150",[],"NT: I simply think it’s important because I truly think that music is healing. I’ve had many conversations with recovering addicts that have told me music has saved their lives in so many ways.",[],{"_key":9092,"_type":22,"children":9093,"markDefs":9098,"style":30},"2009bd4c6a24",[9094],{"_key":9095,"_type":26,"marks":9096,"text":9097},"e299376a7a850",[45,402,231],"EO: With the momentum of \"Upbringing\" and additional tour dates ahead, what does the rest of 2024 have in store for you?",[],{"_key":9100,"_type":22,"children":9101,"markDefs":9106,"style":30},"211f7f19567f",[9102],{"_key":9103,"_type":26,"marks":9104,"text":9105},"566f5f74ad810",[],"NT: At this point right now, I’m just trying to stay as busy as possible with my music and writing the best songs I possibly can. We are trying to plan as many shows as possible also.",[],{"_key":9108,"_type":22,"children":9109,"markDefs":9115,"style":30},"71ad84b5eaea",[9110],{"_key":9111,"_type":26,"marks":9112,"text":9114},"a811cef2b7ac",[231,402,9113],"f83de18cfac3","RSVP to see Noah Thompson live in Los Angeles",[9116],{"_key":9113,"_type":244,"href":9117},"https://www.mobilizerecovery.org/los_angeles",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-11",{"_type":252,"asset":9121},{"_ref":9122,"_type":248},"image-353bd6f4cde346dabc3c97e17f8c990ae1bac538-5414x3609-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":9124},"silver-linings-an-interview-with-noah-thompson","Silver Linings: An Interview with Noah Thompson",{"_createdAt":9127,"_id":9128,"_rev":9129,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":9130,"article":9131,"author_ref":9412,"date":9413,"featured":2763,"image":9414,"slug":9417,"title":9419},"2024-09-09T19:04:08Z","0be47e9d-b21a-483d-8479-d0938fc62e21","3GUDmcZdXMS7XYzeFyzaZG","2024-10-08T17:34:50Z",[9132,9140,9148,9152,9160,9168,9176,9184,9192,9196,9204,9215,9223,9227,9235,9243,9251,9259,9267,9275,9283,9291,9299,9307,9315,9319,9327,9335,9343,9351,9355,9363,9371,9375,9383,9394],{"_key":9133,"_type":22,"children":9134,"markDefs":9139,"style":30},"3da1dde6f63d",[9135],{"_key":9136,"_type":26,"marks":9137,"text":9138},"0825835b6bbf",[],"Mike Giegerich here! I’m End Overdose’s Director of Communications, and I’m excited to share what our team has been up to over the past month with our latest stakeholder update. August was a massive month for us, ranging from partnerships with massive festivals to speaking in front of the California State Assembly. Read on below for all of the details!",[],{"_key":9141,"_type":22,"children":9142,"markDefs":9147,"style":48},"499d04a0d7bd",[9143],{"_key":9144,"_type":26,"marks":9145,"text":9146},"871d53f430af",[],"Our August Statistics",[],{"_key":9149,"_type":252,"asset":9150},"841b3f15b76e",{"_ref":9151,"_type":248},"image-884b6fe91ca7390e2fb82d29727e6c2b52f0cef1-1024x768-png",{"_key":9153,"_type":22,"children":9154,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9159,"style":30},"b21951be8d0f",[9155],{"_key":9156,"_type":26,"marks":9157,"text":9158},"dbbfbfde2572",[],"We reached 186,000+ people",[],{"_key":9161,"_type":22,"children":9162,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9167,"style":30},"44a82faa75a9",[9163],{"_key":9164,"_type":26,"marks":9165,"text":9166},"5b7df346821a",[],"We distributed 26,000+ doses of naloxone",[],{"_key":9169,"_type":22,"children":9170,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9175,"style":30},"fa8d9b5d0108",[9171],{"_key":9172,"_type":26,"marks":9173,"text":9174},"f1f2f4fae9ef",[],"We trained 13,000+ people",[],{"_key":9177,"_type":22,"children":9178,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9183,"style":30},"17d9d12cd9e0",[9179],{"_key":9180,"_type":26,"marks":9181,"text":9182},"f94bad5ef733",[],"We distributed 2,000+ fentanyl test strips",[],{"_key":9185,"_type":22,"children":9186,"markDefs":9191,"style":48},"707cc5580ccd",[9187],{"_key":9188,"_type":26,"marks":9189,"text":9190},"d079f434dd66",[],"Key Festival Outreach",[],{"_key":9193,"_type":252,"asset":9194},"860aba8c752a",{"_ref":9195,"_type":248},"image-5b6c077718af1a61275e71792894fd280c60e534-1328x924-png",{"_key":9197,"_type":22,"children":9198,"markDefs":9203,"style":30},"186e76cc30f4",[9199],{"_key":9200,"_type":26,"marks":9201,"text":9202},"1d3a0913c2f7",[],"Across the country, our volunteers provided our lifesaving education and naloxone to a list of key events including HARD Summer, Breakaway Michigan, Bass Canyon, Wasteland, and North Coast. We also tabled at shows from techno star Sara Landry and multi-genre maverick HVDES. ",[],{"_key":9205,"_type":22,"children":9206,"markDefs":9212,"style":30},"930ab9ecd32b",[9207],{"_key":9208,"_type":26,"marks":9209,"text":9211},"3b625a48bb74",[9210],"04df05c94227","Upcoming Events →",[9213],{"_key":9210,"_type":244,"href":9214},"https://endoverdose.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4b82f03d319ab6ca446850963&id=8b32ec9f96&e=b02fecd3ae",{"_key":9216,"_type":22,"children":9217,"markDefs":9222,"style":48},"e40f5941a464",[9218],{"_key":9219,"_type":26,"marks":9220,"text":9221},"f5bf35d564f0",[],"Entertainment Collaborations",[],{"_key":9224,"_type":252,"asset":9225},"98c93df9f506",{"_ref":9226,"_type":248},"image-4765c77cb28a1005c77e075aedc9897708e6c52b-3072x2304-jpg",{"_key":9228,"_type":22,"children":9229,"markDefs":9234,"style":30},"212b6753dc8a",[9230],{"_key":9231,"_type":26,"marks":9232,"text":9233},"554d3bace51f",[],"We rolled out a series of three videos with electro-pop standout Elohim that totaled over 150,000 views on Instagram alone! We also collaborated with Coheed and Cambria drummer Josh Eppard whose Drum Set Confessional made a generous $1,000 donation to End Overdose.",[],{"_key":9236,"_type":22,"children":9237,"markDefs":9242,"style":30},"3ae9ee69bfb6",[9238],{"_key":9239,"_type":26,"marks":9240,"text":9241},"cbc5679ed515",[],"Further collaborations were rolled out with:",[],{"_key":9244,"_type":22,"children":9245,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9250,"style":30},"56650e66e34f",[9246],{"_key":9247,"_type":26,"marks":9248,"text":9249},"c8fb4b5630d3",[],"Righteous Gemstones actor Tony Cavalero",[],{"_key":9252,"_type":22,"children":9253,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9258,"style":30},"a3d35e9a31ee",[9254],{"_key":9255,"_type":26,"marks":9256,"text":9257},"9cae8e94ff35",[],"Comedian Paige Gallagher",[],{"_key":9260,"_type":22,"children":9261,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9266,"style":30},"375436d765b7",[9262],{"_key":9263,"_type":26,"marks":9264,"text":9265},"be919b908fd5",[],"Chicago band Pixel Grip ",[],{"_key":9268,"_type":22,"children":9269,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9274,"style":30},"6c3137a89e48",[9270],{"_key":9271,"_type":26,"marks":9272,"text":9273},"fb3201b85abc",[],"Los Angeles-based band Halo Kitsch",[],{"_key":9276,"_type":22,"children":9277,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9282,"style":30},"6285054e0e97",[9278],{"_key":9279,"_type":26,"marks":9280,"text":9281},"cdc4abca454e",[],"Medical influencer What's Good Media",[],{"_key":9284,"_type":22,"children":9285,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9290,"style":30},"a51fc85b8193",[9286],{"_key":9287,"_type":26,"marks":9288,"text":9289},"c7f4b05efbcd",[],"Country band Emily Rose & The Rounders",[],{"_key":9292,"_type":22,"children":9293,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9298,"style":30},"743a3f254693",[9294],{"_key":9295,"_type":26,"marks":9296,"text":9297},"c61b2f3c18e9",[],"LAUSD Chief Medical Director Dr. Smita Malhotra",[],{"_key":9300,"_type":22,"children":9301,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":9306,"style":30},"f55cf7d2cd30",[9302],{"_key":9303,"_type":26,"marks":9304,"text":9305},"1ee115ab95ea",[],"Dr. Irene Yaymadjian",[],{"_key":9308,"_type":22,"children":9309,"markDefs":9314,"style":48},"7da378f49da1",[9310],{"_key":9311,"_type":26,"marks":9312,"text":9313},"0b3150608e54",[],"In The Community",[],{"_key":9316,"_type":252,"asset":9317},"233f0ca03487",{"_ref":9318,"_type":248},"image-305e40a80786b69be583cfe8211432edf335b971-4032x3024-jpg",{"_key":9320,"_type":22,"children":9321,"markDefs":9326,"style":30},"84f4c97d6725",[9322],{"_key":9323,"_type":26,"marks":9324,"text":9325},"c2485fe64b880",[],"The city of Arcadia invited us to their inaugural health fair! We met Lieutenant General Mary K. Izaguirre (46th Surgeon General of the United States), Mayor Dr. Michael Cao, and Fire Chief Chen Suen!",[],{"_key":9328,"_type":22,"children":9329,"markDefs":9334,"style":30},"aacfcd5f719b",[9330],{"_key":9331,"_type":26,"marks":9332,"text":9333},"1de09e5a1ae7",[],"We were also invited to present at the California Congress' Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction, and Overdose Prevention hearing. We specifically participated in the topic of Children, Youth, and Fentanyl: The State of the Crisis, Early Intervention, and Harm Reduction. ",[],{"_key":9336,"_type":22,"children":9337,"markDefs":9342,"style":30},"563b28f7c5fe",[9338],{"_key":9339,"_type":26,"marks":9340,"text":9341},"63eae9341ded",[],"We also shared our own findings on our pilot program with LADPH Wellbeing Centers, Santa Clara Unified School District, the CDC Foundation, and the National Association of City and Council Health Officials via the End Overdose blog. ",[],{"_key":9344,"_type":22,"children":9345,"markDefs":9350,"style":48},"523e54a87e38",[9346],{"_key":9347,"_type":26,"marks":9348,"text":9349},"1aa4a26bd9c9",[],"In The Press",[],{"_key":9352,"_type":252,"asset":9353},"b833b2487211",{"_ref":9354,"_type":248},"image-dfd1ca16d972c2b6e1f5f193e45e6ea2896fb94a-1370x748-png",{"_key":9356,"_type":22,"children":9357,"markDefs":9362,"style":30},"e577ec3d0b01",[9358],{"_key":9359,"_type":26,"marks":9360,"text":9361},"b389dbd11adb",[],"We were featured in multiple key stories this month. NPR interviewed multiple End Overdose members for a Consider This feature and the San Francisco Chronicle noted our work in a story on making San Francisco nightlife safer. ",[],{"_key":9364,"_type":22,"children":9365,"markDefs":9370,"style":48},"e782e8c22cc9",[9366],{"_key":9367,"_type":26,"marks":9368,"text":9369},"458cd6e346fa",[],"Our Volunteer of the Month",[],{"_key":9372,"_type":252,"asset":9373},"9f922c1b7ef0",{"_ref":9374,"_type":248},"image-b611b8ded57e4dd396297daee8f8c2d14b2e48cc-1440x1096-jpg",{"_key":9376,"_type":22,"children":9377,"markDefs":9382,"style":30},"348414135f72",[9378],{"_key":9379,"_type":26,"marks":9380,"text":9381},"f2c5a8388b8b",[],"Congratulations to our volunteer of the month Tiffany Childs! She's a dedicated member of our UW chapter and oversaw the distribution of 2,000 kits at Beyond Wonderland PNW. Thanks for everything you do for End Overdose, Tiffany!",[],{"_key":9384,"_type":22,"children":9385,"markDefs":9391,"style":30},"352682791bf6",[9386],{"_key":9387,"_type":26,"marks":9388,"text":9390},"4d9dfad09ba2",[9389],"f59453bd3397","Sign up to volunteer and potentially become our next volunteer of the month →",[9392],{"_key":9389,"_type":244,"href":9393},"https://endoverdose.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4b82f03d319ab6ca446850963&id=cafd21c0f3&e=b02fecd3ae",{"_key":9395,"_type":22,"children":9396,"markDefs":9409,"style":30},"25144e025061",[9397,9401,9405],{"_key":9398,"_type":26,"marks":9399,"text":9400},"f8eacfa76f4f",[231],"~End Overdose is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit reliant on community donations and support. Please consider supporting our organization ",{"_key":9402,"_type":26,"marks":9403,"text":579},"0fb67d4a4532",[231,9404],"2a478acc9f43",{"_key":9406,"_type":26,"marks":9407,"text":9408},"09290e43856a",[231]," to help keep our lifesaving work free and accessible.~",[9410],{"_key":9404,"_type":244,"href":9411},"https://donate.endoverdose.net/give/546264/?utm_source=End+Overdose&utm_campaign=0f8590a193-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_08_08_09_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-0f8590a193-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=0f8590a193&mc_eid=b02fecd3ae",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-09",{"_type":252,"asset":9415},{"_ref":9416,"_type":248},"image-4c04f70c6d5cd24c9fc165aeb2cbcd3688d55dc5-6000x3376-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":9418},"august-stakeholder-review","End Overdose's August Stakeholder Review",{"_createdAt":9421,"_id":9422,"_rev":9423,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":9424,"article":9425,"author_ref":9808,"date":9413,"featured":2763,"image":9809,"slug":9812,"title":9814},"2024-09-09T17:42:04Z","75abbd27-f70f-434c-883f-5c1957683c76","0NBg2x0vkQwKiCxjaLbwgq","2024-09-09T19:48:20Z",[9426,9434,9442,9453,9457,9465,9473,9481,9489,9497,9505,9513,9521,9529,9537,9545,9553,9561,9569,9577,9580,9588,9596,9604,9612,9620,9628,9636,9644,9652,9660,9668,9676,9684,9692,9700,9708,9711,9719,9727,9735,9743,9751,9759,9767,9775,9783,9791,9799],{"_key":9427,"_type":22,"children":9428,"markDefs":9433,"style":30},"206925905e72",[9429],{"_key":9430,"_type":26,"marks":9431,"text":9432},"4416c7fde98d0",[],"On October 4th and 5th, End Overdose is hosting the SAVE A L!FE fundraiser in La Jolla, California. The weekend of overdose prevention/response features a packed schedule that’s headlined by a talk from Jaywalker Lodge and Alpha 180 owner Bobby Ferguson. Bobby has decades of experience in forward-thinking residential treatment settings with the pathway to recovery through a peer-to-peer model. Combined with his own long-standing sobriety, Bobby brings a wealth of knowledge, so we’re thrilled for his keynote speech at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.",[],{"_key":9435,"_type":22,"children":9436,"markDefs":9441,"style":30},"c59a68f5828f",[9437],{"_key":9438,"_type":26,"marks":9439,"text":9440},"deb53421199c0",[],"In advance of his talk at SAVE A L!FE next month, we spoke with Bobby about his journey from active addiction to recovery, the vital need for peer-based communities in treatment settings, and the importance of naloxone.",[],{"_key":9443,"_type":22,"children":9444,"markDefs":9450,"style":30},"ba9c0358b20d",[9445],{"_key":9446,"_type":26,"marks":9447,"text":9449},"700f783aa6e7",[45,402,231,9448],"3e476a5287d5","~SIGN UP FOR SAVE A L!FE HERE~",[9451],{"_key":9448,"_type":244,"href":9452},"https://events.webserv.io/end-overdose/",{"_key":9454,"_type":252,"asset":9455},"785d799d6707",{"_ref":9456,"_type":248},"image-7c27ca2db8a091c7a9d9a5ee0021a2126553a7c5-1200x600-jpg",{"_key":9458,"_type":22,"children":9459,"markDefs":9464,"style":30},"d5c8a47c1a1e",[9460],{"_key":9461,"_type":26,"marks":9462,"text":9463},"17350f09dc340",[45,402,231],"EO: I would love it if you could give me some of your background and where your recovery journey eventually began.",[],{"_key":9466,"_type":22,"children":9467,"markDefs":9472,"style":30},"ed2d334644f7",[9468],{"_key":9469,"_type":26,"marks":9470,"text":9471},"294bdec174060",[],"Bobby Ferguson: Sure. I was based in New York City and loved growing up in Manhattan. By the time you're 14 years old, me and my buddies all had fake IDs and the drinking age was 21. So I would say by the time I was 18, I was well on my way into putting chemicals and alcohol at the center of all my social activities. Like many of the kids I grew up with, I ended up going off to a prep school in New England.",[],{"_key":9474,"_type":22,"children":9475,"markDefs":9480,"style":30},"5d0d362d4e38",[9476],{"_key":9477,"_type":26,"marks":9478,"text":9479},"f917ac2322340",[],"Which was an unbelievable academic opportunity, which I squandered in favor of having no parents around – the guardrails were off. By the time I was 14, we were unsupervised on campus. In an environment where both there and in college I had tremendous academic opportunities, but being a little bit self conscious, a little bit insecure, a real need to fit in and belong, socially, I ended up pretty much willing to do whatever it took to just fit in.",[],{"_key":9482,"_type":22,"children":9483,"markDefs":9488,"style":30},"8c37788208f8",[9484],{"_key":9485,"_type":26,"marks":9486,"text":9487},"bff71429f9320",[],"I like to say I graduated from college [in] 1984 with a diploma, but not much of an education. I went to a private liberal arts school in Virginia and then moved back to New York City and spent my twenties in New York as an aspiring journalist. I loved the work. I loved the go-fast attitude. I loved the lifestyle [that] promoted work hard, play hard. New York City was the city that never sleeps, and [if] I could make it there, I could make it anywhere. And yet what I noticed was the behavior that you could get away with your half dozen or so buddies in college…we all showed up with behaviors that would look almost like an addict or an alcoholic getting messed up every chance we could in college. I kept doing that after college and found other guys, growing up and moving on, getting promotions, moving in with their girlfriends, making adult life decisions, whereas for me it was, if it was Tuesday, every night was Friday night and I was looking for cocaine and a keg and trying to keep the party going.",[],{"_key":9490,"_type":22,"children":9491,"markDefs":9496,"style":30},"9a48dc49d14a",[9492],{"_key":9493,"_type":26,"marks":9494,"text":9495},"da088ed249f60",[],"So I was that guy in the group that people started to get a little worried about. And sure enough I ended up having all the alcoholic and drug addict consequences that somebody in their twenties without any guardrails would experience. I got fired from a job that I liked a lot. I couldn't show up. I was living with a girl at the time. Couldn't show up in that relationship and ended up going to my first treatment [center] at age 27. There would be three more residential treatment experiences over the next three years: getting fired, going to rehab, getting hired at some different job. And finally, I went out on a 13 day binge in Spanish Harlem. I'm a privileged kid from an upper middle class family in the wrong part of town completely given every advantage and opportunity in life and just living in the shadows and on the dark side. [When] I came off of that binge, I had credit card fraud charges for using the company credit card. It had all reached a point where my parents no longer were interested in my ideas about my sobriety and my aftercare. So they said, “We found this place in Minnesota, you get a one way plane ticket and you do what they say and we wish you luck. This is your last chance.”",[],{"_key":9498,"_type":22,"children":9499,"markDefs":9504,"style":30},"c56d19ac0ca2",[9500],{"_key":9501,"_type":26,"marks":9502,"text":9503},"1604d648fae90",[],"Off I went to Hazelden, which is a treatment center in Minnesota. I went into a 30 day men's unit on that campus. They transferred me to a four month extended care residential program … which was for chronic relapsers. And things really started to change there. I found my people. Every other kind of screw up from every other part of the country. I found myself around like minded people with a will to fail and a fear of failure and we really connected. They did a lot for me, those peers and counselors in that program … I think my big awakening in that long-term extended care program was … we used to do these things [and] we still do them at Jay Walker. It's a peer evaluation. We called it a full group, but two or three guys would get the attention of the group over the course of an eight hour day. And really did