Last February, a rumor went around UCLA that a particularly bad batch of drugs was circulating on campus. The tip prompted a rapid response from a newly formed student organization—End Overdose at UCLA—whose overarching mission is to save fellow students’ lives.

The ensuing 48 hours were a test of sorts for Gianna Uy, then co-president of the organization, to get out in front of a potential tragedy. And in the span of two days, End Overdose at UCLA—with the support of campus Greek life leadership—went beyond communicating warnings about possible tainted street drugs to training students in 21 fraternities and sororities in how to use fentanyl testing strips and naloxone kits.

Medication, Intervention, Education and Awareness are the four words that the non-profit End Overdose refers to when talking about the solution to saving a life from an overdose. It’s common to associate the term ‘overdose’ with death however, the two aren’t necessarily synonymous. It’s possible to survive an overdose or save someone from an overdose. And, it’s even more possible to avoid one entirely. That’s where the End Overdose organization comes in.

The growing non-profit “provides the necessary training and tools to reverse and prevent loss of life,” according to their website. Based in Los Angeles, the organization trains over a thousand people a month through their online program alone, shared Theo Krzywicki, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of End Overdose.

LOS ANGELES – “Fentanyl was new to the scene and I don’t think he knew the strength of it. He thought it was ok to smoke and it wasn’t,” said Juli Shamash.

The Brentwood mother co-founded the organization “Moms Against Drugs” after losing her 19-year-old son Tyler to a fentanyl overdose in 2018.

Fentanyl overdose is officially the single leading cause of death among young adults in the United States, according to the CDC, and on March 10th in Los Angeles, the dance music community is taking up arms.

The aptly-titled “Nobody Else Has To Die” benefit concert will be hosted by End Overdose, a non-profit dedicated to combatting drug-related deaths via education and medical intervention training. Its lineup, curated by local promoter Restless Nites, will include DJ sets by Black Marble, Drab Majesty and Sextile as well as live performances by the likes of Madeline Goldstein and Aurat.

Restless Nites and End Overdose announce Nobody Else Has to Die with a lineup of artists from the alternative scene to help raise awareness for the opioid epidemic.

---

In recent years, the United States has been rocked by an increasing number of opioid overdoses, leading it to be the number one killer of young adults in the country. From the untimely passing of loved ones to the growing concerns over laced narcotics, it’s become impossible to escape the magnitude of the situation. Many who have been affected by the widespread issue continue to help shine a light and educate others, and now Restless Nites and End Overdose are teaming up to help raise awareness.

End Overdose is a 501(c)(3) organization that’s committed to preventing drug-related deaths through education, medical intervention, and public awareness. They offer customized training sessions centered around opioid overdose response and help provide Naloxone/NARCAN to those who need access to it. To further their mission of destigmatizing and normalizing discussions on overdose, they’ve looked to LA nightlife gurus Restless Nites for an event dubbed Nobody Else Has To Die.

It’s Saturday night in Los Angeles, and Marie is heading to a rave downtown. She arrives before the doors open, creating a chillout zone by fluffing out a rug and pillows. Then, she lays a hundred little green packets on a table, and waits for strangers to approach.

Around midnight, an agitated man walks over and pulls a bag of white powder from his pocket. “Can you help me test this?” he pleads. “I don’t want to die.”

Marie rips open one of the green packets. Inside: testing strips that can detect whether substances like cocaine and ketamine contain fentanyl, a deadly opioid that’s increasingly infiltrating the street drug supply. Scooping out some powder from the bag, she dilutes the sample in water, and dips a test strip inside. One line: positive. The man runs back into the party and confronts his drug dealer. But the dealer denies it’s her batch. “I tested my drugs at home,” she says, “and it was negative on every supply”.

LOS ANGELES — Overdose deaths continue to skyrocket across the U.S.

According to the CDC, more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. between April 2020 and April 2021.

Synthetic opioids are currently the main driver of drug-related overdose deaths, and fentanyl is particularly lethal. The opioid that can be up to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Two milligrams can be lethal.

The End Overdose organization, which was founded by Theo Krzywicki, Katie Krzywicki and Leah Schexnayder, aims to educate people — especially adolescents — about the dangers of opioids and provide vital resources like Narcan, Naloxone and training that can save lives.

When you’re scrolling through TikTok or swiping through Instagram, you might see something unusual: Videos showing how to use naloxone, an opioid overdose treatment, posts about testing drugs and infographics about substance use proliferate on both platforms.

A national bus tour on a mission to help people recovery from addiction and save lives had a stop in Minneapolis.

Sunday, the Mobilize Recovery Across America 2022 bus was parked at Minneapolis Fire Department’s Station 14. The bus tour helps bring community leaders and stakeholders together to generate conversation – a main focus during the Twin Cities’ visit was on opioid use, specifically fentanyl.

“I’ve seen a lot of different addictions and a lot of different things hit the community over the years, but right now fentanyl to me is the biggest challenge and the increasing proliferation of it,” Bryan Tyner, fire chief for the Minneapolis Fire Department, said.