#131 – Mike Fiore & Andrea Thomas: Voices for Awareness#131 – Mike Fiore & Andrea Thomas: Voices for Awareness
Recovery Survey
Andrea Thomas and Mike Fiore talk with Brett Morris about fentanyl poisoning, stressing that many deaths are unintentional and preventable. The conversation focuses on education, naloxone, and community action to protect young people and reduce stigma around addiction and loss.
36:10•12 Oct 2022
Poisoning, Not Overdose: Mike Fiore & Andrea Thomas on the Fentanyl Crisis
Episode Overview
- Fentanyl-related deaths are framed as poisonings rather than overdoses, especially when tiny amounts in counterfeit or mixed drugs prove fatal.
- Parents and schools are urged to talk directly with young people about fentanyl, starting earlier than many feel comfortable, rather than hoping the issue never reaches them.
- Access to tools such as naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and school-focused education boxes is presented as critical for prevention and emergency response.
- The recovery community is seen as a key force in this crisis, using lived experience to reach young people more effectively than statistics alone.
- Phones and social media allow dealers to reach teens anywhere, making in-person prevention and honest conversations at home and in communities more urgent than ever.
“"You're not going to escape reality. You're going to leave reality because it's like playing Russian roulette with six bullets in the chamber."”
What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? This conversation on Recovery Survey brings together two powerful voices speaking out about fentanyl poisoning and the urgent need for action. Hosted by Brett Morris, the episode features Andrea Thomas from Voices for Awareness and Facing Fentanyl, and Michael Fiore, founder of Inspire2Inspire. The tone is open, straight-talking and occasionally funny, but the subject is deadly serious.
Andrea shares how losing her daughter Ashley pulled her into advocacy, while Mike brings the perspective of a person in recovery working on the front lines with affected families, people in active addiction, and vulnerable communities. A key message repeated throughout is language: they argue strongly that many cases are **“poisoning, not overdose”**, especially when someone takes a pill or smokes cannabis that contains a tiny, lethal amount of fentanyl.
Mike puts it bluntly: using drugs today is like "playing Russian roulette with six bullets in the chamber." You’ll hear hard statistics, like comparisons to 9/11 death tolls every two weeks, and examples of how fentanyl is showing up in counterfeit pills and across almost every street substance.
At the same time, the episode focuses on solutions: education in schools, naloxone availability, fentanyl test strips, parent and teen tools, and new "opioid reversal boxes" designed to get practical resources and training into classrooms. The guests highlight how the recovery community, grieving families, and wider society can work together – from speaking in schools to pushing local leaders for better prevention.
The style is honest, emotional, and very practical, aimed at parents, teachers, people in recovery, and anyone worried about someone they love. If fentanyl is everywhere, as they argue, what’s the next conversation you need to have today – and with whom?
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