a kind of a double click and a deep dive on the Bob show and it wasn't getting very good ratings. I hadn't gotten drunk or high in months. And yet there I was. Not showing up as a person that other people felt safe around. And by the time the group was done, I was alone in a room full of people without any drugs and alcohol to blame. And the walls came down a little bit and I felt extremely vulnerable and hopeless.I had always thought that, to the extent that I was insufferable and an asshole, that it was just because of the drugs and the alcohol. But I was learning that I didn't know the first thing about how to show up as a friend, what it meant to be in a relationship, what it meant to listen to another person instead of waiting for my turn to talk. And I suddenly became much more interested in other people's ideas about my situation. I started to pay attention. I started to listen, I started to get interested in other people's ideas and … escaping a little bit from the bondage of self and becoming part of a group instead of apart from.",[],{"_key":9506,"_type":22,"children":9507,"markDefs":9512,"style":30},"cd87f0ab18ec",[9508],{"_key":9509,"_type":26,"marks":9510,"text":9511},"7142fff918ef0",[],"From there I was sent off to a, what they call the halfway house, which is really so gleaming in the Twin Cities in St. Paul and spent four months there. I had a job 40 hours a week. Everybody did. And what was interesting about that, I was no longer in a safe, secluded campus. It was a hectic and structured, chaotic re-entry into real life on life's terms. The cool thing about Fellowship Club was, there were 55 of us. There were men and women. We were in a converted old mansion in the wrong part of St. Paul. And anybody could use drugs and alcohol any day you wanted, and most of us, many of us, me included, just didn't. We wanted to be part of something bigger. We felt connected to this incredible community of recovering people that had come from all over the country. And there was this like minded energy with this common call to purpose that was bigger than my addiction when it needed to be. What I took away from that was that I arrived there feeling like I was a hopeless case, but getting given the opportunity to drink and use every day and yet put my head on the pillow at night with another day of recovery was a big shift for me.",[],{"_key":9514,"_type":22,"children":9515,"markDefs":9520,"style":30},"abce7b64b516",[9516],{"_key":9517,"_type":26,"marks":9518,"text":9519},"e0183f69e6ed0",[],"And I started to get what they now call recovery capital and traction and equity in my own recovery and a sense of momentum. By the time all that was done, my friends were saying, maybe you should stay in Minnesota, maybe you don't [need to]go back to New York. By that time I was very interested in other people's ideas about my situation and I stuck around because I hadn't soiled the zip code. I hadn't ruined my recovery. I had a job, I had sober friends, and I had a life I had a life beyond my wildest dreams, which included a small apartment with a futon, a color TV, a rescue dog, and sobriety, and it felt great, and that's when life really changed for me. That's the backstory on how I got out of the darkness into the light and within and out of isolation and into community.",[],{"_key":9522,"_type":22,"children":9523,"markDefs":9528,"style":30},"59970b714487",[9524],{"_key":9525,"_type":26,"marks":9526,"text":9527},"9d951b9d4e220",[],"Today at Jaywalker Lodge, that's what it's all about for us. I am a jaywalker. More About Alcoholism on page 37, it talks about the strange character with an unusual idea of fun, skipping in front of fast moving traffic, and he keeps getting run over and keeps trying to do it again. I opened Jaywalker Lodge 20 years ago, it was for men in their 20s who did well in rehab and badly afterwards. And the whole idea was, if you did great in treatment and bad in recovery, we were going to figure it out together and I was going to get you interested in a group of like minded individuals with a common problem and a common solution and take treatment out of containment and put it in community. Because that's where the rubber hit the road for me and that's where I got traction. I am not an expert in anything, but what my own story has to teach me … we've attracted men over the years that were stuck in that same place and we begin with that idea.",[],{"_key":9530,"_type":22,"children":9531,"markDefs":9536,"style":30},"0122e97bf0b3",[9532],{"_key":9533,"_type":26,"marks":9534,"text":9535},"8cbbe5f94c8a0",[],"Most of the guys that show up at Jaywalker have been in three to five previous treatments. We have a minimum 90 days to six month commitment to come out there. We do begin with a few weeks in containment, but move guys as quickly as we can into this open community model where they can get some traction, some sober capital, recovery capital and momentum and equity. And it's all rooted in the peer system. My experience is that addicts are like kids. They don't listen to what adults say. They watch what their friends are doing and they assign meaning to those relationships above all else. So we have this unapologetic and relentless embrace of intimacy among men, vulnerability, and making friends and having fun. And those are the things I needed and those are the things I wanted in my recovery.",[],{"_key":9538,"_type":22,"children":9539,"markDefs":9544,"style":30},"d81bfd2c4c9a",[9540],{"_key":9541,"_type":26,"marks":9542,"text":9543},"94253f25b2630",[45,402,231],"EO: You mentioned that the program when you were going into rehab for the third time was specifically for people dealing with chronic relapses. So that informed your approach to starting Jaywalker Lodge?",[],{"_key":9546,"_type":22,"children":9547,"markDefs":9552,"style":30},"c6dba3fedfc2",[9548],{"_key":9549,"_type":26,"marks":9550,"text":9551},"2d350a56c5cb0",[],"BF: Yes, 100 percent, because I was the kind of guy that would lament my loss of freedom and how I wanted and needed autonomy. I had sufficiently low self esteem that I needed to be right and look good on the outside, because I felt so insecure and unstable on the inside. I had to project and that meant that I needed to get back in the game and I didn't just need to get at bat, I needed to hit a home run to make up for lost time. And what I needed to know was not what I wanted to hear. And what I needed to know is that recovery is really hard. We're changing our lives. We're changing our outlook on life. We're changing our relationship with everything and everybody. And it's a time consuming and difficult process.",[],{"_key":9554,"_type":22,"children":9555,"markDefs":9560,"style":30},"e5049af019d3",[9556],{"_key":9557,"_type":26,"marks":9558,"text":9559},"b4d80ed4e9990",[],"And it requires patience, which is a poor man's word for faith. And I didn't have either of those. I needed to get back in the game and on top of the game because I was insecure and I needed to show you I was fine. I did not do a focus group in Peoria and identify an unmet need for eating disorder treatment for adolescent women and open a business. I simply tried to create an environment and open a program for guys exactly stuck in the exact place that I was. That's it. That was the limit of my expertise was what it was like stuck in that piece in that way. I got better when people told me what I needed to know, even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear.",[],{"_key":9562,"_type":22,"children":9563,"markDefs":9568,"style":30},"57fb5bb9d79b",[9564],{"_key":9565,"_type":26,"marks":9566,"text":9567},"cd954d4b478c0",[],"So we build trust through transparency and [that’s what] I wanted our place to be. Transparent, trustworthy, and tell people what they needed to know, even if it's not what they wanted to hear. And that's what I got from my peers. They told me what I needed to know. And, I remember at the end of that encounter group, I was furious. I was like, every one of you guys its just grandstanding in the group, to sound good and take a shot at me … We walked on the serenity path together [and] you didn't tell me any of these things. I ripped the whole room, a new asshole, for no reason. Because I wanted my chance to [address] the feedback they were giving me. And the counselor turned to me at the time, his name was Don, and he said, “Bobby, the fact that you're in a room full of people that don't feel safe talking to you honestly about how they're experiencing you … it may not be your fault, but it's damn sure your problem. And if you don't pay attention to it, it's going to haunt you the rest of your life.”",[],{"_key":9570,"_type":22,"children":9571,"markDefs":9576,"style":30},"92ce95ce8fdd",[9572],{"_key":9573,"_type":26,"marks":9574,"text":9575},"6ded7dc02e4f0",[],"And they wrapped me up. They picked me up. They were brave enough to tell me what I needed to hear. And I didn't want to hear it. And I really wanted to hold space for guys in that same way. Create an environment, hold space for like minded guys in this safe way where peers and friends could really lean in and be honest with one another. That's what I needed and that's what we do. So yeah, we value the peer to peer relationship above all else. [A] clinical team's great, but we keep redirecting folks back to the peers. Because I agree. That was what I needed my peers to tell me what I needed to know, even when I didn't want to hear it, and so we just try to replicate that and keep that going, because at the end of the day that's where it lands, that's where it landed for me.",[],{"_key":9578,"_type":3043,"url":9579},"0abeaf98b35f","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXygbv6k25E&ab_channel=FoundryTreatmentCenterSteamboat",{"_key":9581,"_type":22,"children":9582,"markDefs":9587,"style":30},"cd5428ef292c",[9583],{"_key":9584,"_type":26,"marks":9585,"text":9586},"d65920c56f1c0",[45,402,231],"EO: I think that peer-to-peer model is so important. With End Overdose, our whole model is peer-to-peer. High school and college kids don't want to hear an instructor talking down to them. They want to hear from someone in the same position.",[],{"_key":9589,"_type":22,"children":9590,"markDefs":9595,"style":30},"9ce40a9d3d9e",[9591],{"_key":9592,"_type":26,"marks":9593,"text":9594},"74ace7061aec0",[],"Yeah. And especially on a college campus, it's such an incredible role. The collegiate recovery movement started to really get my attention about ten years ago.I started attending all these collegiate recovery conferences and these young men and women that I would meet were just amazing, and their whole mission was to basically create a cohort of purpose driven, like minded students who were on campus with one another in purely a social context. There were clubs, there were chapters … the university might give them an advisor or maybe a space to meet, but that's all they needed to get something really powerful going. And, addicts are typically authority and oppositional defiant to any person in a position [of power].. If the power differential is [present], we tune them out by default, whether it's a coach or a teacher or a landlord or a boss or a father. We need to hear it from one another.",[],{"_key":9597,"_type":22,"children":9598,"markDefs":9603,"style":30},"951f204772ae",[9599],{"_key":9600,"_type":26,"marks":9601,"text":9602},"83a35296f2900",[],"We pay a lot of attention to what our peers do and disregard a lot of what those authority figures say. And that movement really started to gain momentum and get traction 10 or 12 years ago. And that's when we opened Alpha 180. A buddy of mine and I bought the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house from the University of Texas in Austin and basically opened up this transitional program for newly sober students that were returning to campus life. It's been one of the most joyful and inspirational communities I've ever been a part of. It's just a seed. And not just at Alpha, but what's going on all over the country, but yeah I got blown away. I became convinced that if you could hold space for students in early recovery to feel a sense of connection and belonging, and make that your primary goal, then the incremental benefits of just belonging in that will manifest both in terms of academic excellence and thriving in their recovery.",[],{"_key":9605,"_type":22,"children":9606,"markDefs":9611,"style":30},"87e643c83156",[9607],{"_key":9608,"_type":26,"marks":9609,"text":9610},"cbe8ea84598b0",[],"I've always felt like we've positioned a sense of belonging socially. Making friends and having fun is this incremental benefit of getting serious about your sobriety and getting sober. But I've come to believe over the years that it's not an after the fact benefit, but it's an actual path to all the other good things. It's paying the rent, succeeding academically, having a full and abundant life. [Those are], to me, the byproducts of putting that need to belong first. So I think we've always had it backwards and that's been my takeaway from the last 35 years. It's not something you should expect as a promise or a benefit or a byproduct of your recovery. It's a path to your recovery. Learn how to be among others in a way where you feel safe, where you can take risks, where you can be open, transparent, trustworthy, and vulnerable. And everything follows from that. So both at Alpha 180 and at Jaywalker, and when I work with sponsors, I'm always like, “Look, This is a disease of isolation and relationship is your salvation. Work on the relationships. You can pretend to care, but you can't pretend to show up. Start showing up in other people's lives. Everything else will fall into place.”",[],{"_key":9613,"_type":22,"children":9614,"markDefs":9619,"style":30},"0393634da5b6",[9615],{"_key":9616,"_type":26,"marks":9617,"text":9618},"405f59bc1c210",[45,402,231],"EO: Absolutely. I personally got sober with a month left in college and I'll never forget how excited I was to see someone my age who was also sober. I truly learned how to be a sober adult through all these people in social settings and it directly strengthened my ability to recover.",[],{"_key":9621,"_type":22,"children":9622,"markDefs":9627,"style":30},"a2f27c3caaf6",[9623],{"_key":9624,"_type":26,"marks":9625,"text":9626},"1685ac6a17f70",[],"BF: We're pack animals. I believe that. We need to belong. The need to belong is right up there with oxygen and calories. We need to belong. And that is not unique to addicts. I think that's inherent in the human condition. I think if we can solve for that variable, all the rest doesn't change, it doesn't change our situation.It changes our perspective on our situation and then all things are possible.",[],{"_key":9629,"_type":22,"children":9630,"markDefs":9635,"style":30},"c1937c8c5d5c",[9631],{"_key":9632,"_type":26,"marks":9633,"text":9634},"d4898b6ad2c40",[45,402,231],"EO: How do you facilitate other people's entrance into recovery versus your own recovery? Are there any challenges you have to overcome as organizations with Jaywalker Lodge and Alpha 180?",[],{"_key":9637,"_type":22,"children":9638,"markDefs":9643,"style":30},"ad18b33cc77b",[9639],{"_key":9640,"_type":26,"marks":9641,"text":9642},"fdf9b0dc04cd0",[],"I don't see those as problematic. I think the larger problem you have is that we're in two locations. Jaywalker is in Carbondale, Colorado, which is this pretty little mountain town at the base of Mount Sopris population 7,000, versus Alpha 180 is down in Austin, Texas – I think something like 45,000 students undergrad and graduate [students] just on campus and it's a thriving town. So one of the issues that we deal with professionally as staff members is setting boundaries for your own recovery, in a way where you can get your needs met, so you can show up. After a challenging or difficult day at Jaywalker, you don't want to show up at a meeting with six clients there [and] vent about how horrible they were that day. That is a challenge for small town recovery. I think one of the things that our industry struggles with at large is healthy boundaries and self care for so many of our clinicians and support staff in the treatment industry are themselves in recovery.",[],{"_key":9645,"_type":22,"children":9646,"markDefs":9651,"style":30},"05b228f958f2",[9647],{"_key":9648,"_type":26,"marks":9649,"text":9650},"0f813a53b6a70",[],"One of the things I learned right away, I went to work for Hazelden [when] I was two and a half years sober. Hazelden wouldn't hire you until you had two years sober. And I went to work in their alumni department. The first thing my boss told me is, “You are going to be tempted to back off your step work, your service work, your sponsorship, and your meetings because we tell ourselves we're working. We spent all day working in recovery.” And he said, “You're not working in recovery. You're working in addiction and you're not in the solution at Hazelden. You're the problem. You need more self care. You need more personal recovery. You need to double down on your investment in your own recovery capital as a person working in recovery. In this field. That's something we emphasize and stress a lot at Jaywalker is that congratulations, it's exciting when somebody entrusts you to work in the field. Now you need to really get to work on your recovery because you're the problem here and you're not in the solution. ",[],{"_key":9653,"_type":22,"children":9654,"markDefs":9659,"style":30},"01bed728c21a",[9655],{"_key":9656,"_type":26,"marks":9657,"text":9658},"9d0948a81152",[],"I don't know if that answers your question, but it's definitely for sure both at Jaywalker and at the other places I've worked. I've seen the toll that can take on people, both through complacency among staff members who don't attend to their own recovery, and also that taking on other people's trauma and the price that we pay for working in a crisis environment and then not going and doing the work we need to address that. So that is absolutely front and center and a major issue for all of us in this field.",[],{"_key":9661,"_type":22,"children":9662,"markDefs":9667,"style":30},"fad9cb452838",[9663],{"_key":9664,"_type":26,"marks":9665,"text":9666},"c9a0b792626c0",[45,402,231],"EO: You mentioned alumni and I know a strong community has emanated from Jaywalker and Alpha 180. Can you describe that community?",[],{"_key":9669,"_type":22,"children":9670,"markDefs":9675,"style":30},"4a66ecdf0afd",[9671],{"_key":9672,"_type":26,"marks":9673,"text":9674},"5079503ea2ac0",[],"When I opened Jaywalker … My background is that I worked at Hazelden for six years as their alumni relations person. I started as a coordinator and ended up becoming an alumni director there and that is where I onboarded and learned what I know about residential treatment through the lens of aftercare. In other words, I did not come up with a counseling degree. I did not come through as a program administrator. I did not come through on the business development side. I came through alumni relations. So when we opened Jay Walker, it wasn't a conscious decision, but all of my unconscious biases were around the alumni experience because that's what I had been trained in and that's where I was comfortable.",[],{"_key":9677,"_type":22,"children":9678,"markDefs":9683,"style":30},"97a50f91c4a9",[9679],{"_key":9680,"_type":26,"marks":9681,"text":9682},"df9fcb1265c10",[],"Today what I understand is, now we have about 400 local