Honoring my brother’s legacy on Overdose Awareness Day

Aug. 31 is Overdose Awareness Day — a reminder of my brother, his years in recovery and his tragic death from overdose.

My brother, Angelo, was a great inspiration to me and countless others in the recovery community. The treatment programs he helped put together changed many lives over the course of the eight years he was sober. Addiction, however, is a chronic disease that eventually took his life. His overdose is a devastating reminder of the fragility of both sobriety and life in general.

My brother’s funeral was packed with at least 600 people — mostly people whose lives he’d touched through his work in the treatment field. Despite the crushing grief I felt, it helped to be able to plainly witness the positive legacy he left behind.

I am one of the many people whose lives have been changed by my brother. Like him, I have also struggled with addiction. But my brother was able to regain control of his life much quicker than I was. After completing felony drug court in Las Vegas, he continued to work in addiction treatment, and I watched as he helped many others gain the strength and skills to get sober and remain in recovery.

During my own addiction, I’d been through multiple rehab programs, ERs and hospitals, and even suicide attempts. But when I was at my lowest, my brother never gave up on me. And seeing what he was able to accomplish and how he was able to turn his life around ultimately inspired me to do the same.

His guidance continued until the very day he died. Shortly after his birthday, I received what would be the last text I’d ever get from him. My kids and I were on our way to Disneyland, and my brother messaged me to say he was proud of me and how far I’d come. I was reminded how years prior it had been him taking my kids to Disneyland when I was in the throes of active addiction.

Sadly, even those of us who appear to have everything together can slip up. My brother had begun drinking occasionally in the past year, but it hadn’t progressed to a degree where his family was alarmed. After having a few celebratory drinks during his birthday week, however, he gave into the temptation to use cocaine again. Tragically, that line of cocaine contained fentanyl, and just one small line was all it took to rob my brother of his life. According to the coroner’s report, he was killed almost instantly.

This story is one that is all too common in the United States. Using drugs has always been dangerous, but these days it is like playing Russian roulette with extra bullets in the gun. Over 107,000 Americans died in 2022 from a drug overdose, with synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) being responsible for 68% of these deaths.

Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid — about 50 times stronger than heroin — that is cheap and easy to produce. Unlike heroin and many other opioids that are mostly derived from opium poppies in Asia and South America and must be smuggled long distances, fentanyl is synthetic (man-made) and can be produced anywhere. Because the fentanyl supply is so abundant, it is being added to all types of drugs unbeknownst to purchasers; even counterfeit prescription drugs sold on the black market that are visually identical to legitimate medications often contain this adulterant.

There are multiple facets to tackling this problem. Of course, a significant concern of law enforcement has been getting these deadly drugs off the streets. But there’s much we can do as civilians to fight overdose as well.

First, we can become educated on overdose prevention, recognizing the signs of an overdose, and how to react if we witness an overdose. Responding swiftly and correctly can mean the difference between life and death. The National Harm Reduction Coalition provides a helpful guide on effective overdose response.

Part of being prepared means having the necessary tools on hand. Narcan is available in most states — soon to be all — without a prescription. This nasal spray device delivers a dose of naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose, restoring someone’s breathing and buying critical time for paramedics to arrive. Anyone close to someone who uses drugs can benefit from carrying Narcan and learning how to use it. Even if the person’s primary drug of choice is not an opioid, having Narcan on hand is a good idea because fentanyl is being detected in so many drug types.

Fentanyl test strips are another effective strategy in preventing fatal overdoses. With these small strips of paper, a small container, and some water, someone should be able to tell whether the drugs they are about to use contain fentanyl and are likely to kill them.

But while the importance of these strategies can’t be overstated, none of them address the root cause of the problem: addiction.

Addiction treatment is complicated: what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. It often takes multiple attempts to achieve lasting sobriety — and the stakes are life and death. But addiction is a treatable illness. I am living proof. And though my brother died fighting the disease, what he was able to accomplish in the eight years he was sober is proof as well.

When devastating events like the loss of a loved one occur, it can be tempting to fall into despair. However, I choose to focus instead on all he accomplished, to follow the positive example he set for me, and to try to change others’ lives for the better. My brother’s work and tragic death inspired me to pick up where he left off.

Recently I left my job in sales to work in addiction treatment outreach, where I use the skills I’ve developed for something more meaningful and carry on my brother’s legacy. I truly believe that what I’m doing can make a difference, the same way I know that my brother did.

Guiseppe Mandell is an Outreach Associate at Desert Hope Treatment Center, an American Addiction Centers facility based in Las Vegas.