Fatal Facts of Fentanyl

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A federal narcotics officer who lost his son to fentanyl shares his heartbreaking personal story while explaining the realities of fighting the deadly opioid crisis from both sides.

• Officer Rick's 19-year-old son died from fentanyl after multiple overdoses, despite Rick's 25 years of experience fighting illegal drugs
• The progression from marijuana to high-potency THC vapes (80-90% THC) to fentanyl poisoning
• Narcan (naloxone) saved Rick's son twice before the fatal overdose
• All families should have Narcan readily available regardless of suspected drug use
• Fentanyl is commonly smoked, snorted, or ingested in pill form rather than injected
• Law enforcement must build solid cases with "pieces of the puzzle" to successfully prosecute dealers
• Long-term investigations target higher-level suppliers rather than just street dealers
• The state court system is "broken" compared to federal prosecutions that have "more teeth"
• Drug dealers profit from death, exploiting users' "bulletproof mentality"
• The fentanyl crisis will likely worsen before improving without significant systemic changes

If you suspect someone is using drugs, please get Narcan. It's available at most pharmacies, sometimes for free, and could save a life. Call your representatives and senators to demand action on this crisis.

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Dr. Charles Smith brings critical insights about addiction as a legitimate medical disease requiring scientific understanding and treatment approaches that match its complexity and timeline.

• Addiction is a brain disease affecting the dopamine reward system, comparable to diabetes or heart disease
• Approximately 1 in 10 people have vulnerable dopamine systems predisposing them to addiction
• Risk factors include genetic predisposition, early age of first use, childhood trauma, high substance tolerance, and co-occurring mental disorders
• Full brain healing from addiction typically requires 1-2 years, making 30-day rehab models inadequate
• Dr. Smith shares his personal journey from practicing physician to addiction patient following DEA intervention
• Ending stigma requires treating addiction like other medical conditions while maintaining accountability
• The fentanyl crisis represents a national security threat with unprecedented overdose deaths
• Recovery success requires long-term monitoring, support networks, and avoiding all mind-altering substances
• Physician monitoring programs achieve 90% success rates through comprehensive care and accountability

Understanding Addiction: Know Science, No Stigma by Dr. Charles Smith and Dr. Jason Hunt is available on Amazon and provides thorough education on addiction science.

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Freida McDonald shares her devastating experience of losing both her sons—Stephen to homicide and Michael to fentanyl poisoning—and how she transformed her grief into a mission to help others battling addiction. Her powerful story illustrates how grief can lead to addiction and how knowledge about the dangers of fentanyl and street drugs can save lives.

• Stephen was murdered in 2012, shot and killed during a robbery
• Michael turned to prescription painkillers (Roxys/Oxycontin) to cope with losing his brother
• The path from prescription pills to street drugs to heroin happens quickly and is common
• Fentanyl has infiltrated the street drug supply, making every use potentially fatal
• Michael died of fentanyl poisoning in 2016 while in recovery and likely had no idea what he was taking
• Pressed counterfeit pills and all street drugs now commonly contain deadly fentanyl
• Stephen had a tattoo reading "No K-N-O-W Hope" which inspired Freida's nonprofit organization
• Recovery requires facing the struggle every day, similar to grieving a profound loss
• Addiction is not simply a choice but a brain disease that compromises decision-making
• Helping others enter and maintain recovery brings Freida joy and purpose through her pain

https://www.knowhopenorthcarolina.com/

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The silent epidemic of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl is claiming thousands of young lives across America, and most parents have no idea until it's too late. 

When Laura's 17-year-old son Zach purchased what he thought was a Percocet on Snapchat, she couldn't have known it would end his life. A straight-A student with college acceptance letters to multiple UC schools including UCLA, Zach had his entire future ahead of him. His story demolishes the stereotype of who fentanyl victims are - they're often not addicts but unwitting first-time users deceived by deadly counterfeits.

Host Lisa Carole, who recently lost her own son to fentanyl poisoning, creates a powerful space for Laura to share Zach's story - from his musical talents and academic achievements to the devastating moment she returned home to find paramedics and neighbors outside her house. The raw emotion of this mother's experience serves as an urgent warning for families everywhere: the drug paradigm has changed dramatically, and experimentation that might have been survivable in previous generations can now be instantly fatal.