alumni living in the Carbondale area who sponsor our men there. They help employ our men, they get them jobs, they get them places to live after treatment. And they are without a doubt the most positive and profound impact on a long term sober outcome. More even than our clinical team. Or our great programming, or anything that happens in treatment, is this connection that they make organically with guys that they run into at the local meetings, doing service at Jaywalker, hanging out. We have an open kitchen policy, so alumni are always in the kitchen making food.",[],{"_key":9685,"_type":22,"children":9686,"markDefs":9691,"style":30},"15c18a053040",[9687],{"_key":9688,"_type":26,"marks":9689,"text":9690},"adec82c8cdc60",[],"We have an alumni dinner every Wednesday night where the guys come back, we have an open AA meeting on Friday with 100 guys and a speaker. So this infusion of alumni that wrap up and surround our bed while they're trying to figure out what my life is going to look like going forward? They answer that question by example and in real time. Without a doubt to me, [it’s] the single most important bridge to a sober outcome. If I were an automotive manufacturer, our alumni would be the cars coming off the assembly line. They are the product of who we are and what we do. One of my great grievances with the way that treatment communities and treatment centers are organized is that alumni are typically regarded as aftercare and an afterthought. But for us, in the first week that you show up at Jaywalker, you're going to have alumni coming in to tell their stories before you have to tell your story. ",[],{"_key":9693,"_type":22,"children":9694,"markDefs":9699,"style":30},"afe229ce6e62",[9695],{"_key":9696,"_type":26,"marks":9697,"text":9698},"24e1c5bbe8c4",[],"We want them to hear the solution from someone else in real terms on a volunteer basis before they start getting treatment plans from a paid clinician or trying to engineer their own path, and fix them, fix their thinking with their own thinking. Alumni, again, bullseye. And I think [at] both Alpha and Jaywalker, we'd be dead in the water without our alumni. And there they are, available to all of us as treatment providers. It's this army of like minded soldiers, eager and willing to help. And yet, sometimes, as providers, we get in our own way by consciously or unconsciously keeping them on the periphery. They need to be visible every day and a part of everything that our guys see and do every day.",[],{"_key":9701,"_type":22,"children":9702,"markDefs":9707,"style":30},"20f4a887b728",[9703],{"_key":9704,"_type":26,"marks":9705,"text":9706},"0e56a59263ae0",[],"There's no bigger fan of the importance of alumni than I am and what they mean to your community. They're literally everything. And 70 percent of our staff are alumni, including our clinical director, our CEO, our chief operations officer. They've all been in that bed and been in that group room and know what it's like and what those guys are going through.",[],{"_key":9709,"_type":3043,"url":9710},"82d1f1b6caca","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8uccWEUIJA&ab_channel=JaywalkerLodge",{"_key":9712,"_type":22,"children":9713,"markDefs":9718,"style":30},"6da2a1cd42ab",[9714],{"_key":9715,"_type":26,"marks":9716,"text":9717},"3c4ef4345af30",[45,402,231],"EO: Seeing the solution in people is so vital. I feel like many people view rehabs as a jumping off point and a box to check before moving onto the real world.",[],{"_key":9720,"_type":22,"children":9721,"markDefs":9726,"style":30},"1d45dbe4d12f",[9722],{"_key":9723,"_type":26,"marks":9724,"text":9725},"58e4bd9f70a60",[],"BF: I feel like a lot of treatment centers aren't building community. It's hard, but there is an ROI for an operator and provider to invest in managing their alumni. It's like managing the credit, it's just like crude oil bubbling out of the ground. And [if] you don't manage the resource, you're just going to have an oil slick. But if you put it to work it can fuel your entire spirit, your milieu, and your core values come to life. For us it's these guys [that] are in it … One of the things that Hazelden's done for 60 years is they have this auditorium, and there's a lecture there at 9 o'clock every morning, and one of the staff will get up like a college professor and do a 30 minute lecture on one aspect of your disease or recovery. And then after lunch at 1:30, there's another 30 minute lecture. And I would sit there as a patient thinking, “Okay this is like being in a lecture in school. It's important, but I wasn't exactly leaning forward in my seat, taking notes.” But then after dinner at 7 o'clock, people are like, that's a long day. And they would tell their story. And 30 nights in a row, you couldn't get an angle on these people. ",[],{"_key":9728,"_type":22,"children":9729,"markDefs":9734,"style":30},"94cb537c1a5f",[9730],{"_key":9731,"_type":26,"marks":9732,"text":9733},"0a797856389c",[],"These men and women weren't being paid. And they understood everything about my problem. But they had a life beyond my wildest dreams. And I understood nothing about their solution. And it was so powerful. Because I could write off and discount as this sardonic, skeptical New Yorker. All the paid messaging I was getting at 9 o'clock and 1:30. But at 7 o'clock, those alumni got my attention. They were there on their own time, sharing their experience, strength, and hope. And it was real.",[],{"_key":9736,"_type":22,"children":9737,"markDefs":9742,"style":30},"f84e39ccbbc8",[9738],{"_key":9739,"_type":26,"marks":9740,"text":9741},"ddf28e90e7ad0",[],"I definitely feel like when alumni show up and lean in, I think our men have the same reaction. Why is this person here? What, why do they even care about me? And so you get that trust and that transparency going right away. And I believe a lot of the barriers that keep providers from including alumni in their day to day activities are that you can't really control it, right?",[],{"_key":9744,"_type":22,"children":9745,"markDefs":9750,"style":30},"08f4ef392f77",[9746],{"_key":9747,"_type":26,"marks":9748,"text":9749},"c6e30fe75bc30",[],"There's very little downside. These people are coming back as the best version of themselves. They are not going to hurt you guys. They are not going to break your regulations. They are not there to make your life harder. All they do is bring your two dimensional playbook to life and give it depth and meaning and bring it into three dimensions – some real guys that want what they have. And yeah, it's it's relatively low cost way to get your clients excited about an outcome. And I think you can tell I'm pretty bought in and passionate about it.",[],{"_key":9752,"_type":22,"children":9753,"markDefs":9758,"style":30},"94e55567a5f6",[9754],{"_key":9755,"_type":26,"marks":9756,"text":9757},"7a9ef843348b0",[45,402,231],"EO: I love it. I'm fired up after this interview. I want to wrap up by asking, what can we expect from you speaking at the SAVE A L!FE fundraiser?",[],{"_key":9760,"_type":22,"children":9761,"markDefs":9766,"style":30},"b1d4560b31bd",[9762],{"_key":9763,"_type":26,"marks":9764,"text":9765},"e00e279e83680",[],"BF: Thank you. I'm incredibly honored to get an opportunity. You guys are doing some amazing things. it'll be 30 years next spring that I've been working in this field. And it's not a particularly politically savvy thing for me to say this, but I feel if you could boil it all down to a t- shirt, it might say on the front of the shirt, “nobody gets sober at rehab.” And then the back of the shirt would say “recovery happens in communities.” Unless, we as providers can change our practices and prayers can change their policies and families and consumers can change their expectations to look at a longer term process where we get our hands wet and dirty in that messy part that happens outside of containment and bridge people from containment into community. People always do well in a safe, secluded time out from their life with a structured, all their needs met. Then the rubber hits the road and recovery gets real. The autonomy and the self actualization to bring it into the community. ",[],{"_key":9768,"_type":22,"children":9769,"markDefs":9774,"style":30},"7aec0666cfa8",[9770],{"_key":9771,"_type":26,"marks":9772,"text":9773},"1f5dbb342cda",[],"You can't control all the variables in your community. It's a higher risk, higher proposition. We've got to push our thinking, our process, our payer policies and everything down the continuum. That's the best way. Because this value proposition that you can go off to some safe, secluded time out from your life for four weeks and everything will be fine afterwards is absurd. And it doesn't work. If we don't figure out through best practice and share ideas and encouragement for one another, how are we going to transition a treatment episode into a recovery experience? We have to pay more attention to what happens in sober living. We have to pay more attention to coaching.",[],{"_key":9776,"_type":22,"children":9777,"markDefs":9782,"style":30},"8c9d1e0ce9eb",[9778],{"_key":9779,"_type":26,"marks":9780,"text":9781},"a02ca35805750",[],"You have to pay more attention to peers that have. You don't get to put recovery on your pillow at night. If you haven't faced relapse on the table during the day, we've got to stop playing it safe and we've got to push our entire paradigm and way of thinking and way of operating further down the continuum, or else we'll never be able to create, to, to connect a recovery outcome with a treatment episode.",[],{"_key":9784,"_type":22,"children":9785,"markDefs":9790,"style":30},"bbba813582e7",[9786],{"_key":9787,"_type":26,"marks":9788,"text":9789},"56afd1fc3c2d0",[],"So I think that's the work I do at NAATP, that's what I try to do with the force is just get people interested in the 31st day. You're out of containment, you're in community, the shit's getting real. And what are we doing with you and for you at that point? And I think that's really the push that'll get us some recovery outcomes. Because we have plenty of treatment, but we're not getting the recovery outcomes without paying attention to that messy part afterwards.",[],{"_key":9792,"_type":22,"children":9793,"markDefs":9798,"style":30},"90281307e64a",[9794],{"_key":9795,"_type":26,"marks":9796,"text":9797},"5f7dfd99fb030",[],"The other thing I'll talk about is all of our staff is trained [in] first aid, CPR, and [how to use] Narcan. We have Narcan in every building. We do not sit there and say, “Isn't recovery great?” and put our head in the sand on the reality of what we're able to do, with life saving medications and so forth. We need to have our head in the stars and the principles of recovery and put our feet on the ground in the reality of the condition. And it's something all of our teams and even our patients and our alumni are excited about, are aware of where the Narcan is and how it works and so forth. We fully embraced that, on campus, down at Alpha and of course up here in Carbondale and we have saved lives doing that. Many of our guys have, they've been resuscitated many times before they've gotten to us.",[],{"_key":9800,"_type":22,"children":9801,"markDefs":9806,"style":30},"daffa2442c26",[9802],{"_key":9803,"_type":26,"marks":9804,"text":9449},"51a022ff430b",[45,402,231,9805],"f00d20018bd2",[9807],{"_key":9805,"_type":244,"href":9452},{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},{"_type":252,"asset":9810},{"_ref":9811,"_type":248},"image-0f367277c0dbf4882150c58e7d5f40b9e1e2cf04-1957x1362-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":9813},"peer-to-peer-solutions-an-interview-with-bobby-ferguson","Peer-to-Peer Solutions: An Interview with Bobby Ferguson",{"_createdAt":9816,"_id":9817,"_rev":9818,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":9819,"article":9820,"author_ref":9988,"date":9989,"featured":2763,"image":9990,"slug":9993,"title":9995},"2024-09-04T20:29:47Z","298215c0-b3d5-4fd0-9ffb-35cc8c642c2c","ucErVO1Rnu6Lthw0N02n8Y","2024-09-09T18:13:51Z",[9821,9837,9845,9853,9861,9869,9877,9880,9888,9896,9899,9907,9915,9923,9931,9939,9947,9954,9962],{"_key":9822,"_type":22,"children":9823,"markDefs":9836,"style":30},"5ec9b78422ee",[9824,9828,9832],{"_key":9825,"_type":26,"marks":9826,"text":9827},"b68e25c796470",[],"Almost three years have passed since the release of Blackwater Holylight’s ",{"_key":9829,"_type":26,"marks":9830,"text":9831},"b68e25c796471",[231],"Silence/Motion",{"_key":9833,"_type":26,"marks":9834,"text":9835},"b68e25c796472",[]," LP, but the Los Angeles-via-Portland rockers haven’t lost a step. Their new single “Torn Reckless” – a marked evolution for the band – emanates a gorgeous wall of lush, shoegaze euphoria. While best known for their heavy-meets-melody aesthetic, it teases out the most melodic elements of their oeuvre to the point of catharsis. The track is underscored by a cinematic music video that captures the blissful essence of youth and the sentimentality of growing up. Co-directed by Candice Lawler and Blackwater Holylight’s own Sunny Faris, the visuals are equal parts soothing, sanguine, and surreal.",[],{"_key":9838,"_type":22,"children":9839,"markDefs":9844,"style":30},"24aca8de1b5f",[9840],{"_key":9841,"_type":26,"marks":9842,"text":9843},"5d6c800b972e0",[],"Shortly after the release of \"Torn Reckless,\" we spoke with vocalist and bassist Faris about the fully realized possibilities of Blackwater Holylight’s new single, their upcoming tour with Amenra and Primitve Man, and their plans for the remaining months of 2024 and beyond. ",[],{"_key":9846,"_type":22,"children":9847,"markDefs":9852,"style":30},"9f94c9ccd0e2",[9848],{"_key":9849,"_type":26,"marks":9850,"text":9851},"c4d21dc1c2fa0",[45,231,402],"End Overdose: Your new single “Torn Reckless” is genuinely stunning. Can you talk about what feels like leaning into a more melodic side of your sound?",[],{"_key":9854,"_type":22,"children":9855,"markDefs":9860,"style":30},"f59b740bde91",[9856],{"_key":9857,"_type":26,"marks":9858,"text":9859},"6ca0ca3288920",[],"Sunny Faris: Thank you! We are really excited to be leaning into the more shoegaze elements of our sound. We've always had pieces of that in our music but with “Torn Reckless” along with some other new material we really wanted to expand on it. For me personally as a songwriter I am definitely more genuine and honest when I am writing and playing more melodic songs. Our music has historically involved a lot of melody but the softer, more washed out stuff just feels so true to my heart and the ways in which I have evolved as a musician and human over the years. We will always have a heavy side, because it's the foundation of who we are, and we all love that shit, but allowing ourselves to dip into other sounds has allowed us to continue to shape ourselves and project.",[],{"_key":9862,"_type":22,"children":9863,"markDefs":9868,"style":30},"8b8fb7df838d",[9864],{"_key":9865,"_type":26,"marks":9866,"text":9867},"d524d5f492a90",[45,231,402],"EO: It’s also your first single in almost three years. How have you and Blackwater Holylight evolved as a collective since your album Silence/Motion?",[],{"_key":9870,"_type":22,"children":9871,"markDefs":9876,"style":30},"4f27365c5ffb",[9872],{"_key":9873,"_type":26,"marks":9874,"text":9875},"a46c61bcf7130",[],"SF: It has certainly been a minute! A looooooot has happened in the last few years it's hard to even sum it up. I guess moving out of Portland where the band started to California was a huge piece. We got down here in September or 2021 and have all had a lot of life changes and growth since. We have been in and out of the studio a number of times recording, writing, working with new people and making demos. We have just really been taking our time and I think that going slow and not rushing to release anything has been a huge lesson for us. We had been in \"go go mode\" from the beginning and slowing down, experimenting and not being precious about much has really helped us make better choices and understand our music in a way we couldn't access previously.",[],{"_key":9878,"_type":3043,"url":9879},"961a7eef0454","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNNwdKyoBNU",{"_key":9881,"_type":22,"children":9882,"markDefs":9887,"style":30},"221358788ff7",[9883],{"_key":9884,"_type":26,"marks":9885,"text":9886},"66b4c6af15fa0",[45,231,402],"EO: Whether that was a time lapse or parallel couples, the music video is dreamy and surreal. How did you and Candice Lawler conceptualize it as co-directors? And what was the shooting process like?",[],{"_key":9889,"_type":22,"children":9890,"markDefs":9895,"style":30},"9845c8bd4675",[9891],{"_key":9892,"_type":26,"marks":9893,"text":9894},"6564484080b40",[],"SF: It's a time lapse! Candice and I got together a handful of months ago over lunch and I was telling her about this song, and what it means to me, and before even hearing it she was like \"let's make a video.