I AM A FORCE FOR CHANGE - PREVENTION MANUAL FOR ADVOCATES

We lost our amazing son, Matthew Thomas, at the age 20 to fentanyl poisoning.
In July of 2020 he bought and took what he believed to be Percocet. He was
deceived into taking a counterfeit prescription pill. He died shortly after taking it.
Because of this devastating loss, we are committed to keeping other families from
suffering the same heartbreak. As a result, Matthew's voice was created.
To achieve our mission, we give presentations at local high schools and teen
organizations. We make this issue personal, giving teens and young adults a
firsthand account of the consequences that can come from drug use. Our focus is
on the fentanyl epidemic and the dangers of drug use in general. We emphasize
the role social media plays by glamorizing drug use, as well as how it has
increased the availability and distribution of various drugs to teenagers. In order
to reach more young adults, we have teamed up with a professional videographer
and voiceover actor to create a public service announcement to educate the
public on the dangers of illicit fentanyl. In addition, we are working on
implementing a fentanyl unit in middle and high schools across North Carolina.
We have also created a national version that can be used in any state.
The sky is the limit, and we have big hopes and dreams for this organization.
Matthew may not be here to warn our teenagers about 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 make sure
Matthew's Voice is heard.
https://www.matthewsvoice.org/about
Global Recovery Movement Email: info@grmovement.net 14