Most disturbing is how this crisis remains largely invisible in mainstream conversation. Both mothers emphasize the critical need for public awareness campaigns, accurate media reporting that doesn't stigmatize victims with terms like "overdose," and school curricula specifically addressing counterfeit pills. As Laura poignantly notes, "If it can happen to Zach, it truly can happen to any kid who thinks they might just dabble or experiment one time. Well, that one time could be the last."

This episode isn't just heartbreaking - it's essential listening for anyone with children or young adults in their lives. Knowledge truly is power in this fight, and understanding the fatal facts of fentanyl could save someone you love. Subscribe to join this critical conversation and learn how you can help prevent these senseless tragedies in your community.

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Addiction doesn't discriminate—it can begin in the most unexpected ways, even through legitimate medical treatment. In this powerful conversation, Kelly shares the heartbreaking journey of her son Peyton, whose battle with opioid dependency began after cancer treatment.

At 16, Peyton was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The high-dose steroids used to save his life had devastating side effects, deteriorating his hip bones and requiring a full hip replacement by age 19. The prescription pain medications that followed created a pathway to addiction that eventually led to tragedy when what he thought was a Percocet turned out to contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Kelly doesn't hold back as she shares the raw truth about addiction's grip and the desperate struggle for recovery. She speaks candidly about treatment attempts, the challenges of Vivitrol therapy, and the overwhelming statistics facing families: childhood cancer survivors are five times more likely to fill opiate prescriptions, while only 3% of people with addiction disorders fully recover. Most importantly, she challenges us to reframe how we talk about these deaths—not as overdoses, but as poisonings and drug-induced homicides.

This episode shatters misconceptions about addiction and forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about our healthcare system, border security, and the stigma that prevents proper treatment. Kelly's powerful advocacy reminds us that behind every statistic is someone's child who didn't want to die, who had dreams and ambitions cut short by a preventable tragedy. Her message is clear: we must stop the stigma, change our language, and demand better from our systems before more lives are lost. Listen, share, and join the conversation that could save someone you love.

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RE-UPLOAD ... Season 2, Episode 1.. Original Interview for Season 1, Episode 1 was in July, 2021 with Derek Maltz, SR. ~ former DEA Special Operations leader, and more recently... 

The Acting Director of the DEA - Appointed by President Donald J. Trump from January-May, 2025

The information STILL remains Relevant and True as of NOW.  Some Changes have been Made in AMERICA, yet, more NEED to be made in Order to SAVE LIVES.  

America faces an unprecedented drug crisis as Mexican cartels and Chinese criminal organizations work together to flood our country with deadly fentanyl, killing our citizens at levels we've never seen before. Former DEA Special Operations head Derek Maltz provides an unflinching analysis of how this lethal partnership is poisoning America while politicians and media look away.

• Mexican cartels and Chinese transnational criminals have formed a lethal partnership killing Americans at unprecedented rates
• Cartels are manufacturing counterfeit prescription pills containing deadly amounts of fentanyl
• Young people are dying after taking just one pill purchased through social media platforms
• The DEA Phoenix division went from seizing zero counterfeit pills in 2015 to 6 million in 2020
• Fentanyl should be treated as a weapon of mass destruction and cartels as terrorist organizations
• Drug education programs have been gutted while synthetic drugs have become more dangerous
• Solutions include targeting chemical precursors, cash flow, and launching massive public awareness campaigns
• Political games are preventing effective action while deaths continue to rise

This crisis requires immediate action, unity of purpose, and leaders who will be held accountable. We must work together to save American lives and protect our communities from this deadly threat.

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Interview with Jaime Puerta, president of VOID,  Victims Of Illicit Drugs, in particular Illicit Fentanyl bombarding our country with hundreds-of-thousands of deaths of our youth and young adults.  Jaime is a grieving father who lost his 16-year old son, Daniel when he ingested a counterfeit pill that he purchased on SNAPCHAT, full of deadly Fentanyl that killed him.

Death by Deception!

Since, his son's death, Jaime has worked tirelessly in bringing awareness and education about the social media threat to all children, and for advocating for more common sense laws concerning Illicit Fentanyl trafficking.