\" The concept came from just chatting with her about the track, and her brain instantly started spinning with ideas. We knew we wanted it to be dreamy, and floaty and feel good, and she really took the foundations of the song and ran with it. We shot it over two days with our DP Duncan Robertson in a few locations around Los Angeles, the first day was the day with the kids, and the second was \"adult day\" if you can call it that.",[],{"_key":9897,"_type":3043,"url":9898},"942af849a445","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWl4KXI9xGU",{"_key":9900,"_type":22,"children":9901,"markDefs":9906,"style":30},"3bce5e025aad",[9902],{"_key":9903,"_type":26,"marks":9904,"text":9905},"839021c7cccc0",[45,231,402],"EO: With Candice doubling as your manager and creative director, did that established relationship help bring out the best in your respective creative processes for the video?",[],{"_key":9908,"_type":22,"children":9909,"markDefs":9914,"style":30},"a1ab1ece9bb6",[9910],{"_key":9911,"_type":26,"marks":9912,"text":9913},"39c66f9f2c520",[],"SF: Funny enough Candice wasn't even managing us when we first started talking about the video. It was through the process of creating the video and working together that we realized we needed to go further than the video as a team. Candice has always been a fan of the band and a dear friend of mine, so when we decided to have her on permanently we were both stoked. She took the wheel and immediately started planning and organizing for us, she truly just jumped in as a full ass member of this project and it's been great! I think we both bring ideas and perspectives to each other that has made working together really symbiotic all around.",[],{"_key":9916,"_type":22,"children":9917,"markDefs":9922,"style":30},"15e9f1e2ef8f",[9918],{"_key":9919,"_type":26,"marks":9920,"text":9921},"11b5dda2c4060",[45,231,402],"EO: You’re heading out on an East Coast tour with Amenra and Primitive Man soon (and have Kat Garrigan filling in for Sarah across those dates). What’re you most anticipating for this run?",[],{"_key":9924,"_type":22,"children":9925,"markDefs":9930,"style":30},"c3c3a0d73cef",[9926],{"_key":9927,"_type":26,"marks":9928,"text":9929},"f105c9a59ad10",[],"SF: Indeed! We are really excited for this one. We are of course excited to play New York DesertFest, but all the shows are going to be super fun. It definitely feels good to be going out with two really heavy ass bands and play before them every night. It kind of shows people and our fans that there is space for everyone, and that you can go on tour with bands that don't sound exactly like you and everyone has a place in it. We have some really cool merch designed by some incredible women in my life, and between the band, our sound engineer Kim, our merch seller Catrina and Candice, this will be our first fully all female touring party. So we are really excited and proud of that, especially on such a run with such heavy bands.",[],{"_key":9932,"_type":22,"children":9933,"markDefs":9938,"style":30},"638920e7f188",[9934],{"_key":9935,"_type":26,"marks":9936,"text":9937},"6172f4292a330",[45,231,402],"EO: With \"Torn Reckless\" released and tour dates on the horizon, what's next for you and the band in the closing months of 2024?",[],{"_key":9940,"_type":22,"children":9941,"markDefs":9946,"style":30},"de12dc9d4182",[9942],{"_key":9943,"_type":26,"marks":9944,"text":9945},"1d7d5db13c4f0",[],"SF: We are going to be releasing one more single after this tour is over... It's a cover... I won't spill the beans. After that it will be time for us to all spend some time with our families and kiss 2024 goodbye! We have a lot in store for next year, including more releases, collaborations and more tours.",[],{"_key":9948,"_type":22,"children":9949,"markDefs":9953,"style":30},"4286e4643987",[9950],{"_key":9951,"_type":26,"marks":9952,"text":5960},"580f37124bed0",[45,231,402],[],{"_key":9955,"_type":22,"children":9956,"markDefs":9961,"style":30},"6cede71e4562",[9957],{"_key":9958,"_type":26,"marks":9959,"text":9960},"33cc510533f70",[],"SF: Just that we appreciate each and every person that has given our little band a listen, or follow, bought merch or came to a show. We really couldn't do any of this without any of y'all so thank you!! And thank you Mike.",[],{"_key":9963,"_type":22,"children":9964,"markDefs":9983,"style":30},"72c3a2360b4a",[9965,9969,9974,9978],{"_key":9966,"_type":26,"marks":9967,"text":9968},"d193d07a778a",[231],"Follow Blackwater Holylight on ",{"_key":9970,"_type":26,"marks":9971,"text":9973},"60f524357f88",[9972,402,231],"24b23eb2d0e1","Instagram",{"_key":9975,"_type":26,"marks":9976,"text":9977},"51a9eb6d771d",[231]," and ",{"_key":9979,"_type":26,"marks":9980,"text":9982},"fb859ecc00e9",[9981,402,231],"33764d724ee2","Facebook",[9984,9986],{"_key":9972,"_type":244,"href":9985},"https://www.instagram.com/blackwaterholylight/?hl=en",{"_key":9981,"_type":244,"href":9987},"https://www.facebook.com/blackwaterholylight/",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-04",{"_type":252,"asset":9991},{"_ref":9992,"_type":248},"image-403732b77f9863b5b633f5632888c4c25d200eb4-1024x768-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":9994},"embracing-shoegaze-bliss-an-interview-with-blackwater-holylight","Embracing Shoegaze Bliss: An Interview with Blackwater Holylight",{"_createdAt":9997,"_id":9998,"_rev":9999,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":10000,"article":10001,"author_ref":10581,"date":10582,"image":10583,"slug":10586,"title":10588},"2024-09-03T16:17:43Z","ff2494ab-eb7e-48c2-ae9f-32778cabb8fc","ksxp9xeBr7UMApnkIcwfbB","2024-09-03T18:06:18Z",[10002,10010,10018,10034,10042,10050,10058,10066,10074,10082,10098,10106,10114,10130,10133,10141,10157,10165,10173,10181,10189,10197,10205,10213,10221,10224,10232,10240,10248,10256,10264,10272,10280,10288,10304,10307,10315,10323,10331,10339,10347,10355,10363,10371,10379,10382,10390,10398,10406,10414,10422,10430,10438,10446,10454,10462,10470,10478,10486,10494,10502,10510,10518,10526,10534,10537],{"_key":10003,"_type":22,"children":10004,"markDefs":10009,"style":30},"e629622e734b",[10005],{"_key":10006,"_type":26,"marks":10007,"text":10008},"0ef0853e1c530",[],"Heal The Hurt is equal parts nom de plume of a buzzing metalcore band and a mission statement steeped in sincerity. Founded by frontman Trevor Tyson – previously known for his Trevor Talks podcast that blended metalcore with mental health – the Georgia native traded in one microphone for another while retaining his passion for exploring the highs and lows of what makes us human.",[],{"_key":10011,"_type":22,"children":10012,"markDefs":10017,"style":30},"936f371e699e",[10013],{"_key":10014,"_type":26,"marks":10015,"text":10016},"e441014d3bc50",[],"After a string of summer singles (and a feature on “Stained Glass” by genre heavyweights HolyName), Heal The Hurt recently released their debut, self-titled EP. Sourced from panic attacks and existential ponderance of what it means to be alone, the project reads like a collection of diary entries that affirm our shared corporeal experience. It’s also razorsharp musically as layered production underscores thunderous breakdowns and Tyson’s expansive vocal range.",[],{"_key":10019,"_type":22,"children":10020,"markDefs":10033,"style":30},"1cf7bfd90e0a",[10021,10025,10029],{"_key":10022,"_type":26,"marks":10023,"text":10024},"2d8799f526d40",[],"Shortly after the release of ",{"_key":10026,"_type":26,"marks":10027,"text":10028},"2d8799f526d41",[231],"Heal The Hurt",{"_key":10030,"_type":26,"marks":10031,"text":10032},"2d8799f526d42",[],", we spoke with Tyson about his journey across artistic mediums, collaborating with standout bands like Convictions, and learning to fill his own emotional cup while being a beacon for others.",[],{"_key":10035,"_type":22,"children":10036,"markDefs":10041,"style":30},"6b9811ea0e56",[10037],{"_key":10038,"_type":26,"marks":10039,"text":10040},"009379dc99900",[45,231,402],"End Overdose: I know that music has been a lifelong endeavor of yours. How does it feel to take that plunge and have Heal The Hurt’s first project out in the world?",[],{"_key":10043,"_type":22,"children":10044,"markDefs":10049,"style":30},"02afb7d78930",[10045],{"_key":10046,"_type":26,"marks":10047,"text":10048},"c5f8851c72210",[],"Trevor Tyson: Surreal. I find so much joy in being able to share those scars that aren't visible, right? Metaphorically and personally, it just feels like being vulnerable and getting real with my words and being able to share what I've gone through in my life. It feels like I'm able to give a weird gift to the next person that's struggling to get through the same scenarios.",[],{"_key":10051,"_type":22,"children":10052,"markDefs":10057,"style":30},"93d087ecd2fa",[10053],{"_key":10054,"_type":26,"marks":10055,"text":10056},"6cf1e9194f3f0",[],"I know for me, growing up in Georgia in the South with country music and gospel and all that, nothing has ever made me really feel as comfortable as heavy music. Metalcore in particular has always been a genre that I've had a very fond love and appreciation for. Being able to contribute to the same genre that was there for me through bands like Crown The Empire, Woe, Is Me, August Burns Red, etc. Being able to pour back into that genre and that community of people with a message that's so near and dear to my heart, because my story is surreal. And I just feel grateful for the opportunity to do it. Even a little over a year ago, if you would have asked me if we would have had an EP out by now, I would have said you were crazy.",[],{"_key":10059,"_type":22,"children":10060,"markDefs":10065,"style":30},"fc3d2af07dc6",[10061],{"_key":10062,"_type":26,"marks":10063,"text":10064},"286ca515a0820",[],"It just feels like a big gift. Music has been a very safe place for me in my life. And like I said, just being able to contribute with my story, my emotions and my genuine love and appreciation for not only the sound, but the message. It's a gift. I'm grateful.",[],{"_key":10067,"_type":22,"children":10068,"markDefs":10073,"style":30},"66663400fe64",[10069],{"_key":10070,"_type":26,"marks":10071,"text":10072},"f100046e2c130",[45,402,231],"EO: You mentioned August Burns Red and Woe, Is Me. What were some of your core memories growing up and getting into heavy music?",[],{"_key":10075,"_type":22,"children":10076,"markDefs":10081,"style":30},"f764842261d6",[10077],{"_key":10078,"_type":26,"marks":10079,"text":10080},"baa7922d8da90",[],"TT: So I got into metalcore because of someone that is a close friend now, someone that's at my house almost every day. He graduated from the same school as I ended up graduating from and his mom was a parapro or a teacher's assistant for my teacher in kindergarten. I would hear teachers talk about, “Oh, Hance [Allgood] is in a band and he gets to travel all over the world singing and screaming,” and so I looked up Woe, Is Me in high school or middle school and just fell in love with heavy music.",[],{"_key":10083,"_type":22,"children":10084,"markDefs":10097,"style":30},"337194e5fe14",[10085,10089,10093],{"_key":10086,"_type":26,"marks":10087,"text":10088},"442abb2d03c00",[],"And from there I found Crown the Empire and then August Burns Red. Crown The Empire, their first record that I found – ",{"_key":10090,"_type":26,"marks":10091,"text":10092},"442abb2d03c01",[231],"The Fallout",{"_key":10094,"_type":26,"marks":10095,"text":10096},"442abb2d03c02",[]," – was just very emotional and you could feel it. It made me emotional hearing it … And then August Burns Red, their frontman Jake Luhrs started a nonprofit called HeartSupport, which was a message that I needed to hear in high school.",[],{"_key":10099,"_type":22,"children":10100,"markDefs":10105,"style":30},"14d42ca7ac1d",[10101],{"_key":10102,"_type":26,"marks":10103,"text":10104},"ba90f4b03a580",[],"And so finding bands, it's a core memory that I carry to this day. Woe, Is Me is not the cleanest band in the world, nor are they a Christian band. They were very pissed at any given point and did not care what you thought. And that kind of, against-culture vibe was something that I really gravitated towards, ‘cause I had a lot of aggression in me and didn't really know how to communicate it.",[],{"_key":10107,"_type":22,"children":10108,"markDefs":10113,"style":30},"e81aed415ecc",[10109],{"_key":10110,"_type":26,"marks":10111,"text":10112},"e81f710aa8ab0",[],"And those songs made me feel less stressed. August Burns Red had that positive message of hope and a lot of the lyrics are rooted in Jake and Matt Griner's faith … that showed me you can share your faith without turning people off or being preachy. And I would say the first heavy band that I really got into was Skillet.",[],{"_key":10115,"_type":22,"children":10116,"markDefs":10129,"style":30},"702a8754a42f",[10117,10121,10125],{"_key":10118,"_type":26,"marks":10119,"text":10120},"0553593b83d90",[],"I heard their song “Monster” on Hell in a Cell, which was a WWE pay-per-view.I didn't pay for the pay per view cause I was obviously in middle school, but I heard the song on a commercial and I was like, I remember going to YouTube and type in “Skillet ‘Monster’ clean”, because obviously if it's that good, it's gotta be dirty. And then it's, “Oh, they're a Christian band.” And I was like, I didn't know you could do that. Of course my mom would let me listen to stuff like that. So full sended into that, found Flyleaf and Red and then bought a ",{"_key":10122,"_type":26,"marks":10123,"text":10124},"0553593b83d91",[231],"Now That's What I Call Christian Rock",{"_key":10126,"_type":26,"marks":10127,"text":10128},"0553593b83d92",[]," or something like [that in] 2010. It had August Burns Red on it; Demon Hunter; Cutlass; Flyleaf. And that's what really opened the floodgates for me into diving into heavy music and growing that appreciation. That was my way of convincing my mom that heavy music was okay for me to listen to because I would hide the explicit stuff within that and she can't hear the screaming. “I can't understand what they're saying!” Yeah, let's keep it like that. Woe, Is Me is very very faith based. I love it [laughs].",[],{"_key":10131,"_type":3043,"url":10132},"6d94eb3c8289","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-_JtWTk1TU",{"_key":10134,"_type":22,"children":10135,"markDefs":10140,"style":30},"b3f84cc55756",[10136],{"_key":10137,"_type":26,"marks":10138,"text":10139},"452cd0c03df00",[45,402,231],"EO: You brought up the importance of HeartSupport. You personally have facilitated a lot of discussions about mental health through your Trevor Talks platform. How did the conversations you've had platforming mental health carry over into the Heal The Hurt project?",[],{"_key":10142,"_type":22,"children":10143,"markDefs":10156,"style":30},"b0837a7e8bcb",[10144,10148,10152],{"_key":10145,"_type":26,"marks":10146,"text":10147},"24cb1c1e67340",[],"TT: That's a great question. I remember seeing Matty Mullins, the singer from Memphis May Fire, talk about struggling with anxiety and having to go to the hospital because he was having a panic attack and he thought he was dying in interviews that are still on YouTube. I think he was doing press for the ",{"_key":10149,"_type":26,"marks":10150,"text":10151},"24cb1c1e67341",[231],"Unconditional",{"_key":10153,"_type":26,"marks":10154,"text":10155},"24cb1c1e67342",[]," album and hearing him talk about it made me feel less alone.",[],{"_key":10158,"_type":22,"children":10159,"markDefs":10164,"style":30},"5de94b59b3f2",[10160],{"_key":10161,"_type":26,"marks":10162,"text":10163},"3673acacb15b0",[],"And then I saw August Burns Red; Jake started HeartSupport and was talking about his struggle with depression and such, and they would have artists on to interview. I wanted to intern for HeartSupport out of high school, but I always got declined. I don't know why, but being able to start Trevor Talks, which was my podcast and brand before Heal The Hurt, I ended up getting to start events like Choose Life [which] was the first year. And then the second year was Choose to Live where I would bring in Brian Head Welch of Korn, Sonny from POD, Chris Kael [from] Five Finger Death Punch, Spencer from Underoath, Lacey [Sturm from] Flyleaf. And the list just goes on. I got to bring these livestream events together to talk about mental health, but it all started from hearing people like Jake and Matty talk about it. Within the HeartSupport brand, I found that appreciation and, “Okay, I can't work for Heart Support. What can I build for them?” That'll always be like a catalyst for me.",[],{"_key":10166,"_type":22,"children":10167,"markDefs":10172,"style":30},"bd317f57fd61",[10168],{"_key":10169,"_type":26,"marks":10170,"text":10171},"e1d7167689b90",[],"Like [with] the HeartSupport team, when I ended up struggling really hard in September of 2022, right after Choose to Live. I ended up in the hospital from just severe burnout, exhaustion, and I ran my race way too hard and found my identity and my brand. Nate Hilpert and Taylor Palmby of HeartSupport. I don't know Jake personally. I've never really talked to the guy at all. But the message was there … Dave [King] and Taylor saw me that weekend.",[],{"_key":10174,"_type":22,"children":10175,"markDefs":10180,"style":30},"11cdaf890103",[10176],{"_key":10177,"_type":26,"marks":10178,"text":10179},"7e0c3af2159e0",[],"Dave's like, “Dude, you don't look good. Let me pray for you. You look bad.” And I knew it, but I just brushed it off. They walked with me through that hard season. Lacey and Josh Sturm walked with me through that hard season. I saw the way my actions affected others. And even though I was spouting that message, which is where I want to get to – even though I built my brand around being vulnerable – I still was struggling myself and didn't really know how to admit it. [I] had found myself outside of therapy and become a workaholic in the mental health space to where I ran myself in the ground.",[],{"_key":10182,"_type":22,"children":10183,"markDefs":10188,"style":30},"9d73faa2f597",[10184],{"_key":10185,"_type":26,"marks":10186,"text":10187},"954022b2878d0",[],"So speaking about it, falling back into it while doing an event called Choose to Live, two days later in the ER for not taking care of myself in that way. I really felt like I had found myself on my deathbed, almost like I had to die to myself to figure out who I truly am. From that experience on was when I believe I grew deeper in my faith and really had [the] vision for Heal The Hurt and what it's become.",[],{"_key":10190,"_type":22,"children":10191,"markDefs":10196,"style":30},"24283baa925f",[10192],{"_key":10193,"_type":26,"marks":10194,"text":10195},"f61320d6b5500",[],"I wasn't suicidal, but I hated who I was and I couldn't live as that version of me anymore. And through that, I found myself deeper in my faith and found myself with a band named Heal The Hurt and started writing with some friends. Mike Felker of the band Convictions, Josh Sturm, and then a lot of friends I met along the way, just helped me steward and sharpen myself as a songwriter and a collaborator. I co-wrote this whole [EP] with Mike from Convictions who talks about mental health [in his own music] and he filled in for August Burns Red when Jake got sick. He knows what he's doing and being able to work with people that know what they're doing and can help me articulate these things, and I could write a song. But when you work with somebody that really knows what they're doing and understands what you're struggling with; in my opinion, it got stronger. So talking about mental health, talking about vulnerability, but still also falling into that trap of running the rat race and trying to build a brand, I found myself giving that brand up that I thought I would die doing.",[],{"_key":10198,"_type":22,"children":10199,"markDefs":10204,"style":30},"bda9ee0414af",[10200],{"_key":10201,"_type":26,"marks":10202,"text":10203},"3b8646030f230",[],"I thought I was going to be the Ryan Seacrest of the mental health and metal world. And realizing that, maybe that's not 100 percent me and maybe that's the safe version of what I'm here to be. And that's a metal vocalist – that makes me the happiest person in the world. Songs like “Suffocating on Sorrow,”the intro for the EP, and “Withering,” are very vulnerable in my mental health struggle, as well as “Alone,” struggling with the thought of being alone my whole life and not having a spouse to love and care for, and maybe never having kids. Maybe I'm not built for that. Maybe I'm going to be on tour all the time. But I'm not on tour now. I'm trying to be vulnerable in a healthy way now as a songwriter, as a lyricist, as a vocalist, and as a human being. You can't pour into someone else's empty glass with an empty glass yourself.",[],{"_key":10206,"_type":22,"children":10207,"markDefs":10212,"style":30},"1c9d0d9eeebb",[10208],{"_key":10209,"_type":26,"marks":10210,"text":10211},"ffd02ef2f0130",[],"The journey from where I was mentally [was] amazing, bad, learning, and then becoming who I am today. And it goes into a space of faith for me; I'm always going to be pursuing greatness or pursuing to be a better person in my life. Being vulnerable is one thing, but also you can indirectly hurt people with not taking care of yourself because people around you feel the weight of it.I hope that makes sense. I genuinely want to care for people and love on them, but I had to learn firsthand how much my actions can affect others with me not taking care of myself, and that becomes a selfish thing, right? I had to come to the end of myself to find out who I truly am. That’s a vocalist [and] a songwriter. There's a lot of stress that leaves your body when you're screaming all the time and all that stress [from] day-to-day work stuff. I feel like I found a weird balance with the aggression that goes into heavy music. And I hope people can hear that. And the emotion that not only goes