Here is the speech written by my dear friend. This was read at the Overdose Awareness Event.. An epidemic. A plague. A tragedy. A disease. A force to be reckoned with. A cornerstone. Daughters taken from fathers. Sons taken from mothers. Sisters taken from brothers. Wives taken from husbands. Companions gone to dust. Relationships built to crumble. What happened? Why? How? Addiction. Overdose. One trigger. One craving. One cause. One movement. NOT ONE MORE OVERDOSE. We are here to end overdose. Plain and simple. We are here for the Alex’s. We are here for the Michael’s, the Chad’s, the Jeremy’s, the Justin’s. We are here for the 105 people who will die today from overdose. In our own country. The land of the free, and the home of the brave. We are here for action. We are here for truth. We are here for parents. We are here for youth. We will be here when no one else is left standing. Until STIGMA is stigmatized. Until all treatment is customized. Until weeping mothers know exactly what to do BEFORE their spoons go missing. Until fathers know what to say when their child seeks out support. Until friends are true enough to fight for the lives of each other. Until those who are prisoners in their own minds are not prisoners behind bars. Until support groups and one-on-one counseling is widely available for anyone in need of it at any time. Until police officers in every town in every state of our country can revive an overdose victim and then know enough about drug misuse and addiction to refer a victim to a treatment facility. Until overdose prevention training is just as common as CPR training. Until Naloxone - like a syringe - is available over the counter in every pharmacy, and every pharmacist can train those individuals in how to administer it. Until children understand the difference between marijuana and methamphetamines, opiates and stimulants, and benzodiazepines and hallucinogens. And furthermore, believe fully and completely that doing a drug does not make someone “bad” or “good”, it makes him or her a person. Until schools remove their head’s out from the sand, and invest their resources in lifesaving and strategic prevention education. Until doctors coach their patients dutifully and prescribe their patients properly. Until addiction and mental health research is funded and utilized appropriately. Until social workers are equipped with up-to-date knowledge of the world we live in TODAY. Until the people who write the laws and pass the laws and decide who gets what fate and where based on the laws, make mental health just as much of a priority as physical health. And, beyond that, to understand that mental health affects physical health, and should be held to a greater standard. Until babies are born to parents who understand their genetics and know whether or not one drink, one pill or one experience will ignite a sleeping giant within. Until that time we will keep fighting. We will stand strong. We will be vigilant. We will be critical. We will partner. We will inspire. We will never give up. For everyone around the world who has lost someone because of their HUMANITY. This is for you and this is for those who cannot be here for a second chance, to defend themselves, to speak their piece, to fight for lives. Until no one else has to die from a preventable and reversible death. We will be here. Written by Chelsea A. Laliberte
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:44:48 +0000
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