A son’s death and a mother’s love. This is the story of Josh Olt who overdosed on heroin and died at the age of 16. This is the story of the mother he left behind. It is not a story of “moving on,” or “getting over it.” For those of you who have lost someone you love to overdose, you know those things don’t happen. This is, instead, a story of disenfranchised grief, of self-blame, of what-ifs, of should-haves, and how to find a way to let go of that guilt.
Overdose Prevention Sites Position Statement
/in drug policy, harm reductionThis country is in the midst of an overdose crisis. According to the CDC for the year 2021, there were 109,179 overdose deaths.
Drug-Induced Homicide
/in drug policyBroken No More Position Statement
Prevention Sites Would Save Lives
/in harm reductionToo many people are dying from opioid overdoses. Prevention sites would save lives.
Letter to Pantagraph Editor
/in drug policyRepublican state Senators Sally Turner and Sue Rezin recently introduced a bill that, if enacted, would double down on the failed war on drugs by imposing harsh penalties for the distribution of drugs that contain fentanyl.
Salon Interview with Dr. Tamara Olt
/in drug policyTheir children struggled with addiction. Now, they’re fighting against the war on drugs.
5 Fentanyl Myths Debunked
/in drug policy, harm reductionExperts in addiction share the biggest myths they encounter and the harm it can do to people who use drugs.
Advocating for Oregon Drug Reform
/in drug policy, newsMorgan Godvin, who is in recovery from heroin addiction and a commissioner on Oregon’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, joins CNN’s Michael Smerconish to discuss the state’s historic vote to decriminalize the possession and personal use of drugs.
Webinar: Harm Reduction for Parents and Teachers
/in harm reductionOpioid Addiction and the Myth of Powerlessness
/in editorialThere is a belief that those of us with an opioid addiction, that we are powerless over our addiction. That is a myth. We are not powerless. But we appear powerless because the prohibition laws of this country rob us of our power.
Excerpt: How I Stopped Blaming Myself for My Son’s Overdose Death
/in grief recoveryA son’s death and a mother’s love. This is the story of Josh Olt who overdosed on heroin and died at the age of 16. This is the story of the mother he left behind. It is not a story of “moving on,” or “getting over it.” For those of you who have lost someone you love to overdose, you know those things don’t happen. This is, instead, a story of disenfranchised grief, of self-blame, of what-ifs, of should-haves, and how to find a way to let go of that guilt.