into the lyrics, but the recording. I find myself crying in the studio and I will keep those takes like in “Withering,” like the first vocal takes for my singing were me bawling my eyes out.",[],{"_key":10214,"_type":22,"children":10215,"markDefs":10220,"style":30},"dfc76414b39b",[10216],{"_key":10217,"_type":26,"marks":10218,"text":10219},"fff637658abe0",[],"I hope people can hear that and appreciate it. I'm not trying to be the best vocalist in the world. I'm trying to deliver a message in a way that people can understand it and hopefully feel a little less alone in this world.",[],{"_key":10222,"_type":3043,"url":10223},"a4c74c657bf7","https://youtu.be/StMOnQpReIA?si=r-9M-DIbUzfw3Ag-",{"_key":10225,"_type":22,"children":10226,"markDefs":10231,"style":30},"01c2fe3b667f",[10227],{"_key":10228,"_type":26,"marks":10229,"text":10230},"cbc5335970800",[45,231,402],"EO: Transitioning from the Trevor Talks to being a metal vocalist, do you now have more space for introspection and an outlet of catharsis through songwriting and screaming?",[],{"_key":10233,"_type":22,"children":10234,"markDefs":10239,"style":30},"5c9bf2d7e3a3",[10235],{"_key":10236,"_type":26,"marks":10237,"text":10238},"96e1d9793f8a0",[],"TT: Absolutely. Even my doctors [said], “I think metal music might've saved your life.” I've never been able to gain weight and suddenly, all this aggression that I'm letting out, my body starts functioning properly in my digestive system and I'm not sick all the time. I believe God can use things to heal you that don't necessarily make sense to everyone.",[],{"_key":10241,"_type":22,"children":10242,"markDefs":10247,"style":30},"90bab406ca90",[10243],{"_key":10244,"_type":26,"marks":10245,"text":10246},"3e826a0da3af0",[],"Not everyone likes metal. And that's fine. But for me, I've found an outlet to be able to let out pent up aggression and anger, but also love and compassion. I got to interview all my heroes about their songwriting and vocal techniques and everything within Trevor Talks and their mental health journey.",[],{"_key":10249,"_type":22,"children":10250,"markDefs":10255,"style":30},"95d492146852",[10251],{"_key":10252,"_type":26,"marks":10253,"text":10254},"b999edc6c0b50",[],"So I got to hear hundreds of stories and I feel like that had a direct impact on me becoming a vocalist and a frontman. I got to interview all of them. Before that, it was like, it's us and it's them. “Us” is the interviewer and “them” is the artists. No, we're all crafting something together and none of our jobs [are] more important than the other's job. We're all doing something and we're all pursuing our unique callings. We're not all called to be metal vocalists. We're not all called to be lawyers. We're not all called to be doctors. We're not all called to be podcasters. We can do our thing within our lane and make an impact. I had to get out of the safe zone.",[],{"_key":10257,"_type":22,"children":10258,"markDefs":10263,"style":30},"ea1961617d17",[10259],{"_key":10260,"_type":26,"marks":10261,"text":10262},"34b0bd876da90",[],"I felt like the safe zone for a long time was … it's a lot more acceptable to be like, “Oh, I have a podcast,” growing up in the South, in Georgia, [than],”Oh, I'm a metal vocalist.” I just had to let that ego aside and not care. You can't tell me what I already haven't told myself at some point.",[],{"_key":10265,"_type":22,"children":10266,"markDefs":10271,"style":30},"67bb24167619",[10267],{"_key":10268,"_type":26,"marks":10269,"text":10270},"2ad32a3000310",[],"So the thought of what people think about the songs and stuff – I'll read some comments where people are like, “Oh, who do you think you are?” You're writing that from a keyboard the same way I write my songs. Like maybe that's the outlet you need. And I hope that keyboard warriors can see that there's human beings that read comments and feel that. Instead of getting worked up about it or feeling as if, “Oh, that's really going to affect me,” how can I appreciate this person? Maybe they're looking for that. So maybe my comment back can reflect some love their way. Even though they're spewing hate.",[],{"_key":10273,"_type":22,"children":10274,"markDefs":10279,"style":30},"6a9d099bd92e",[10275],{"_key":10276,"_type":26,"marks":10277,"text":10278},"eaa24ee192570",[45,402,231],"EO: I remember when I started my metalcore Tumblr blog when I was 15, getting this anonymous DM was like, “Your writing sucks. You should quit.” For some reason, as a 15-year -old, it didn't really hurt my feelings. I was like, I just have to keep writing and stay true to my mission.",[],{"_key":10281,"_type":22,"children":10282,"markDefs":10287,"style":30},"fe07ff5b436f",[10283],{"_key":10284,"_type":26,"marks":10285,"text":10286},"b2d7cc7af4e70",[],"TT: [You get] better as you grow. You learn things that you'll do better now that you didn't know two articles ago. I learn each song. There's a lot of things that I would do differently about our EP now that I know a lot more about what goes into producing and such. This EP is a lot of me finding what my sound is and learning how to use my voice going into our next project … you're always going to find something wrong with what you're doing, but at some point you have to say it's done and release it. Because if not, you're just going to keep working on stuff and nothing's ever going to get released. Yeah, you can do things better, but you don't regret it. You just move forward with that renewed perspective. And for you [with] the Tumblr people, “Okay, maybe my writing did suck and maybe 10 articles from now I'll be a lot better writer.”",[],{"_key":10289,"_type":22,"children":10290,"markDefs":10303,"style":30},"2996da7d4ed0",[10291,10295,10299],{"_key":10292,"_type":26,"marks":10293,"text":10294},"7455d1e3dc490",[],"But if you're not practicing, what are you doing? You're not learning at the end of the day and you're never going to be able to make everybody happy. So I try to remember that. And of course you're going to get some heart wrenching mean, very personal [comments] attacking your story. And one thing that hit hard for me was, I laid out my most vulnerable piece of work being the music video for “Withering” and people being like, this sucks. The cinematography is terrible. The lyrics are garbage.\" This is a piece of me that I tried to hide for over a decade and you're completely shitting on it right now. And man, that hurt. But as you go along, as you've probably noticed, it gets lighter. People are going to say what they're going to say. And at the end of the day if you truly care about what you're doing, let them talk, let them run their mouth. I try to respond to everything, even if it's negative. Now on Instagram, you can comment back with GIFs sometimes when it wants to work and I'll put a ",{"_key":10296,"_type":26,"marks":10297,"text":10298},"7455d1e3dc491",[231],"Friday",{"_key":10300,"_type":26,"marks":10301,"text":10302},"7455d1e3dc492",[]," emoji with a joke or Will Smith or people dancing and it's like, maybe showing them that I'm resilient to what they're saying can help them feel resilient enough to do something their self. Maybe they're struggling with the courage to become a vocalist or become a writer themselves. And they need to see, “Oh, my negative words aren't going to impact this person.” Maybe that's an insecurity I'm struggling with that they're projecting onto me or trying to. So they’ll get over it at some point. And I like to think that we can make the world a better place, one GIF at a time.",[],{"_key":10305,"_type":3043,"url":10306},"2995e41f1539","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4w-F4-4bDA",{"_key":10308,"_type":22,"children":10309,"markDefs":10314,"style":30},"483c8f75317e",[10310],{"_key":10311,"_type":26,"marks":10312,"text":10313},"a832015aa1ee0",[45,402,231],"EO: I think the hate comments come with the territory of becoming more and more visible. The probability of someone who wants to talk shit, just to talk shit, goes up. When people comment that they want a reaction. So to completely diffuse them with a GIF and just you're giving them the antithesis of what they want. And like you said, you might even be making them think about, “Why did I say that to begin with?”",[],{"_key":10316,"_type":22,"children":10317,"markDefs":10322,"style":30},"6de2b99c2775",[10318],{"_key":10319,"_type":26,"marks":10320,"text":10321},"e1f35653495b0",[],"Yeah. And even if they're angry right now, you're allowing them the opportunity to think about what they're saying. So they might tell their self like, “Oh, who does this guy think he is?” and it might make them even madder. That's the best part. What we were talking about in AA, like you gotta hit rock bottom before you accept that you need to change. Maybe they're borderline at rock bottom and this is going to make them madder than they've ever been and realize they have a problem. Maybe it's helping them in some way and maybe it makes them kind. Maybe it's a part of their journey. You never know. And you never know what somebody's going through. They could be suicidal and just, “I hate the world.” And you being like, you're the scum of the earth, because they say that your art's worse than garbage. Maybe responding with kindness and love is what they need. You never know what somebody's going through.",[],{"_key":10324,"_type":22,"children":10325,"markDefs":10330,"style":30},"601d046020b9",[10326],{"_key":10327,"_type":26,"marks":10328,"text":10329},"9b8be7dd1e530",[],"I try to respond to everybody because we're still a relatively new band, so I want to make sure I'm like, “If people are gonna listen to our songs and buy our merch and love on us,” I want to be kind to them too. If someone's being mean, that's fine. I'll try to respond with either humor or love.",[],{"_key":10332,"_type":22,"children":10333,"markDefs":10338,"style":30},"4fd9c103397c",[10334],{"_key":10335,"_type":26,"marks":10336,"text":10337},"40f3712491680",[45,402,231],"EO: I want to touch on a point from earlier. I'm curious if, through working with guys like Mike from Convictions, if there are any kind of insights you gleaned both artistically and personally.",[],{"_key":10340,"_type":22,"children":10341,"markDefs":10346,"style":30},"d4b85fb982fa",[10342],{"_key":10343,"_type":26,"marks":10344,"text":10345},"5c9ff8a8da7b0",[],"TT: Yes, like working with HolyName on the song “Stained Glass.” I wrote that for my band and I sent it to Tommy [Green] to see if he wanted to feature on it. And then he called me asking if it could be a HolyName song. And I learned a lot about it. From Tommy from HolyName and Mike [from] Convictions, Lacey Sturm who was the vocalist for Flyleaf. A lot of my friends are in the secular, mainstream rock and metal world, but they're also Christians. And I was scared to talk about my faith in my music at first. And the more I dive into it, it's “I'm not going to shove anything down anybody's throat.” And we're not marketed as a Christian band. But if you listen to our music and call us that, it's not going to offend me. I've gotten to learn through experience, be authentic to who you are. And if that means sharing your faith, that means sharing your faith. And if that means sharing your hatred for the world – I hope that's not the case – but it gives me an opportunity to be a vessel to you. I hope that people can hear the authenticity and wearing my heart on my sleeve and sharing the wounds that you can't really see with them. I feel like I'm growing as a songwriter and being able to be more vocal about the things that I care about versus what I think people need to hear. ‘Cause sometimes it's what I need to hear and that's what's going to help people.",[],{"_key":10348,"_type":22,"children":10349,"markDefs":10354,"style":30},"6706b4bd61c5",[10350],{"_key":10351,"_type":26,"marks":10352,"text":10353},"96e9f723144d0",[],"As I grow as a writer, the more I have to dig –and it's not that writing music is trauma dumping – but it makes you think about maybe things you don't want to think about. And through that, you're able to reconcile mindsets and opinions you have of certain people and certain things. And it's been a very healing process for me. And that's where Heal The Hurt came from. This is very therapeutic. And I hope that it's therapeutic from a listener's perspective [so] that they can jump on this healing journey with us. That the hurt could be healed in their life potentially by being able to gravitate towards these lyrics and take them on as their war cry for whatever they're struggling with, whether it's mental health, addiction, suicidal ideation whatever it is ... I don't care. We're all hurting in some regard, but we also have to make a decision to heal. You have to make that decision. And yeah, it's a growing thing. I hope as we progress, the songs' messages get deeper and better and more articulate to be able to communicate things that maybe I don't know how to explain right now.",[],{"_key":10356,"_type":22,"children":10357,"markDefs":10362,"style":30},"7e5a12627ce0",[10358],{"_key":10359,"_type":26,"marks":10360,"text":10361},"2df86f00fb520",[],"“Where Our Hearts Divide” specifically is about the way someone made me feel worthless and alone and talking down to me from a work perspective. And that's where our hearts divided. This person that I once could see as a sibling … I got to see the true colors one day and [it] wasn't pretty, and it made me feel pretty small.",[],{"_key":10364,"_type":22,"children":10365,"markDefs":10370,"style":30},"28f16aef4f2a",[10366],{"_key":10367,"_type":26,"marks":10368,"text":10369},"73594fb358f90",[],"Whether you've been in a relationship or a friendship, or maybe even your parent or siblings are very aggressive or maybe have a short fuse and a temper, it's not the end of the world, but it's also okay to put that relationship on ice and let them know that what they did was not okay and you're not going to allow that in your life anymore. So that was a healing thing for me. Now I'm able to pass that realization at the end. “I'm searching for a way out of this endless night/trying to find the strength to stand up and fight. The dawn is breaking, my spirit's worth saving/It's where our hearts divide.”",[],{"_key":10372,"_type":22,"children":10373,"markDefs":10378,"style":30},"fb21f8b1b423",[10374],{"_key":10375,"_type":26,"marks":10376,"text":10377},"4f3ba0f425200",[],"It's really an anthem for building boundaries, healthy boundaries, not isolating yourself from people and not turning on everyone that attacks you. Maybe at some point, someone's just holding you accountable and [you can] use your discernment on that. But that was a learning experience for me because I now have a healthy relationship with that person, because I was able to tell them what they did was wrong. And we were able to grow from that. [We may not be] close as we were, but at least I don't hate that person anymore. So it was a growing thing.",[],{"_key":10380,"_type":3043,"url":10381},"f5d8604cb4d4","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHRCzG0s1xQ",{"_key":10383,"_type":22,"children":10384,"markDefs":10389,"style":30},"30138bf79078",[10385],{"_key":10386,"_type":26,"marks":10387,"text":10388},"cf2f00fe4ce20",[45,402,231],"EO: I also had a friend who was like a brother to me. We were inseparable. And he said a few things to me that were really condescending and just hurtful. And I communicated that to him, “Hey, if we're going to remain friends, this isn't okay.” And it took two years for us to get back in touch. Now we're back in touch and friends again.The relationship is different because boundaries have been set, but I think it's for the better. I think when we stand in our power, it leads to a healthier situation for everyone.",[],{"_key":10391,"_type":22,"children":10392,"markDefs":10397,"style":30},"c46d44ec2155",[10393],{"_key":10394,"_type":26,"marks":10395,"text":10396},"b5a0defb264b0",[],"TT: Yeah. Agreed. It's hard, but it's so healing. I hope everybody can have the opportunity to grow in that way. Not that I hope that people are mean to you and you have to do that, but I feel stronger and more sharpened and more seasoned as a human being now that I've gone through that emotion. And I don't think it ever gets easier. I think you just get a little more resilient to [the fact that] people are going to make mistakes. Sometimes you have to forgive people when they're acting like idiots. We're all idiots in some way, shape, or form. So when you start to view people as almost an idol, that's when things get tricky.",[],{"_key":10399,"_type":22,"children":10400,"markDefs":10405,"style":30},"ec333f2d393b",[10401],{"_key":10402,"_type":26,"marks":10403,"text":10404},"ea593da1f05b0",[45,402,231],"EO: I liked what you said about the notion that Heal The Hurt can relate to anyone’s personal hurt. You’re coming from a very specific personal situation as a songwriter, but you release it and it allows people to process their own pain.",[],{"_key":10407,"_type":22,"children":10408,"markDefs":10413,"style":30},"c2b3054a3fae",[10409],{"_key":10410,"_type":26,"marks":10411,"text":10412},"0d19b39cc53b0",[],"The lyrics, “This pain, it cuts like a knife/A wound that won't heal. This darkness is all consuming/It's all I can feel.” When you're in the heat of it, it freaking sucks. How could you do this to me? I get my heart broken, man. It's not fun at all. Men aren't … there's always been this stigma that men can't feel in that way. Oh brother, I feel, and it sucks sometimes, but that's me. And now others that feel the same way, maybe they haven't heard it out of a guy … feeling emotions, even having a healthy crying session has been deemed as “less than” masculinity. That's not true. We all feel, and we're all dying to heal. I think that's an Architects lyric. “We're all dying to heal.” You live, you learn, you feel you grow. Let's move on. I don't want to waste precious time here on Earth with my friends and family that I love so much in pain.",[],{"_key":10415,"_type":22,"children":10416,"markDefs":10421,"style":30},"b99a7b00dbe4",[10417],{"_key":10418,"_type":26,"marks":10419,"text":10420},"1da3a6742f480",[],"Let's have a hard conversation. Did I wrong you? I apologize. If you feel wronged and I don't think I wronged you, let's talk about that, because somewhere there's been a miscommunication, but instead of ghosting and not being open to having conversations, let's have some healthy conversations, set some boundaries, and let's get on with our lives.",[],{"_key":10423,"_type":22,"children":10424,"markDefs":10429,"style":30},"01be81e00306",[10425],{"_key":10426,"_type":26,"marks":10427,"text":10428},"446db99402400",[],"You never know when your time's going to come. And I love people and I love having, being in unison with people. I love getting to grow. So in my head, I'm like, man let's just move on. It's where our hearts divide and that's okay. Maybe it can be healed. Maybe. It can be patched up for a little bit and you can address it later. Whatever it looks like for you, do that. But for me, it's a growing process and hopefully I'll keep growing in wisdom and hope and faith until the day I die.",[],{"_key":10431,"_type":22,"children":10432,"markDefs":10437,"style":30},"d831455474fa",[10433],{"_key":10434,"_type":26,"marks":10435,"text":10436},"233526c344660",[45,402,231],"EO: What’s the overarching message you want people to take away from your debut EP? Looking forward, what is your ultimate vision for