Today we’d like to introduce you to Konrad (Theo) Krzywicki.
Hi Theo, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Changed: we started end overdose to give others the health equity I had gained a first responder. Believing all people should have the ability and tools to respond to drug overdose when they happen. As well as have access to the life-saving medicine naloxone. My experience with overdose was personal. I started using substances at 13 and was in full-blown addiction right away, during the oxycontin epidemic. I got sober at 19 in California and my fiancé died of an overdose. Ive experienced this opioid epidemic first hand, it pushed me to want to make a greater impact
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Hahaha smooth, no. End overdose is a community first organization. Our greatest source of strength is our supporters, volunteers and team members. End overdose willl help anyone, anywhere, anytime, any place. We have faced alot of adversity. We did not have a large funding source, we faced institutional opposition from organizations in the space that felt threatened by our development, despite that we offer free resources online and in person throughout the united states!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
End Overdose is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, California working to end drug-related overdose deaths through education, medical intervention, and public awareness. According to data from the CDC, fentanyl-related overdoses are the number one cause of death for people ages 18-45. End Overdose trained over 111,000+ people in 2022 and is a national organization that specializes in overdose response. We make our resources available to everyone, we do not gate keep we focus on a younger demographic 18-35 and are community lead. Experimental drug use and addiction puts people below the age of 35 as one of the most at-risk populations for overdoses. Fentanyl is lethal in small amounts (2mg) and many times people are unaware their drugs contain fentanyl. Three out of five overdose deaths could have been prevented if someone present knew how and when to intervene. We are training the nation to respond to overdose.
End overdose offers the following:
Education and training individuals on how and when to intervene during a suspected overdose.
Intervention include:
calling 911,
the use of fentanyl testing strips,
the ability to recognize the symptoms of an overdose,
the administration of naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose.
In addition
Our online training is 100% free and encouraged for everyone to take.
We seek to;
Make resources that prevent overdose-related deaths accessible to everyone across the country.
Equip individuals with preventative (fentanyl test strips) and responsive (naloxone) overdose tools.
Direct outreach to most at-risk populations via in-person education and resource distribution.
De-stigmatize the conversation surrounding mental health, addiction, and overdoses.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We see the current drug climate shifting, We are growing our organization to become an institution on responding to all overdose emergencies. We foresee that having health equity and response plans designed to benefit the community and allowing open-source community tools will be a huge shift.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.endoverdose.net
- Instagram: /end.overdose
- Facebook: /end.overdose
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSXwLmKeAm_MjOoF8Y5qTQ
