A local foundation aims to curb the opioid crisis
https://abc57.com/news/a-local-foundation-aims-to-curb-the-opioid-crisis
SOUTH BEND, Ind – The 525 Foundation held its annual gala on Thursday to bring awareness and help change the opioid crisis.
“We are here to remember Nick and Jack and the thousands of others who unknowingly dying at hands of prescription drugs,” 525 Foundation gala emcee Maureen McFadden said.
The foundation was formed in 2016 a year after Mike and Becky Savage lost their sons due to opioid use at a graduation party.
525 Foundation Co-founder Becky Savage explained the tragic events.
“The 525 foundation started about three years ago, it was about a year after we lost our sons from prescription drug misuse they were at a graduation party where they decided to participate in experimentation of prescription medication about a year later we thought you know what we should take their story and use their story to help other people so that this doesn’t happen to somebody else,” Savage said.
There were over 300 people in attendance at Thursday’s gala.
Former NFL Quarterback Terry Bradshaw attended and explained how he heard about the foundation and its message to children.
“It’s a message that has to be told and it has to be told and told and told we have to constantly remind our children of the danger of drugs,” Bradshaw said.
One of the foundations efforts is putting drug drop-off boxes in elect Martin’s to help get prescription pills off the streets
“525 makes, I think it should make everyone realize that the opioid epidemic attacks everyone in our community,” St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter said.
According to event organizers Thursday’s gala raised approximately $80,000 to help fight for change to the opioid crisis
It is reported that we currently spend 81 billion/yr in fighting the war on drugs… The amount that this gala raised would be about what we now spend every ONE-HALF SECOND in fighting the war on drugs. That $80,000 would purchase the abstinence medication Vivitrol to treat 4-5 substance abusers for ONE YEAR.
I wonder if these two teenagers had gotten into the liquor cabinet at the house where the graduation party was held and had died of alcohol toxicity or drove home in a drunken state and had a accident that killed both of them… if their parents would have created a foundation to help change alcoholism that kills about 100,000 people every year ?
No mention of the person(s) who brought the drugs to the party… NO CONSEQUENCES ?
I feel sorry about their loss, but personal responsibility should be a primary concern and the consequences for a person’s lack of personal responsibility is not something that our society can change, no matter how much many wish that we could.
Filed under: General Problems
Agree 100% Steve, far as I know these kids could have got the drugs out of their own parents cabinet. What we need is the hundreds if not thousands of families that have lost loved ones to suicide due to untreated pain to come forward. I haven’t seen that many family members talking about loved ones they lost. We need one of those families to start a group for just them. We need verifiable testimonies from these folks. Government agencies know some people have committed suicide, they have no idea what that number is. I happen to believe it’s in the thousands. I know these ignorant pieces of garbage almost took me out a few times now.
I’m truly sorry about the families loss. How about full disclosure on the toxicology reports? Most parties don’t just just have one drug but multiple drugs and alcohol. My guess is these kids used stolen prescriptions along with alcohol. If the drugs were stolen from the parents where are those charges? Perhaps many of these cases could be avoided if parents were to just lock up the meds.
But Steve, personal responsibility is positively un-American these days.
These people make me sick….sitting around at their “gala,” raising boatloads of money to perpetuate a sadistic lie, based upon their own offspring’s –sorry– stupidity.