the Heal The Hurt project?",[],{"_key":10439,"_type":22,"children":10440,"markDefs":10445,"style":30},"8a1092b18a9f",[10441],{"_key":10442,"_type":26,"marks":10443,"text":10444},"86ff1c850d140",[],"TT: I hope people walk away feeling empowered to make [a] healthy change in their life. If I were to break it down for a sentence for each song, “S.O.S. (Suffocating on Sorrow)” is for you to realize where you're at and realize that you need to make a change. For me, it was crying out to God, like literally, “Take me – take me if this isn't going to get better. Just take me away. I'd rather not be here”. And then realizing I need to heal the hurt in my life. Screaming our band name in the intro track was very intentional of, “This is what this is. Heal the hurt, heal it. Take it from me. I can't do this on my own.”",[],{"_key":10447,"_type":22,"children":10448,"markDefs":10453,"style":30},"4e7f710b6391",[10449],{"_key":10450,"_type":26,"marks":10451,"text":10452},"168898707af60",[],"“Forgiving the Sickness” is about people around you making poor decisions and watching them spiral out of control and choosing to love them through it. Whether they're struggling with an addiction, whether they have Alzheimer's or had a stroke, forgiving the sickness; forgiving the things that they say that they may not mean in the current moment, whether they're on a rampage or whatever ...",[],{"_key":10455,"_type":22,"children":10456,"markDefs":10461,"style":30},"ae3bab65efd8",[10457],{"_key":10458,"_type":26,"marks":10459,"text":10460},"9662c5715f480",[],"“Thieves in the Night” is an anthem for the working class person that maybe works for a boss or a corporation that doesn't value them as a human being. And the corporate work environment that is breeded [out] of, they pay you enough to where you can live, but not enough to where you could pursue your dreams too. So it's almost like they're a thief in the night. They're building their empires on the backs of your stolen dreams. You're not able to pursue your dreams. You're just here to work for me and build my empire. That was not only about my tenure of working as a sales rep and then a manager for a popular cell phone provider, selling phones and that time of my life, but also into the music industry. Everybody wants to build their vision and they don't really care about yours. Unless you find really unique artists or people to work with, which is what I'm trying to grow into, I want people to pursue their dreams. I don't want to steal their dream on the thoughts of my own. So hopefully that song is empowering people to pursue their dreams as well and refuse to let it be stolen from them.",[],{"_key":10463,"_type":22,"children":10464,"markDefs":10469,"style":30},"3fa3b0315c4c",[10465],{"_key":10466,"_type":26,"marks":10467,"text":10468},"474941fa2af60",[],"“Withering” is my journey with panic disorder and realizing that I need to make a change: “This weight, I can't bear to pick it up/Tonight I don't want to be here alone.” Getting help, going to therapy, getting on medication, that worked for me. Interviewing therapists to where I can then find the one therapist that really clicks with me. So that's my call to action, but also, that song and video are a reflection of me and my lowest mental state. I hope people can find the hope that I found in making that song. And the lyric, “The sun seems further while the shadows paint the room,” is like, through every dark night, there's going to be sunlight at the end of the day. And you're going to see it. Maybe it's the branches reflecting on the wall after you've been puking all night. From just being that exhausted and malnourished like I was. And you're up from the dark and you see the sun come up and the shadows are painting the room.",[],{"_key":10471,"_type":22,"children":10472,"markDefs":10477,"style":30},"da64f89e2d16",[10473],{"_key":10474,"_type":26,"marks":10475,"text":10476},"15caaa20fbf10",[],"“RUIN” is about being in that pit of despair; realizing you have a problem and looking around and seeing all the damage that you caused in your own life, or maybe in forgiving the sickness, seeing the damage that people have done around them and seeing the ruins and having to sort through it and build yourself back up from it. So that song is an anthem for wherever you're at in your healing journey … “I'm the king of nothing.” Who am I to think I'm any better than you are? But also having that strength to get up and fight.",[],{"_key":10479,"_type":22,"children":10480,"markDefs":10485,"style":30},"130b26a0fa99",[10481],{"_key":10482,"_type":26,"marks":10483,"text":10484},"8c5be9774c880",[],"Ending the record with “Alone” was very intentional because it's a journey of things I've had to heal from. And it gets the high moments and you have the low moments and it ends on a somber, sobering thought of, “Maybe I'm going to be alone my whole life.” When you're in that pit of feeling alone … the breakdown, it's, “So drag me down/I welcome the emptiness, taunting, prying, tearing at the wounds/I won't break, I won't be your wounded vessel/These storms won't settle, If I were happy, would I be me?/I'm buried by hopeless insecurity.”",[],{"_key":10487,"_type":22,"children":10488,"markDefs":10493,"style":30},"b935cb60da77",[10489],{"_key":10490,"_type":26,"marks":10491,"text":10492},"c1b55c1d29ab0",[],"There is light, but you have to find that. I think it comes with accepting where you are in your life and looking at the things that you are blessed with and finding joy in your family and your friends, or maybe even in your own skin. There's been several days, like, growing up in high school where I would look in the mirror and think I'm ugly. It was less about the physical aspect of it, though. I associate it with I hated the way I looked. I didn't like the person I was becoming because I was neglecting my art, my passion to be a vocalist and make music, especially in metalcore. So I looked at the ruins around me and realized, maybe if I just have this, maybe that's it. Maybe that is my marriage on Earth. Maybe being a vocalist [and] maybe not having a spouse and having a family one day is on the cards for me. And I look around and I see all the amazing people like yourself that I've gotten to meet along this journey. And I'm just truly grateful for what I do have.",[],{"_key":10495,"_type":22,"children":10496,"markDefs":10501,"style":30},"d41d93c9488b",[10497],{"_key":10498,"_type":26,"marks":10499,"text":10500},"01d8c2e161030",[],"“So drag me down/I welcome the emptiness.” I've got all these things around me that are beautiful. But when I choose to look at what I don't have, that's pretty negative. So I'm choosing to look at what I do have. I have my faith. I have my friends. I have my family. I have my amazing dog, Frito, that struggles with his allergies way worse than a lot of dogs should have to struggle. Seeing him hurt breaks my heart. But I get to be his dad and take him to the vet … I choose to find the joy and the love and care that little guy gives me. He'll be on tour with us, rest assured.’ Cause nothing brings me joy like that little dude has. But I also realize that one day he's not going to be here. And when you lose somebody you love so much, or something you love so much, instead of viewing “Oh, they're not here anymore,” feel it. Realize, “Okay, I have to accept it and you mourn that, but I'm so grateful for the love and care and compassion and joy that they brought me while they were here.”",[],{"_key":10503,"_type":22,"children":10504,"markDefs":10509,"style":30},"4bcd5a918a1f",[10505],{"_key":10506,"_type":26,"marks":10507,"text":10508},"44a381a6d3b80",[],"I hope people can walk away with hearing the songs and hearing these lyrics and hearing the sound of it all. It's all intentional and I hope they can walk away feeling encouraged and motivated to be the best version of themselves, but also not accept the bare minimum. Give it everything. You've got to kick anxiety's ass. Don't allow yourself to be just enough, be better, grow, be open to take criticism and learn and grow. Chase your dreams. Refuse to lose. You can win. It may not feel like it right now, but if I could challenge anybody in this interview, it's, man, if you don't reflect inward and see the things that may be driving people away from you, if you have people coming and going in your life – I'm writing about this right now for the next thing – it's if people are coming and going in your life and nobody seems to stay, maybe that's a you issue that you need to work on.",[],{"_key":10511,"_type":22,"children":10512,"markDefs":10517,"style":30},"42bc27579088",[10513],{"_key":10514,"_type":26,"marks":10515,"text":10516},"158cb86044560",[],"So for this EP, before I get into the next thing that I'm really passionate about, be open to serve people. Don't get greedy with your time, but also make sure that you're allowing your glass to get full before you're going out and serving others. Reflect inward, focus on reconciling some of the maybe toxic traits that you have, and then focus on things that other people might've caused you. If you start viewing it as, “How can I improve and how can I do better?” and what I'm blessed to have in my life,",[],{"_key":10519,"_type":22,"children":10520,"markDefs":10525,"style":30},"04c94ccb449a",[10521],{"_key":10522,"_type":26,"marks":10523,"text":10524},"ea739967fb9e0",[],"I truly believe that you'll start to see your life get a lot happier and better. A little sidebar is getting physically active and getting out in the sun and not being inside. I work from home, I work wherever I have an internet connection for my day to day work. It's easy to not go outside and get sun and work out. I get lazy. I don't want to work out. Getting conditioned for shows forced me to work out and my physical and mental health have never been better. So I'm not saying that's a one-size-fits-all. I still take anxiety medication. I still go to therapy. I still pray for healing. But another thing you can do is try to eat a little bit better … That was a big thing for me. So those are some sidebar things that I've found to be very healthy in my life. Allowing yourself to get bored, stop doom scrolling, sit and think, turn your brain off for a little bit. And I feel like as a society, we're so conditioned to like TikTok, every seven seconds, we're just doom scrolling and not allowing ourselves time to create and be still in our own mind.",[],{"_key":10527,"_type":22,"children":10528,"markDefs":10533,"style":30},"2519ab398be2",[10529],{"_key":10530,"_type":26,"marks":10531,"text":10532},"f12c6f8632680",[],"That's why we're always exhausted. We're not allowing ourselves to rest. Those are sidebars. I hope people can walk away from hearing this with a refreshed perspective on how they can make healthy changes in their life, whether it's inward or with people around them. Maybe they're in an abusive relationship and that needs to end, hopefully they can hear a message in there for them to get out of that. Hopefully if they're struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, addiction, that they would be able to see what I've had to go through and they can feel like the progress that I've been able to make as a human being. Not as a Christian, not as anything other than as a human being. I hope they can find something that helps them heal the hurt in their life as well. That's the message of Heal The Hurt. And that's all I really care to put out into the world. I hope that we can be a vessel of healing like bands like August Burns Red, Memphis May Fire, The Devil Wears Prada, and bands that I grew up listening to that were that for me in a time that I needed it.",[],{"_key":10535,"_type":3043,"url":10536},"af54692eabca","https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw2lAAkoG0U",{"_key":10538,"_type":22,"children":10539,"markDefs":10572,"style":30},"22bbfeea94c0",[10540,10544,10548,10551,10555,10558,10563,10567],{"_key":10541,"_type":26,"marks":10542,"text":10543},"32e6c9a558be",[45],"Follow Heal the Hurt on ",{"_key":10545,"_type":26,"marks":10546,"text":9982},"f090b1941006",[10547,45,231],"c645679ce1a9",{"_key":10549,"_type":26,"marks":10550,"text":7042},"0c2e2b4ef714",[45],{"_key":10552,"_type":26,"marks":10553,"text":9973},"2066d9f6635b",[10554,45,231],"8215eaddc19a",{"_key":10556,"_type":26,"marks":10557,"text":7042},"81360f402700",[45],{"_key":10559,"_type":26,"marks":10560,"text":10562},"62b98340bdbc",[10561,45,231],"84f4df627c11","TikTok",{"_key":10564,"_type":26,"marks":10565,"text":10566},"3de15f3349c3",[45],", and ",{"_key":10568,"_type":26,"marks":10569,"text":10571},"5a894e082eaa",[10570,45,231],"0c8f3f3582f8","YouTube",[10573,10575,10577,10579],{"_key":10547,"_type":244,"href":10574},"https://www.facebook.com/healthehurtband",{"_key":10554,"_type":244,"href":10576},"https://www.instagram.com/healthehurtband/",{"_key":10570,"_type":244,"href":10578},"https://www.youtube.com/@healthehurtband",{"_key":10561,"_type":244,"href":10580},"https://www.tiktok.com/@healthehurtband",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-09-03",{"_type":252,"asset":10584},{"_ref":10585,"_type":248},"image-c8f490e56c4fdd61830afe33a6b292b08e4ec1a6-7818x5215-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":10587},"metalcore-meets-meaning-an-interview-with-heal-the-hurt","Metalcore Meets Meaning: An Interview With Heal The Hurt",{"_createdAt":10590,"_id":10591,"_rev":10592,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":10593,"article":10594,"author_ref":10756,"date":10757,"featured":2763,"image":10758,"slug":10761,"title":10763},"2024-08-28T19:45:11Z","655c0d7a-d685-454c-ba69-441c5f565c89","znwewey12FprYQncuRY2zk","2024-09-05T17:30:48Z",[10595,10603,10619,10627,10635,10643,10651,10659,10667,10675,10679,10687,10695,10703,10711,10719,10727,10735],{"_key":10596,"_type":22,"children":10597,"markDefs":10602,"style":30},"b1adb6548ea3",[10598],{"_key":10599,"_type":26,"marks":10600,"text":10601},"fc76478596c50",[],"Emily Rose & the Rounders vocalist and songwriter Emily Rose is steeped in the time-honored tradition of country crooning. Her narrative adeptness crystallizes stories ranging from romantic turbulence to dreams of Dallas. But there’s been more cities than Dallas on Rose’s mind this summer while backing country enigma Orville Peck. In the midst of a expansive North American tour that commenced in May and has multiple months to go, there’s still a slew of remaining dates including the storied Hollywood Palladium in her home of Los Angeles.",[],{"_key":10604,"_type":22,"children":10605,"markDefs":10617,"style":30},"149c73bbc47a",[10606,10610,10614],{"_key":10607,"_type":26,"marks":10608,"text":10609},"17bbe5834d7e0",[],"In between tour dates with Peck and working in the studio on her new record, Rose is also slated to perform a stripped down Emily Rose & the Rounders in Los Angeles. The performance will take place at the Mobilize Recovery bus tour launch in tandem with CCAPP and End Overdose on September 20th. Alongside a performance from fellow country artist Noah Thompson and a speech from action star Danny Trejo, it’s an exciting assemblage of artists that’s also free to attend with a simple RSVP ",{"_key":10611,"_type":26,"marks":10612,"text":579},"17bbe5834d7e1",[10613,402],"cbe3de26a379",{"_key":10615,"_type":26,"marks":10616,"text":583},"17bbe5834d7e2",[],[10618],{"_key":10613,"_type":244,"href":9117},{"_key":10620,"_type":22,"children":10621,"markDefs":10626,"style":30},"118e1b5d0ea2",[10622],{"_key":10623,"_type":26,"marks":10624,"text":10625},"3fdae697d1c60",[],"In advance of Emily Rose & the Rounders bringing their stripped-down sound to the evening hosted by Mobilize Recovery, CCAPP, and End Overdose, we caught up with Rose about everything from entering the recording studio to an unmistakable country boom that has encompassed popular culture in 2024.",[],{"_key":10628,"_type":22,"children":10629,"markDefs":10634,"style":30},"e7c85a77729c",[10630],{"_key":10631,"_type":26,"marks":10632,"text":10633},"95077f59f04e0",[45,231,402],"End Overdose: You've been on a winding summer tour with Orville Peck – how's the trek been? And have there been any major highlights?",[],{"_key":10636,"_type":22,"children":10637,"markDefs":10642,"style":30},"206166f57b9f",[10638],{"_key":10639,"_type":26,"marks":10640,"text":10641},"63dfcf8dc0cf0",[],"Emily Rose: This tour has been totally incredible! His fans are so sweet and enthusiastic and the shows have been so fun to play. It's really a dream getting to play in this band with such great people and with a friend and artist I so admire and respect so I'm just having the best time. Biggest highlight for me was getting to hang out with John Waters the other night at Orville's Rodeo. He is just so cool and funny in person and I'm such a huge fan so that was really wild for me.",[],{"_key":10644,"_type":22,"children":10645,"markDefs":10650,"style":30},"cdd75176c940",[10646],{"_key":10647,"_type":26,"marks":10648,"text":10649},"8d0a64afd7390",[45,402,231],"EO: You also recently entered the studio. What's the creative process been like recording this new material (especially while in the midst of touring)?",[],{"_key":10652,"_type":22,"children":10653,"markDefs":10658,"style":30},"8464cf14aed1",[10654],{"_key":10655,"_type":26,"marks":10656,"text":10657},"c50f75d9b0c40",[],"ER: Recording with the Rounders moves pretty slowly...we track quickly but getting everyone's schedules sorted to be able to rehearse and do things has been hard lately. When we do get to go into the studio it's really fun, we always record with Mark Rains at Station House and it feels like home. It's been a little challenging to move things forward with the Rounders while I've been touring but everyone's busy with their own lives so I think sometimes it's good to take a break and then come back refreshed. Hopefully we can get this record out soon though! A lot of the songs already feel kind of old to me! I'm kind of always working up new material and I wish we could keep up with that a little more but life happens!",[],{"_key":10660,"_type":22,"children":10661,"markDefs":10666,"style":30},"8a8cb3a469a0",[10662],{"_key":10663,"_type":26,"marks":10664,"text":10665},"bdda61ac56170",[45,402,231],"EO: You emphasize the importance of country tradition without retreading into throwback or nostalgia territory. How do you creatively strike that balance?",[],{"_key":10668,"_type":22,"children":10669,"markDefs":10674,"style":30},"057b279c064e",[10670],{"_key":10671,"_type":26,"marks":10672,"text":10673},"6b6bbd68b3080",[],"ER: I don't really think about it too much...I think I naturally just write in a more traditional form. And I try not to revise and think about songs too much...I sort of keep them primitive by just letting them come out as they are and then leaving them alone! All my favorite music is pretty simple, from punk to country, so I try to just stick with the feelings and let things be.",[],{"_key":10676,"_type":252,"asset":10677},"32425c588763",{"_ref":10678,"_type":248},"image-8b3a17f72b404fdad9b0f27afe4a7af8adbee64a-3072x2304-jpg",{"_key":10680,"_type":22,"children":10681,"markDefs":10686,"style":30},"07e5af6516ed",[10682],{"_key":10683,"_type":26,"marks":10684,"text":10685},"a932f66eff670",[45,402,231],"EO: With country now regularly topping the charts, how would you assess what feels like a watershed moment for the genre right now? Do you see any upsides/downsides for it assimilating into pop