I was honored to speak with pro football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith about his work in raising awareness of the dangers of opioid use.

Emmitt Smith teamed up with Emergent BioSolutions to break down the stigma around opioid use and accidental overdose, which continues to fuel a national epidemic impacting people from all walks of life.

During Emmitt's decorated 15-year professional career, Smith faced multiple injuries and often chose to play through the pain, because he knew the risks associated with opioids as he witnessed promising athletes develop a dependency, lost teammates to accidental overdose and watched loved ones struggle.

The Ready to Rescue campaign creates open dialogue about opioid risks and educate the public on how to be prepared to help save a life in an opioid overdose emergency.

Research shows that 44% of opioid-related deaths in states evaluated had a bystander present, but naloxone overdose reversal medications were rarely administered.

Parents should visit their local pharmacy to stock up on NARCAN Nasal Spray, which is available over the counter and can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose or poisoning in minutes.

I encourage you to share this interview (and the interviews linked below) with your teenagers and family members so that they are aware of how deadly opioids can be.

To listen to my interviews with grieving parents who have lost a child to fentanyl poisoning, please visit this link.