SAFE Event - James Haddad/Ike Dweck

[Music] if Shalom someone in our community died in a car accident because they weren't wearing a seat belt everyone in this room would send a message to their families and loved ones warning make sure you put on your seat Bel next time you get in the car even though most people instinctively they get a new car the first thing they do is they put on their seat belt but if alom someone experiences a fentin all overdose you may hear a few Whispers but most parents and loved ones don't make family meetings to issue a similar warning one need only open a newspaper or watch a newscast to know there's a fental crisis going on in America in 2021 there are 107,000 deaths from drug overdoses and over twoth thirds of those were from fentanyl overdoses that means over 72,000 deaths from fentanyl 42,000 deaths that's how many there were from car accidents in 2021 sadly as hatala will attest this is just not America's crisis it is our community's crisis traditionally when we think of people dying from drug overdose does we think of heavy drug users addicts people who just push things too far beyond their body that their body could handle that's not the threat we're facing fentol deaths can be the unintended result of casual even one-time ingestion of the fentanyl lace pill or vape cartridge at some point in their lives someone in your family is going to encounter someone else offering them a pill or other illicit substance whether it's at a social get together or a party or a late night study group trying to stay awake or focused for a big exam doesn't have to be at a rave the problem is going to present itself and it doesn't discriminate by how much money you have how popular you are how religious you are whether you're shy or outgoing or whether you're male or female I can tell you firsthand that drug overdoses and deaths are no strong no stranger to our community drug use is not someone else's issue it's our issue and unless we take a proactive measure we will be dealing with another tragedy sadly I've dealt with families that you and I and everyone in this room knows well that have gone through similar circumstances and experiences good kids good families with good parents and good backgrounds we want to do everything in our power to make sure no one else needs to go through this again [Music]