culture?",[],{"_key":10688,"_type":22,"children":10689,"markDefs":10694,"style":30},"eab4a87ad1eb",[10690],{"_key":10691,"_type":26,"marks":10692,"text":10693},"81cd79ec02010",[],"ER: I definitely have very mixed feelings about the \"country craze\"...I think it's always great for people like me who have been playing country music forever to have more eyes on what we're doing, more people interested in what we do and more people discovering this great, emotional, beautiful genre of music but it does feel a little gimmicky right now which is a little frustrating. There's a lot of really cheesy stuff going on and I also wonder who is going to stick around once the \"craze\" has passed but country kind of always goes in waves since the beginning and those of us who are really serious about it will always be doing what we do no matter what. It's all I want to do, it's what I was born to do, so whether I'm playing in a dive bar to ten people or playing to a stadium full of Orville Peck fans I'm happy to be a part of the country music community no matter what. It really moves me and if more people are being moved too and connecting with country music that's always a good thing.",[],{"_key":10696,"_type":22,"children":10697,"markDefs":10702,"style":30},"c94fffd5b1c4",[10698],{"_key":10699,"_type":26,"marks":10700,"text":10701},"0c4aac97f9c60",[402,45,231],"EO: What inspired you to perform at the Mobilize Recovery launch event? What should fans and attendees expect from a stripped down Emily Rose set?",[],{"_key":10704,"_type":22,"children":10705,"markDefs":10710,"style":30},"389aadd984ae",[10706],{"_key":10707,"_type":26,"marks":10708,"text":10709},"cb164ffd523c0",[],"ER: I just think it's an excellent cause in general so I was thrilled to be a part of it. I've lost a lot of friends in my lifetime to a variety of things, overdoses and substance abuse being a reoccurring theme, so it's something that hits home for me. And I'm always interested in learning new things, how to better help folks in my life that need it, how to administer Narcan or best practices for having kits around and making sure people know how to use them, etc. And I'm a huge Trejo fan so when I heard he was involved I couldn't say no! ",[],{"_key":10712,"_type":22,"children":10713,"markDefs":10718,"style":30},"c52a52826c1f",[10714],{"_key":10715,"_type":26,"marks":10716,"text":10717},"b7686cba839c",[],"I think our set is going to be just me and Vincent Bury who plays guitar in the Rounders...we might have our pedal steel player too, not sure yet. But either way, we'll just be doing some of the classic Rounders tunes and maybe a cover or two!",[],{"_key":10720,"_type":22,"children":10721,"markDefs":10726,"style":30},"79765a5db895",[10722],{"_key":10723,"_type":26,"marks":10724,"text":10725},"4cbd08ad09bc0",[45,402,231],"EO: What're your plans for the rest of 2024 once the Orville Peck tour wraps up?",[],{"_key":10728,"_type":22,"children":10729,"markDefs":10734,"style":30},"597f36ea308c",[10730],{"_key":10731,"_type":26,"marks":10732,"text":10733},"d930a2a869dd0",[],"ER: I'm basically out with Orville until the end of October so most of the rest of the year is dedicated to him! Which is great for me 'cause I love it. I'm doing a bit of collaborating with my friend TJ from Deathchant on some stuff for his solo project which I'm excited about and there are some tracks I did with Steve McBean from Pink Mountaintops that are coming out and hopefully this Rounders record is going to get finished up as well! So there's a lot going on I'd say, lots of good things. We're not going to be playing live much but we do have a show at the end of the year that is a benefit for Tree People so that should be really great!",[],{"_key":10736,"_type":22,"children":10737,"markDefs":10752,"style":30},"c4c42449886c",[10738,10743,10747],{"_key":10739,"_type":26,"marks":10740,"text":10742},"8eb740a5e70e",[45,231,10741],"04d90c665043","RSVP to see Emily Rose & the Rounders",{"_key":10744,"_type":26,"marks":10745,"text":10746},"8df3e7af9984",[45,231]," | ",{"_key":10748,"_type":26,"marks":10749,"text":10751},"9c2aad34b56e",[45,231,10750],"d77b4e947658","Follow Emily Rose & the Rounders on Instagram",[10753,10754],{"_key":10741,"_type":244,"href":9117},{"_key":10750,"_type":244,"href":10755},"https://www.instagram.com/emilyroseandtherounders/?hl=en",{"_ref":1886,"_type":248},"2024-08-28",{"_type":252,"asset":10759},{"_ref":10760,"_type":248},"image-173cbeae60a9d12dff7926dd86eddea409674e02-800x400-jpg",{"_type":256,"current":10762},"take-me-on-tour-country-roads-an-interview-with-emily-rose-and-the-rounders","Take Me on Tour, Country Roads: An Interview with Emily Rose & the Rounders",{"_createdAt":10765,"_id":10766,"_rev":10767,"_type":17,"_updatedAt":10768,"article":10769,"author_ref":11079,"date":11080,"image":11081,"meta":11084,"slug":11089,"title":11086},"2024-08-14T15:58:15Z","03c38013-5238-485b-9e11-dfb2c54e6227","hYjiS75JMs1aGJJMCSzgBV","2024-08-14T16:18:42Z",[10770,10786,10801,10809,10820,10828,10840,10848,10856,10864,10875,10891,10899,10907,10915,10919,10927,10938,10946,10954,10962,10973,10977,10985,10996,11004,11012,11020,11028,11039],{"_key":10771,"_type":22,"children":10772,"markDefs":10785,"style":30},"da7142186354",[10773,10777,10781],{"_key":10774,"_type":26,"marks":10775,"text":10776},"4d87ed2779760",[],"A multi-genre talent and OG supporter of End Overdose, the Los Angeles-based producer, instrumentalist, and vocalist HVDES has capitalized on years of momentum with her debut album: ",{"_key":10778,"_type":26,"marks":10779,"text":10780},"4d87ed2779761",[231],"How To Kill A God",{"_key":10782,"_type":26,"marks":10783,"text":10784},"4d87ed2779762",[],". It’s a project as manifold and nuanced as the creator behind it. Bass music, acoustic ballads, and post-hardcore riffing all cohere together on its carefully assembled, puzzle-like structure. The album also reflects HVDES’ consistent vulnerability on public platforms as she grapples with addiction, metaphysics, and a pervasive societal soul sickness.",[],{"_key":10787,"_type":22,"children":10788,"markDefs":10800,"style":30},"f71e3675f34d",[10789,10793,10796],{"_key":10790,"_type":26,"marks":10791,"text":10792},"712083c13eb80",[],"With ",{"_key":10794,"_type":26,"marks":10795,"text":10780},"712083c13eb81",[231],{"_key":10797,"_type":26,"marks":10798,"text":10799},"712083c13eb82",[]," finally out now, we spoke with HVDES for a discussion that traverses from the sanctity of artistic creation to human nature and philosophy by way of Haruki Murakami. We also launched a giveaway for her debut live show – head over to our Instagram for more details.",[],{"_key":10802,"_type":22,"children":10803,"markDefs":10808,"style":30},"71210410e2a3",[10804],{"_key":10805,"_type":26,"marks":10806,"text":10807},"11491e25a6720",[45,231,402],"End Overdose: Congratulations on your debut project! After years of experimentation and evolution across your singles, how does it feel to have your first cohesive body of work out in the world?",[],{"_key":10810,"_type":22,"children":10811,"markDefs":10819,"style":30},"736577e652b3",[10812,10815],{"_key":10813,"_type":26,"marks":10814,"text":5575},"3c4ec11886f50",[45],{"_key":10816,"_type":26,"marks":10817,"text":10818},"1d0b74aace3c",[],": It feels really good firstly because I’ve worked for so long on it that it’s nice to feel like I can sort of freeform work on other things with less pressure, but also because I feel like this last year has been so intense for me emotionally and put me to the test in a lot of ways that it really encapsulates the journey I went through writing all of these songs, and the journey I have gone through in sobriety as well.",[],{"_key":10821,"_type":22,"children":10822,"markDefs":10827,"style":30},"0606225a2145",[10823],{"_key":10824,"_type":26,"marks":10825,"text":10826},"821e3c437d490",[45,231,402],"EO: The album makes such an interesting link between live and electronic elements – there’s acoustic ballads, post-hardcore, and bass music among other genres. How do you approach blending these sounds in the context of an album?",[],{"_key":10829,"_type":22,"children":10830,"markDefs":10839,"style":30},"3047b644b304",[10831,10835],{"_key":10832,"_type":26,"marks":10833,"text":10834},"0dd733383f180",[45],"H",{"_key":10836,"_type":26,"marks":10837,"text":10838},"d99dddcd6701",[],": I didn't initially set out to move across the spectrum of genres when writing the music, or even to write an album. I sort of just decided one day after a few songs about the same experiences started to feel cohesive and went from there. I went through a lot over the last year and I feel like the majority of it was truly just me trying to cope, understand, to articulate, and to keep pushing forward. Music has always been that for me. My process now is very intuitive; I try to engage with each piece as it is, allowing it to unfold naturally and become what it needs to be. This idea of \"showing up\" for the creative process, trusting that mindfulness and tuning into inspiration will guide the way. When I impose my expectations and the piece evolves differently, I usually find myself frustrated and ultimately disconnected from the work's true essence.",[],{"_key":10841,"_type":22,"children":10842,"markDefs":10847,"style":30},"c369cdf20757",[10843],{"_key":10844,"_type":26,"marks":10845,"text":10846},"f7e49df311520",[],"Creation, to me, is a sacred channel to something beyond our physical senses. Embracing an intuitive process, allows the work to flow freely from the subconscious. Later, in the refinement stage, I can step into a more structured, analytical mode—what some might call \"business mode\"—to bring cohesion and polish to the record as a whole. It's about finding the perfect balance between raw, intuitive creation and methodical refinement.",[],{"_key":10849,"_type":22,"children":10850,"markDefs":10855,"style":30},"e5ab33b2f7a4",[10851],{"_key":10852,"_type":26,"marks":10853,"text":10854},"1b328707dfbe0",[],"The album underwent numerous phases, many of them extremely frustrating which sort of reflects this pursuit of balance between those two things. Many songs were left behind, not aligning with the core ideas and messages. And on the other side of that, some tracks evolved over time, with lyrics changing months after their initial composition to better resonate with my current state of mind.",[],{"_key":10857,"_type":22,"children":10858,"markDefs":10863,"style":30},"171d65092a58",[10859],{"_key":10860,"_type":26,"marks":10861,"text":10862},"8f25c60040560",[45,231,402],"EO: How do you bridge metaphysical concepts with your music and lived experience?",[],{"_key":10865,"_type":22,"children":10866,"markDefs":10874,"style":30},"713c869fadee",[10867,10870],{"_key":10868,"_type":26,"marks":10869,"text":10834},"65d2d69d20480",[45],{"_key":10871,"_type":26,"marks":10872,"text":10873},"3cd9f7b95836",[],": A lot of the writing that I do is sort of me having a conversation with myself. Lots of stream of consciousness venting that then turns into a puzzle which I then structure into a song.",[],{"_key":10876,"_type":22,"children":10877,"markDefs":10890,"style":30},"79370e72e90c",[10878,10882,10886],{"_key":10879,"_type":26,"marks":10880,"text":10881},"7d55d08dd4ec0",[],"Metaphysical thought and philosophy have served as both a refuge and a lens through which I’ve navigated many of my feelings of derealization and dissociation. These concepts tend to challenge the fabric of identity, making me acutely aware of my place—or lack thereof—in a world that often feels foreign. There’s a quote in ",{"_key":10883,"_type":26,"marks":10884,"text":10885},"7d124b0a70c0",[231],"Kafka On The Shore",{"_key":10887,"_type":26,"marks":10888,"text":10889},"c3520d1cf06f",[],", that I love, where the narrator describes a \"sandstorm\" that blurs the boundaries of reality. The sandstorm, in this context, represents the overwhelming and disorienting nature of my experiences, as it obscures clarity and creates a sense of being lost in swirling thoughts and feelings, which is just as real as a physical storm.",[],{"_key":10892,"_type":22,"children":10893,"markDefs":10898,"style":30},"19443edef462",[10894],{"_key":10895,"_type":26,"marks":10896,"text":10897},"0fed19e0333d0",[],"I find myself caught in that a lot, sort of grappling with the confusion of what’s real and what’s a figment of my imagination, or a manifestation of fear, insecurity, trauma, etc. It just really resonates deeply with my experiences of feeling disconnected from the world around me, sort of like I’m watching life unfold from a distance. Being on the spectrum intensifies these feelings. There is a constant awareness of being different, of not fitting neatly into the molds that society has established. This struggle for identity in a world that often seems to demand conformity can lead to a sense of isolation, which I feel like drove a lot of my addictive patterns and desperation to escape to anywhere else but where and who I was/am.",[],{"_key":10900,"_type":22,"children":10901,"markDefs":10906,"style":30},"4f76b8357a85",[10902],{"_key":10903,"_type":26,"marks":10904,"text":10905},"ab751ddfe29f0",[],"My fascination with history provides a backdrop for these existential thoughts. The imagery of significant events, such as the fall of Babylon or the aftermath of Hiroshima are powerful, dark, poetic reminders of humanity’s struggles, sickness, truths, flaws, and transformations. The chaos of civilizations crumbling, the loss of identity, and the search for meaning amidst destruction, as well as the growth and rebirth that comes from full surrender, fire, and ash are sort of personified and tangible parallels to the feelings I experience daily. Biblical stories, with their themes of exile and redemption, sort of mirror my own quest for understanding in a world in which I often feel like a stranger.",[],{"_key":10908,"_type":22,"children":10909,"markDefs":10914,"style":30},"be5abe867e5d",[10910],{"_key":10911,"_type":26,"marks":10912,"text":10913},"b3d0afb279cb0",[],"I kind of see it as this weird sort of melting pot of metaphysical inquiry and historical reflection... Which I tend to find both peaceful and uncomfortable. The philosophical exploration of existence offers a way to articulate my feelings of dissociation, while the imagery of the past creates a space where those feelings can live and breathe, but also somewhere I can leave them and move forward with intention and awareness. It’s alchemy in its truest form. This dichotomy of the search for identity within the chaos of existence continues to shape my understanding of myself and the world around me every day.",[],{"_key":10916,"_type":252,"asset":10917},"a39ebec16090",{"_ref":10918,"_type":248},"image-590ffa364a9678aa6f902ea01529606f7537b346-4928x3264-jpg",{"_key":10920,"_type":22,"children":10921,"markDefs":10926,"style":30},"858ad2c2473d",[10922],{"_key":10923,"_type":26,"marks":10924,"text":10925},"334b0bbd7fc40",[45,231,402],"EO: The record is deeply honest lyrically (i.e. “Nosebleed”) – are there any challenges in the process of opening up to such an intimate level? Or is it more cathartic than anything?",[],{"_key":10928,"_type":22,"children":10929,"markDefs":10937,"style":30},"d11e7bb702e3",[10930,10933],{"_key":10931,"_type":26,"marks":10932,"text":10834},"705bf2db147e",[45],{"_key":10934,"_type":26,"marks":10935,"text":10936},"c9888669870a",[],": \"Nosebleed\" as a pretty organic one for me. Sometimes, when I’m writing, I hit roadblocks and need to step back and let the song breathe, but this one just flowed from start to finish. On some days, it’s easy to accept the love and support from others and recognize that my journey resonates with those who have faced similar struggles. However, there’s a common misconception that once you overcome addiction, you’ve 'beaten' it completely and you’re “healed.” And in ways, you go along with that narrative because it’s important to inspire hope in others who are struggling, and it feels good for people who had lost faith in you for many years to once again find that trust and faith in you. It feels almost like you’re letting them down again by not subscribing to this heroic tale of “finding salvation.” The reality is that, while I’ve made significant progress, those parts of me are always present, lying dormant, and I do a lot of work to keep them that way.",[],{"_key":10939,"_type":22,"children":10940,"markDefs":10945,"style":30},"1eb69417d94b",[10941],{"_key":10942,"_type":26,"marks":10943,"text":10944},"49e86ce8da380",[],"This song was kind of a conversation with myself when I found myself trapped in those feelings and thoughts of imposter syndrome, sort of oscillating between the parts of me that are hopeful and optimistic, filled with faith in love and connection, and the parts steeped in nihilism, anger, pain, and loneliness. It’s hard sometimes not to get stuck in that feeling of self pity because I am still fucked up inside and don’t “deserve” that praise for functioning like a normal human. So I guess in the chorus it was sort of an open ended question into the universe wondering if there’s an easier way out. Like is there another option? You know what I mean? Because both paths are challenging in their own right. But I guess ultimately, it comes down to choosing the legacy you want to leave behind.",[],{"_key":10947,"_type":22,"children":10948,"markDefs":10953,"style":30},"bf52d68771bc",[10949],{"_key":10950,"_type":26,"marks":10951,"text":10952},"83bd23fb85a20",[],"I wanted this song to express that often overlooked reality of recovery—not just the triumphs, but also the “demons,” for lack of a better word, that never fully dissipate. In a sense they do, but it’s still always there, you know? Even though I’m in a stable place now in my sobriety, those darker aspects of myself and wounds remain a part of my life and my story. It’s sort of a melancholic expression of hope and a desire to be able to look back down the road and feel a sense of gratitude that I held on for myself.",[],{"_key":10955,"_type":22,"children":10956,"markDefs":10961,"style":30},"14b6aeacaa66",[10957],{"_key":10958,"_type":26,"marks":10959,"text":10960},"0dcbe62cf3640",[45,231,402],"EO: You have your live debut at The Echo on August 16h – how do you anticipate the shift from the decks to the microphone?",[],{"_key":10963,"_type":22,"children":10964,"markDefs":10972,"style":30},"8806f4f9ef3e",[10965,10968],{"_key":10966,"_type":26,"marks":10967,"text":10834},"7ca87228a83a0",[45],{"_key":10969,"_type":26,"marks":10970,"text":10971},"9552e9bac3da",[],": I am absolutely scared shitless. The album is very vulnerable and raw and I just want the live set to be very intimate and feel like a completely different experience than the more lighthearted and fun nature of my DJ sets. I always get really bad stage fright. I am actually quite an introverted person and performing is really difficult for me. It’s really scary to be in front of people, especially doing something so intensely personal and having no idea if they’re even going to like it or care. Which is funny considering I am a performer. But it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I think that this album gives me the perfect opportunity to blend the two aspects of my project into a cohesive experience while allowing each type of performance to shine in its own