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Mother whose son died by drug OD shares free Narcan training
Michelle Leopold’s 18 year old son died after he overdosed on fentanyl in 2019, before Narcan was accessible.
SAN FRANCISCO - A Bay Area mother is handing out free naloxone and training strangers how to use it to combat overdose deaths to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day.
A grieving mother
Michelle Leopold’s 18-year-old son died after he overdosed on fentanyl in 2019, before Narcan was accessible.
Every August, Leopold hosts events outside her hardware stores all over the Bay Area, raising awareness about drug overdoses in collaboration with nonprofit and government organizations.
She became an advocate when her son, Trevor, overdosed in a dorm room at Sonoma State University after taking a lethal amount of fentanyl.
"The person in his room heard gurgling, did not know that was a sign of overdose, he thought he was snoring," she said.
Education and prevention
Throughout the week, she is helping people learn how to identify an overdose and training them on how to use naloxone.
On Tuesday, she set up a table outside the Standard 5&10 Ace on California Street, one of the businesses she owns, with the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
She trained people alongside Neva Legallet, a young woman who grew up with Trevor, and now works for SFDPH’s overdose prevention team.
"Losing someone that young… yeah, it makes it very real," said Legallet. "Narcan would have saved Trevor’s life."
Back when Trevor overdosed, Narcan wasn’t an accessible option.
"Nobody even knew what fentanyl was," Leopold said. "I was reaching out to anybody that would listen that the drug supply had been infiltrated with fentanyl."
Six years later, the two are working to prevent others from his tragic fate, by teaching others how to identify an overdose and use naloxone.
Tracking overdose deaths
A preliminary monthly Accidental Drug Overdose Report, published by the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said 51 people died of overdoses in San Francisco in July.
The city’s monthly tracker reports 412 overdose deaths so far this year, which is about the same number as this time last year.
SFDPH distributed more than 200,000 doses of naloxone this year alone to combat those numbers, empowering people to do something when they see something.
"I really love watching people walk away with the knowledge that I know what I’m doing and I can save someone’s life," said Legallet.
Like Audrey Ellis, who said she’s felt afraid to approach drug users on the streets of San Francisco before, but learned from Leopold’s demonstration and took a box of Narcan to help change the statistics.
"If you don’t do that, then nothing happens," Ellis said.
"The more folks that have this, the more people there are to respond," said Legallet.
Shifting focus
Leopold said this is her last year distributing naloxone and plans to focus on engaging youth before they use.
"My heart is with young adults and educating them with prevention," she said.
There will be five more trainings across the Bay Area throughout the week, leading to International Overdose Awareness Day on Sunday, August 31.
The events are as follows:
- Thursday 8/28 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm at Laurel Ace (4024 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland)
- Friday 8/29 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at Oakley Ace (3100 Main St. #266, Oakley)
- Friday 8/29 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm at Antioch Ace (501 Sunset Dr., Antioch)
- Friday 8/29 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm at Pittsburg Ace (125 E. Leland Rd., Pittsburg)
- Sunday 8/31 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm at Marin Ace (180 Merrydale Rd., San Rafael)