Helping Combat Drug Epidemic in My Community by Kai

Helping Combat Drug Epidemic in My Community by Kai - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

The drug epidemic has been a major social issue for years. Thousands of people suffer from substance use disorder, and thousands more die each year because of it. This topic is fascinating because I have seen firsthand what it does to people and families. Growing up, my mother always spoke to me about substance use disorder and how using substances wasn't good for you. I didn't really think much of it when I was younger because I didn't understood what it was or what it did. All I knew was to go to fundraisers and volunteer at different foundations and events to help the community. I'd volunteer with my mother with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and she would also volunteer and teach people how to reverse an opioid overdose. It wasn't until I was 11 years old that I realized how awful this disease is. On November 22, 2017, my life changed forever. I experienced the first death in my family due to fentanyl poisoning. My family threw a celebration of life in memory of my uncle, and we continued on with our lives. It was very challenging going through that point in my life because I knew I would never see him again, and it has impacted me since then. There were a lot of emotions, and it was difficult to think about it at the time. It was also challenging seeing my mother so upset after this loss. I knew what death was and how it impacted people, but I never saw it firsthand. I started volunteering more at the Chris Atwood Foundation, where I packed numerous Naloxone and harm reduction kits to help save people's lives. I did this for another three years until another unfathomable incident took place. On October 7, 2020, my mother lost her partner, Ian, to fentanyl poisoning. Even though I've experienced this before, this time was different. I watched my mother slowly fall into deep sadness, anger, and regret.
I tried my best to help her even though I knew there was nothing I could do but listen and be there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. I also had a lot of emotion seeing her in that state, and since I didn't know how to deal with that, I would build up all of my feelings and keep them in, which wasn't healthy for me. Grief and loss are complex, and if someone were to ask me how I felt, I'd tell them I don't know. I coped by caring for my mom and trying to stay busy.
After this awful experience, I doubled down and volunteered to my fullest. I volunteered at the Chris Atwood Foundation every summer, two to three times a week, packing even more naloxone and harm reduction kits. I was even honored with the Family Hero Award by The Chris Atwood Foundation for my work and efforts. I started researching substance use disorder and how it can affect anyone. I've written numerous papers and now volunteer at events teaching people how to administer naloxone to someone suffering from an overdose. Family will always be family, and even though Ian isn't physically with us, I know he is still part of my family. So, we talk about him, celebrate him, and advocate for people like him; this helps me keep his memory alive and present.
Through all this, I've learned that even though many people depict others who struggle with this mental illness as "bad people," it can happen to anyone, even my family. Even though I am just one person in this world of 8 billion people, I feel I can make a difference by continuing to volunteer and educate others on substance use disorder. I believe that the more I learn, the more I help, and the more I can educate; maybe I can contribute to one more life being saved.