Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of youth deaths in Oregon and over the past 5 years overdose deaths have grown faster for youth than for any other age group in Oregon, in large part due to fact that youth do not understand the risk of fentanyl and fake pills.

State law requires that all Oregon middle and high schools educate their students about fentanyl and fake pills beginning in the 2024-25 school year – a great step forward for our state. Yet more can be done to protect our state’s youth. Classroom education combined with community awareness and education can further protect communities against the impact of fentanyl.

In this session:

• The Song for Charlie (SFC) team will open this session by educating the audience about the increased risk of the street drug supply due to fentanyl and fake pills, and the impact it has had on Oregon’s youth.
• Seaside Counselors will share how they used resources from ODE and Song for Charlie to expand their classroom education and create a community education program, culminating in an evening community event that attracted over 360 parents, students and community members for an educational film screening and panel discussion.
• Feedback from one parent who attended the event: "Just a quick note to say that the event last night was incredible!  Thank you so much for putting it together!  My son and I both really enjoyed it and even on the car ride home found ourselves talking and connecting in a way I don't know that we would have had we not been to the event. I am continually impressed with the School District but in particular in the way that this event provided parents with information and tools for how to be more empathetic and vulnerable with their children.  As a parent I am always looking for educational viewpoints on how to be a better parent and your panel of experts really spoke to that.  Thank you!"
• SFC will share the New Drug Talk (NDT) resources and discuss how schools can use them to support classroom learning with parent and caregiver education. The NDT aims to protect Oregon youth by using evidence-based strategies that have been proven to prevent and/or delay drug use:
  • by providing youth/families an understanding of the risks of today’s drug landscape, and
  • by encouraging families to connect and discuss mental health and the current drug landscape.

The NDT program resources are free to use in Oregon thanks to our partnership with Trillium Healthcare

Learning Objectives

The audience will...  

• Understand how fentanyl/fake pills have made youth drug experimentation dramatically more dangerous than ever before, and the impact on Oregon's youth.
• Learn how schools can expand classroom lessons using Song for Charlie and other resources.
• Learn how to engage with community partners to host an impactful parent education event.
• Obtain pro tips for marketing community drug education events.  
• Learn how to increase the impact of the MS/HS classroom fentanyl education required in SB238 with resources provided by non-profit Song for Charlie and partnerships with local allies such as department of health, etc.  
• Leave the session with a preliminary plan for implementing a comprehensive long-term campaign in their community that they develop during the session.

Presenters:

• Jane Forman, School Counselor, Seaside Middle School and High School
• Natalie Dyroff, School Counselor, Seaside Middle School and High School
• Jennifer Epstein, Director of Strategic Programs, Song for Charlie
• Kristin MacRostie, Director of New Drug Talk Oregon, Song for Charlie
• Jon Epstein, Community Advocate and Consultant to Song for Charlie

Presenter Bios:

Jennifer Epstein: Jennifer Epstein joined Song for Charlie after losing her dear 18-year-old son Cal to a fake pill in December 2020. Jennifer worked with Beaverton School District to develop their Fake & Fatal campaign, the first known fake pill awareness campaign by a school district in the country. Jennifer went on to lead the implementation of The New Drug Talk program in Oregon and assisted with the CA New Drug Talk program. Jennifer is now SFC’s Director of Strategic Programs. Jennifer brings with her 20 years of both Fortune 100 and start-up operations experience, and over 12 years of working with schools and youth.

Kristin MacRostie: Kristin is a strategic communications professional with 20 years of experience in public relations, integrated marketing and advocacy. She joins Song for Charlie to lead the implementation of The New Drug Talk program in Oregon, bringing extensive expertise in statewide awareness campaigns and youth engagement. Previously, Kristin served as Vice President of a local marketing agency, shaping high-impact initiatives for Fortune 100 brands, public sector organizations, and nonprofits across the Pacific Northwest. A lifelong Oregonian, she is passionate about empowering communities through education and action. Outside of work, Kristin enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband and son.  

Jon Epstein: Jon is a parent, community advocate, educator, and business professional from the Portland, Oregon area. After the loss of their teenage son in 2020 to a counterfeit pill, Jon & his wife Jennifer have been working to mitigate fentanyl harms to youth through education and awareness.  Jon was active in the creation and passage of OR SB238, the first legislation in the U.S. to mandate MS/HS classroom instruction on synthetic opioids and dangers of counterfeit pills. He also was involved in the creation of federal legislation, “The FACTS Act”, which would scale up effective local and state efforts that prevent fentanyl harms to youth. Jon seeks opportunities to realize a change to comprehensive drug policy in Oregon and nationally, such that primary prevention plays a larger role.  Jon’s professional experience includes being a classroom teacher at the elementary and middle school levels and working at Intel & Nike in a variety of management and director positions in Operations, Finance, & Analytics.