WARNING TO ALL PARENTS... Fentanyl is killing at record levels and now Illicit Fentanyl is not only in counterfeit pills... but, now showing up in vaping products.  One and Done counterfeit pills and now vaping products can be DEADLY if laced with Fentanyl!

Listen and Learn with factual and firsthand knowledge of this most deadly and potent drug!

VOID Victims Of Illicit Drugs
Nonprofit Organization

VOID was formed to bring to the public’s attention, through education, awareness and legislative advocacy, the immediate danger of sudden death associated with the use of illicit drugs, in particular FENTANYL, and other emerging synthetic analogs.

https://stopthevoid.org/

Click the above link to watch...

DEAD ON ARRIVAL -  Documentary of Illicit Fentanyl

https://www.foxnews.com/.../fentanyl-more-accessible-kids...
The deadly drug has been found in vape pens on high school campuses in recent months

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It can happen to anyone. My son was poisoned with a counterfeit Percocet that contained pure fentanyl.

We lost our amazing son, Matthew Thomas, at 20 years of age to fentanyl poisoning. He took what he thought was a Percocet and died moments later on the morning of 07/25/2020. Because of this tragic loss our family experienced, we want to do everything in our power to keep another family from suffering this way. That is why we created Matthew's Voice.

The mission of Matthew’s Voice is to educate teens and young adults about the dangers of fentanyl poisoning specifically, and drug use in general. In addition, to provide rehabilitation scholarships for individuals who lack financial means.

To achieve this mission, we will go around to local high schools and teen organizations.  We will make this issue personal, giving teens and young adults a first hand account of the consequences that can come from drug use. We will also talk about the fentanyl epidemic, the dangers of drug use in general and the role social media plays in the availability and distribution of  various drugs. Once we are able, we will also offer scholarships to teens and young adults for treatment in drug rehab programs. 

​The sky is the limit and we have big hopes and dreams for this organization. Matthew may not be here to warn our youth of the dangers of drug use, but through Matthew's Voice, his legacy will live on and he will save lives.  We will shout to the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond to be sure Matthew's Voice is heard. 

 http://www.matthewsvoice.org/

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Understanding Addiction - Know Science, No Stigma... Interview with Dr. Charles Smith,  author of this most informative book ... a must-read for those struggling from the tragic effects of drugs and alcohol.. and for their families to understand the behaviors often associated with this disease of addiction. 

Dr. Smith is an expert in this field with personal, firsthand experience with the humiliation and shame that accompanies substance use disorder.  He points out that addiction is a disease .. no less so than diabetes, heart disease or hypertension... and needs to be treated as such.

Unlike most other illnesses, substance use disorder is characterized predominantly by behavior.  Stigma is our biggest killer.  It is a deterrent in combatting addiction and to get to the root of this disease.  It hinders growth and progression.

Knowledge is POWER...

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

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Angel Mom of Tiffany and Zachary.  My children are gone - I fight to save YOURS.

The overwhelming majority of Fentanyl POISONINGS are NOT "overdoses".  The term "overdose" implies the user had knowledge of the presence of illicit fentanyl and CHOSE to use it anyway and then used too much.  This is NOT what is happening in the majority of cases with illicit fentanyl.  We call this the new "paradigm" in the drug world.

Counterfeit prescription pills made to look IDENTICAL to a prescription Adderall, Percocet, Oxycontin, Xanax are pouring into our country courtesy of China and the Mexican drug cartels.  Your child might buy or be handed what they think is a Xanax which will NOT kill them, but they are actually getting pure fentanyl which will.   EVERY batch of these counterfeit pills being made by the cartels have pills which contain lethal amounts of illicit fentanyl.

The broad contamination of  traditionally non-lethal drugs like cocaine, heroin and meth with illicit fentanyl have created another dimension of drug induced homicides where the users may have intended to ingest cocaine which would generally NOT kill them with a single use but these drugs are being contaminated without the users knowledge with illicit fentanyl and they are dying.

This deception of our young people is killing unsuspecting young people at a rate of over 280 a day in this country from illicit fentanyl toxicity.

Nobody deserves to die for making one bad choice.  In today's world of illicit fentanyl they are.

It HAS TO BE STOPPED!