way. ",[],{"_key":10974,"_type":252,"asset":10975},"ef2fe04244e9",{"_ref":10976,"_type":248},"image-9da36860b2eed0c194b0082d1fd6795599ad0bc3-4928x3264-jpg",{"_key":10978,"_type":22,"children":10979,"markDefs":10984,"style":30},"c6d2df81306b",[10980],{"_key":10981,"_type":26,"marks":10982,"text":10983},"a8d8f00b7fd50",[45,231,402],"EO: You’ll also have End Overdose at the live debut – what does that collaboration mean to you?",[],{"_key":10986,"_type":22,"children":10987,"markDefs":10995,"style":30},"8fd496616684",[10988,10991],{"_key":10989,"_type":26,"marks":10990,"text":10834},"c50b3db4a1dc0",[45],{"_key":10992,"_type":26,"marks":10993,"text":10994},"e42a51266c65",[],": Working with End Overdose is something that extends beyond music and art, but deeply into my personal life as a recovering addict. I have lost so many friends and family members to this disease. I have been to more funerals than I can count, and I’ve never even been to a wedding. Crazy, right?",[],{"_key":10997,"_type":22,"children":10998,"markDefs":11003,"style":30},"6ba05aad99c8",[10999],{"_key":11000,"_type":26,"marks":11001,"text":11002},"3c9d2b4fd2a10",[],"One of the things I struggled with a lot was opioid addiction. I was being sold fentanyl under the guise of it being Oxycontin, and I had no idea that was what I was doing until I was already completely dependent.",[],{"_key":11005,"_type":22,"children":11006,"markDefs":11011,"style":30},"04e2c82c93d7",[11007],{"_key":11008,"_type":26,"marks":11009,"text":11010},"588d285b707c0",[],"On a personal level, I understand what this disease does to people. What it did to me, and how sometimes I literally have no idea how I’m still here. I had no idea what I was doing, no frame of reference.. I’ve overdosed multiple times and, by some weird miracle, I’m still here. I don’t necessarily believe in some sort of “everything happens for a reason” idea of predetermined destiny, but I do believe that we all have the choice to give reason to the wildly confusing landscape of grief, pain, and loss by showing up for ourselves and our community in a way that, even on the most micro level, changes the world.",[],{"_key":11013,"_type":22,"children":11014,"markDefs":11019,"style":30},"bf9e1e3e57b1",[11015],{"_key":11016,"_type":26,"marks":11017,"text":11018},"9b203cfb33ff0",[],"This is an epidemic. Opioid overdose related deaths are the leading cause of death in the US for our age group. That is a terrifying statistic. I don’t think people realize how much danger they are in when they are doing relatively normal party drugs. This thing is not just reserved for the stereotypical drug addict on skid row. This affects all of us. It’s really easy to feel powerless sometimes over this problem because it’s become so massive, and there are so many layers to it. If you’re not a legislator or someone who has sway on a larger scale, it can feel daunting and insurmountable. But, I think End Overdose is amazing because it empowers the individual to take a step that is within their power to help be a part of the solution by getting honest, de-stigmatizing these conversations and moving toward a safer community overall. We don’t have to keep burying our friends. And I think getting excited about overdose prevention and response education is such an incredible way to share resources and be of service to our loved ones and the rave scene (even beyond that). I don’t think it gets much more PLUR than that.",[],{"_key":11021,"_type":22,"children":11022,"markDefs":11027,"style":30},"d9b0e4761ce4",[11023],{"_key":11024,"_type":26,"marks":11025,"text":11026},"7deebffdc3e00",[45,231,402],"EO: Is there anything else you’d like to add?",[],{"_key":11029,"_type":22,"children":11030,"markDefs":11038,"style":30},"74254a9a1b0a",[11031,11034],{"_key":11032,"_type":26,"marks":11033,"text":10834},"a5edd73bb61c0",[45],{"_key":11035,"_type":26,"marks":11036,"text":11037},"b7f4ca564fd6",[],": I love you guys and I love everything you do and it’s been an incredible journey working together over the past few years and seeing people get excited about overdose prevention. I’d like to use my platform any way I can to help de-stigmatize these sorts of conversations because understanding the reality of this thing as an epidemic, being open and honest about how we can help, and responding accordingly allows for solutions to be found and for less lives to be lost. 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This legislation was born out of the tragic death of a 15-year-old Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) student from a fentanyl overdose on campus. Sponsored by Senator David Cortese (D-15) and cosponsored by the Santa Clara Office of Education among others, ",{"_key":11105,"_type":26,"marks":11106,"text":11108},"0fda569d561c1",[11107,402],"d31e90a6fe9e","SB 10 mandates that the California Department of Education distribute fentanyl awareness and safety education across the state",{"_key":11110,"_type":26,"marks":11111,"text":11112},"0fda569d561c2",[],", aiming to prevent similar tragedies in the future.",[11114],{"_key":11107,"_type":244,"href":11115},"https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb10",{"_key":11117,"_type":22,"children":11118,"markDefs":11140,"style":30},"c8fc396e511a",[11119,11123,11128,11131,11136],{"_key":11120,"_type":26,"marks":11121,"text":11122},"0ec1e80514fb0",[],"The youth overdose crisis for Los Angeles County is highlighted by alarming statistics and its large student population. A July 2024 report from the LA County Department of Public Health (LADPH) showed a staggering ",{"_key":11124,"_type":26,"marks":11125,"text":11127},"0ec1e80514fb1",[11126,402],"8ba1f9617a86","70% increase in fentanyl overdose deaths among individuals aged 17 and younger between 2022 and 2023",{"_key":11129,"_type":26,"marks":11130,"text":7627},"0ec1e80514fb2",[],{"_key":11132,"_type":26,"marks":11133,"text":11135},"0ec1e80514fb3",[11134,402],"978289058fd0","Projecting to enroll over 100,000 high school students during the 2024-2025 school year",{"_key":11137,"_type":26,"marks":11138,"text":11139},"0ec1e80514fb4",[],", LAUSD is the largest public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States – becoming a priority group for targeted interventions.",[11141,11143],{"_key":11126,"_type":244,"href":11142},"http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/MDU/SpecialReport/Fentanyl-Overdoses-in-Los-Angeles-County.pdf",{"_key":11134,"_type":244,"href":11144},"https://www.lausd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=73040&dataid=178843&FileName=2024%20FingertipFacts.pdf",{"_key":11146,"_type":22,"children":11147,"markDefs":11170,"style":30},"594290c56112",[11148,11152,11157,11161,11166],{"_key":11149,"_type":26,"marks":11150,"text":11151},"33a0d571c4250",[],"A significant aspect of the opioid crisis in Los Angeles County is its disproportionate impact on the Latinx community. ",{"_key":11153,"_type":26,"marks":11154,"text":11156},"33a0d571c4251",[11155,402],"2db05705839a","In 2023, Latinxs accounted for the largest proportion of fentanyl overdose deaths in Los Angeles County",{"_key":11158,"_type":26,"marks":11159,"text":11160},"33a0d571c4252",[],". Given that ",{"_key":11162,"_type":26,"marks":11163,"text":11165},"33a0d571c4253",[11164,402],"cbe1041de59b","37.7% of the county's population speaks Spanish at home",{"_key":11167,"_type":26,"marks":11168,"text":11169},"33a0d571c4254",[],", there is a clear need for translated materials and services. End Overdose, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending drug-related overdose deaths, has recognized this gap and launched a pilot program that increases accessibility to essential overdose prevention/response education in Spanish. Through this initiative, End Overdose aims to better serve the Latinx community and save lives.",[11171,11172],{"_key":11155,"_type":244,"href":11142},{"_key":11164,"_type":244,"href":11173},"https://data.census.gov/profile/Los_Angeles_County,_California?g=050XX00US06037#populations-and-people",{"_key":11175,"_type":22,"children":11176,"markDefs":11181,"style":11182},"47bdda1dca85",[11177],{"_key":11178,"_type":26,"marks":11179,"text":11180},"a9fcf3cc05070",[],"End Overdose’s Pilot Program: A Collaborative Effort with LADPH Wellbeing Centers, Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD), CDC Foundation, and National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO)",[],"h2",{"_key":11184,"_type":22,"children":11185,"markDefs":11220,"style":30},"98d49850e06a",[11186,11190,11195,11198,11202,11207,11211,11216],{"_key":11187,"_type":26,"marks":11188,"text":11189},"8367042cd1d50",[],"In their second year pilot project supported by the ",{"_key":11191,"_type":26,"marks":11192,"text":11194},"8367042cd1d51",[11193,402],"21ccbd2180ef","Overdose Response Strategy (ORS)",{"_key":11196,"_type":26,"marks":11197,"text":7205},"0706a97cca94",[402],{"_key":11199,"_type":26,"marks":11200,"text":11201},"8367042cd1d52",[],"– a cross-sector public health and safety program – End Overdose expanded its efforts to prevent drug-related deaths among youth. Through partnerships with ",{"_key":11203,"_type":26,"marks":11204,"text":11206},"8367042cd1d53",[11205,402],"13f5f3e748bd","NACCHO",{"_key":11208,"_type":26,"marks":11209,"text":11210},"8367042cd1d54",[]," and utilizing the ",{"_key":11212,"_type":26,"marks":11213,"text":11215},"8367042cd1d55",[11214,402],"7b3f1f6878d6","California Naloxone Distribution Project",{"_key":11217,"_type":26,"marks":11218,"text":11219},"8367042cd1d56",[]," (CA NDP), the targeted intervention provided overdose prevention and response training, naloxone (a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses), and fentanyl test strips to student populations across various schools in California. End Overdose’s program trained peer health advocate students at 39 Wellbeing Center sites in LA County, including 28 located at LAUSD schools. Additionally, End Overdose conducted trainings for students, staff, and parents at three Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) high schools and 12 other schools.",[11221,11223,11225],{"_key":11193,"_type":244,"href":11222},"https://orsprogram.org/program-overview/",{"_key":11205,"_type":244,"href":11224},"https://www.naccho.org/",{"_key":11214,"_type":244,"href":11226},"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/Naloxone_Distribution_Project.aspx",{"_key":11228,"_type":22,"children":11229,"markDefs":11234,"style":30},"092bce2cf6c2",[11230],{"_key":11231,"_type":26,"marks":11232,"text":11233},"974ade59df8d0",[],"Scaling up the 2023 project into the 2024 was a resounding success:",[],{"_key":11236,"_type":22,"children":11237,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":11242,"style":30},"a8497a309908",[11238],{"_key":11239,"_type":26,"marks":11240,"text":11241},"d6dbd3e34fe60",[],"The program reached a total of 63 schools, a 472% increase in outreach from the previous year, including 39 LADPH Wellbeing Center sites.",[],{"_key":11244,"_type":22,"children":11245,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":11250,"style":30},"49d5da4ffbe1",[11246],{"_key":11247,"_type":26,"marks":11248,"text":11249},"06f23a70204e0",[],"Over 5,900 students, staff, and parents were trained, representing a 195% increase from the previous year.",[],{"_key":11252,"_type":22,"children":11253,"level":492,"listItem":493,"markDefs":11258,"style":30},"57e0512b1978",[11254],{"_key":11255,"_type":26,"marks":11256,"text":11257},"cb414d2f675c0",[],"A total of 1,797 naloxone kits and 5,353 fentanyl test strips were distributed, marking a 65% and 346% increase, respectively, compared to the previous year.",[],{"_key":11260,"_type":252,"asset":11261},"109d3bc363f2",{"_ref":11262,"_type":248},"image-bb417604b90fa43b9c0df214594cad233c31b034-1208x784-png",{"_key":11264,"_type":22,"children":11265,"markDefs":11270,"style":11271},"9067952ecb96",[11266],{"_key":11267,"_type":26,"marks":11268,"text":11269},"30478511d9620",[231],"Students attended End Overdose’s training at WIlcox High School in Santa Clara, California on February 29.",[],"blockquote",{"_key":11273,"_type":252,"asset":11274},"9ee5a1b6e232",{"_ref":11275,"_type":248},"image-2666de2950ae6c2344a2593e7b7b4706f0c35616-2028x1338-png",{"_key":11277,"_type":22,"children":11278,"markDefs":11283,"style":11271},"4575d44a0362",[11279],{"_key":11280,"_type":26,"marks":11281,"text":11282},"1fee770fb0040",[231],"Parents received naloxone and test strips after participating in End Overdose’s training at Santa Clara High School in Santa Clara, California on February 7.",[],{"_key":11285,"_type":22,"children":11286,"markDefs":11291,"style":30},"e47413cc253a",[11287],{"_key":11288,"_type":26,"marks":11289,"text":11290},"cd2f6cc6d61b",[],"By focusing on outreach and educational efforts in middle and high schools, End Overdose aims to equip students and their families with the knowledge and tools to recognize and respond to an overdose.",[],{"_key":11293,"_type":22,"children":11294,"markDefs":11299,"style":4709},"2287a29a4356",[11295],{"_key":11296,"_type":26,"marks":11297,"text":11298},"6c8cea6a37a3",[],"Challenges and Outcomes: Evaluating the Pilot Program",[],{"_key":11301,"_type":22,"children":11302,"markDefs":11307,"style":30},"6349e39ba67d",[11303],{"_key":11304,"_type":26,"marks":11305,"text":11306},"cec4a114546e0",[],"The pilot program highlighted a strong demand for additional overdose prevention and response resources in schools. Staff overwhelmingly agreed that students struggling with substance use disorders need more support on campus. To better understand student perspectives on current school programmed initiatives, End Overdose hosted student listening sessions at two LAUSD high schools: Verdugo Hills High School and Alexander Hamilton High School. The participating students emphasized the need for greater access to online resources, refresher courses, and hands-on training. Some students called for more administrative and leadership responsibility in hosting naloxone training sessions for the entire student body, criticizing past assemblies and programs that focused solely on anti-drug messaging without involving youth voices.",[],{"_key":11309,"_type":22,"children":11310,"markDefs":11315,"style":30},"e6abe5b56df2",[11311],{"_key":11312,"_type":26,"marks":11313,"text":11314},"804cf08e7db10",[],"One of the main barriers to implementing the pilot program was school district policies that restrict students from carrying medications on campus, which limits access to this potentially life-saving resource. In SCUSD, while naloxone and test strips were distributed to students with approval from the district, a policy classifying naloxone as a medication prevented students from actually carrying it on campus. These challenges were encountered in multiple school districts, including some in Los Angeles County, where the distribution of fentanyl test strips and naloxone was not approved.",[],{"_key":11317,"_type":22,"children":11318,"markDefs":11323,"style":30},"5eddce53b15c",[11319],{"_key":11320,"_type":26,"marks":11321,"text":11322},"d6b76029196b0",[],"Despite these challenges, the pilot program resulted in significant impacts. Survey data showed that respondents improved their ability to correctly identify the signs of an opioid overdose – such as pinpoint pupils, slow respiratory breathing, and unconsciousness – after completing the End Overdose training. Both students and staff reported feeling more confident in their ability to respond to an overdose following naloxone training.",[],{"_key":11325,"_type":252,"asset":11326},"d829c2b8e2a3",{"_ref":11327,"_type":248},"image-ed617312d444878b883b1c4034bff99bffe51603-1048x732-png",{"_key":11329,"_type":252,"asset":11330},"be18377b6dbc",{"_ref":11331,"_type":248},"image-277ec8760a6a8a49ced25de26c102e118c2608ad-1050x374-jpg",{"_key":11333,"_type":22,"children":11334,"markDefs":11339,"style":11271},"bcfd86ecd42c",[11335],{"_key":11336,"_type":26,"marks":11337,"text":11338},"7d9283f6d323",[231],"The graphs show a significant increase in selecting the correct signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose – pinpoint pupils, slow respiratory breathing, and unconsciousness – for students and parents. Additionally, the graph shows a significant increase in school staff correctly selecting pinpoint pupils as a sign and symptom of an opioid overdose.",[],{"_key":11341,"_type":22,"children":11342,"markDefs":11347,"style":30},"a436b73c4a94",[11343],{"_key":11344,"_type":26,"marks":11345,"text":11346},"5cd7b28e5ec70",[],"To address the needs of the Latinx community, three schools – Lynwood, Miguel Contreras, and Adult Chaffey – were offered training in Spanish, ensuring that these crucial resources were accessible to Spanish-speaking students and their families.",[],{"_key":11349,"_type":252,"asset":11350},"cfb3ecaf4635",{"_ref":11351,"_type":248},"image-1bb19909f5cf06bba6ec60800134f7ac0115b074-2086x1212-png",{"_key":11353,"_type":22,"children":11354,"markDefs":11359,"style":11271},"66d00c0ad08f",[11355],{"_key":11356,"_type":26,"marks":11357,"text":11358},"11809b49bf140",[231],"Students attended the End Overdose’s training in Spanish at Lynwood High School in Lynwood, California on November 16.",[],{"_key":11361,"_type":22,"children":11362,"markDefs":11367,"style":30},"c6ce305716f7",[11363],{"_key":11364,"_type":26,"marks":11365,"text":11366},"5cc92d28c6800",[],"Overall, both students and staff recognized the importance of End Overdose’s training and resource materials, with a majority agreeing that End Overdose was their primary resource for naloxone. End Overdose has been a vital partner to LAUSD, SCUSD, and other school districts in the last two academic years, supplying schools with over 2,800 naloxone kits and more than 5,500 fentanyl test strips, along with the necessary training to prevent overdoses in their communities.",[],{"_key":11369,"_type":22,"children":11370,"markDefs":11375,"style":4709},"fa740e1e4847",[11371],{"_key":11372,"_type":26,"marks":11373,"text":11374},"4e5e3e168ba70",[],"Looking Ahead: Expanding the Impact of End Overdose in Schools",[],{"_key":11377,"_type":22,"children":11378,"markDefs":11383,"style":30},"25e195341b4d",[11379],{"_key":11380,"_type":26,"marks":11381,"text":11382},"a77f6d8130bb0",[],"Utilizing student feedback, End Overdose is creating programs tailored specifically for the under-17 age group, which will incorporate interactive digital features to enhance engagement and effectiveness. These expansions will be particularly impactful to ensure content is age-appropriate, relevant, and addresses the unique challenges faced by youth. By incorporating interactive digital features, End Overdose engages with students in a way that resonates with their learning styles. These features can make the training more effective by enhancing understanding, retention, and application of overdose prevention and response practices.",[],{"_key":11385,"_type":22,"children":11386,"markDefs":11391,"style":30},"0eab22a5f94a",[11387],{"_key":11388,"_type":26,"marks":11389,"text":11390},"75f7438461d80",[],"In addition to its digital efforts, End Overdose is focusing on expanding its on-the-ground outreach, bringing training and resources to middle and high schools nationwide through its fifty city and university chapters.",[],{"_key":11393,"_type":22,"children":11394,"markDefs":11399,"style":30},"77450da016aa",[11395],{"_key":11396,"_type":26,"marks":11397,"text":11398},"01efe08fc05b0",[],"End Overdose's ongoing efforts underscore the importance of targeted initiatives and accessible resources in combating the opioid epidemic. 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