I’ll be honest, I’m tired of the debate.
In the past two years I have had four friends die of fentanyl overdoses. These people were beautiful, talented individuals with their own hopes, dreams and problems.
I’ve provided an evidence-based framework with 100 cited references from accredited websites, studies and academic journals.
To give some concreteness to the real impact such a change would have, consider this beautiful voice:
That’s the angelic voice of late transgender Torontonian Micah Antonio – my friend. Micah passed away on August 4, 2021 because she received drugs tainted with fentanyl. She used to come over to my apartment and – despite being homeless herself – she would help me clean up my apartment. This was the kind of person she was. Colorful, and kind. And her voice was stunning.
I was lucky enough to have her in front of a microphone, in my recording studio on a couple of occasions. She did hear the song I composed with her vocals, but it wasn’t publicly released to the world until after she passed.
Sharing it with her friends and community at her memorial service organized at the 519 was one of the most heartbreaking releases of any creative work I have ever done or collaborated to make.
Do we want our gifted children to die because of the war on drugs?
Enough is enough.