Call to Action

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by

austinhope
in

A Call To Action:

For six months while waiting on the toxicology report and murder investigation I continued to research near and far. What did I miss? How could I fix this to prevent others from suffering and dying? How did this happen? Why Austin? If this could happen to Austin with his strength, health, intelligence then what is going to happen to all the other colleges and other kids that are unknowingly being exposed to the addictive properties of the synthetic opioids?  I am anticipating much more SUD and homelessness due to the fact there aren’t the medically assisted rehab facilities available. I spoke to multiple LAPD Homicide detectives and LASD Detectives asking what they need to help this situation? The reply was the same. We need the tools to do our job. Our hands are tied with the laws that let criminals go with no punishment. The DA’s in California won’t try to prosecute anything. We need legislation changes back to enforcing the laws. We are understaffed, and underfunded. We don’t have the time or manpower to look into all of the deaths.

In September 2023 the DEA invited me to their Washington DC Headquarters to attend the Family Summit on Fentanyl. The focus being on empowering citizens/parents with knowledge to start grass roots organization back in their hometown to help save their community. Educate the schools, law enforcement, city councils, media of the facts about Fentanyl because the DEA intelligence is not being heard. Lost Voices of Fentanyl Group organized a march from the Washington Monument to the White house with 100’s of parents with photos and ashes of kids dead to Fentanyl and not one media outlet would show up to report.  I heard a mom say that she should not know what her sons brain weighs. All of us mom’s should not know what their kids ashes and bones feel like. Or that their kids’ donated eyes went to Chile because there is such a surplus of dead kid parts. Why is this info being suppressed for years? Double the  deaths in one year from Fentanyl that the Vietnam War and Gulf Wars Combined, but yet no reports or warnings from the CDC or local health departments. Fentanyl is the #1 killer of 18-46 year olds and the CDC is talking about masks for COVID still.

At the DEA Summit I began to meet and listen to 100 other bereaved parents that were professional, compassionate, dedicated and self motivated in their efforts to educate and raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl to our youth. These parents have started amazingly beneficial organizations to combat the Fentanyl Crisis. For the second time since Austin died my heart stopped hurting and I could take a full breath. I knew that Austin’s HOPE was alive and that Gen Z might not be the United States last generation.

The DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and the Attorney General Merrik Garland gathered the Summit attendees from around the United States together and said, “We know we must all work together to save lives and stop fentanyl. This crisis will take all of us working together to solve. This two-day event aims to create a dialog to affect change through enforcement, awareness and prevention education.” There has to be a language change addressing the new current day illicit drug epidemic crisis.

  1. Erase the Stigma. There is NO SHAME in being poisoned and deceived.
  2. Erase word ‘addiction.’  ‘Substance Use Disorder SUD’ is a disease listed in the DSM. Fentanyl is laced on 7 out of 10 illicit drugs tested from around the country in 2023. Once exposed you are an addict for life being 50X stronger than heroin. This requires treatment in a medically assisted facility. Only 2% can get clean unassisted. SUD is a family disease. It takes everyone working together as a united front supporting the sick family member.
  3. Erase the word ‘overdose.’ These are ‘Poisonings/Murder’ through deception.
  4. CDC states “Substance Use Disorder is not a Character Flaw.” SUD is not a moral flaw. A quarter of a million young Americans have been murdered in the last 2 years 2022,2023
  5. Declare Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction and Domestic Terrorism from China and Mexico. This is being seen in all states and requested by many county Sheriffs around the US and the DEA. These media conferences are not being aired but can be viewed on Youtube.
  6. Fentanyl has been used in Chemical Warfare. Fentanyl is now being brought in by our open borders. Our borders must be secured.
  7. The White House administration is ignoring all Congressional reports of China being in a drug war and all warnings of the preceding information, including FBI warnings to our High National Security Threat level.
  8. Grieving parents whose kids were murdered from the White House Administrations neglect to protect its citizens are now having to try to warn and save the future of the country. This is what you took an oath to do. Do your job.
  9. Retired DEA Special Agent Derrek Maltz explains to South Carolina Congressman in Youtube video China’s intent to destabilize the future of the US with Fentanyl attack.
  10. More research and development needs to go into finding treatment and a cure for Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Regulating quality of care SUD rehabilitation centers.
  11. Protecting people living in High Intensity Drug Traffic Areas (HIDTA). Provide counseling, classes on SUD, life skills, 24/7 mental health support, Narcan. Extra security to keep drug/death dealers from preying on this vulnerable population.
  12. While attending the DEA Los Angeles Division Fentanyl Summit in October 2023 Sheriff Brown in Santa Barbara County spoke about his SUD program that he offers his community members. Sheriff Brown said, “Fentanyl is deadly, dangerous and tragic. A goal is to change the stigma of SUD and provide the support needed for the people addicted.” He went on to encourage the citizens to put pressure on your local Congressman and Senator to change policies and legislation. “We need medically assisted programs available to people.”
  13. Steve Filson, a retired Narcotics Detective lost his daughter to Fentanyl and started the group ‘Stop the VOID’. He showed the award winning video, “Dead on Arrival”. They are now raising their granddaughter. There are many Fentanyl orphans in the US.  In November back East of Los Angeles Steve Filson went to Kali’s police academy to show, “Dead on Arrival”. Kali said there was not a dry eye. Everyone was crying. Please remember this crisis effects every family. No one is unaffected. If it hasn’t yet, it will.
  14. Please remember our first responders and law enforcement. They see the deadly effects of fentanyl, and devastating affects from illicit drugs causing psychosis every day and it takes a toll on them as well. We are all in this together. Please consider going to your local fire department and sheriff/police department and ask them what you can do to help the situation. Find out what laws and legislation changes your Congressman and Senator is working on to help. Ask your local hospital/ER how many poisonings they are seeing in your community. Go to the local mortuary and ask them if your community is seeing deaths from fentanyl. Ask the city to have a town hall meeting to discuss the numbers in your community. Ask if the local health department can start an awareness campaign and provide Narcan. Attend school board meetings and ask questions. Hope is not silent. There is a lot of hiding the facts because of the stigma. The days of recreational drug use are over. At the DEA Summit I met 2 different families whose kids smoked weed and died from fentanyl. I met one mom whose daughter drank out of a water bottle and died from fentanyl. Everyone should be carrying Narcan and know how to use it. The CDC and our local health department should be handing out Narcan. Inaction is deadly.

It’s been a decade of destruction since that Easter Day that hurt Austin so significantly. It’s been a year since Austin died. Grief Expert David Kessler said, “Death does not have the power to end a relationship.” That has certainly been true for Kali, Austin and I. When Austin told me his password with Homicide Detective I was able to see why he needed to be numb, heard and understood.  He refused to give up hope on his dad, telling him in detail what he needed. He was setting his dad up to be the hero, so he could fix him. He wanted so desperately for his dad to show him that he cared.  Austin keeps getting in my head about this. He won’t leave me alone until I write about it. Be transparent and tell the whole truth. I will let Austin tell it. There is something about being heard and understood, especially when the other person is deceptive and manipulative. The gaslighting and psychological abuse had taken a toll on all of us.  Austin has been in angst and wants peace. I hope this sets Austin free. I want freedom . Kali deserves freedom. It’s our lives and we have the right to talk about it. It’s happening to us and we don’t want to be controlled by fear any more.

Please if anyone is suffering go to another friend or call the 988 number. Don’t  let a person or a drug gamble with your Liberty. You may get Death like Austin did. My only comfort is knowing that Austin has a loving Father now in Heaven.