"I was watching my son die in front of me and knowing addiction and recovery and knowing he had to reach his bottom and I had to let him… that was the scariest part," said Ann Drummond, a mother and addiction recovery advocate.
Drummond says her 18-year-old son was addicted to Xanax and Percocet — drugs commonly laced with fentanyl.
"Five times paramedics came to our house. Five times Narcan was used. Five times he was able to come back. Twice I had to give him Narcan and once I had to give him CPR," she recalled.
Drummond says it took months for her son to recover from addiction. Now, she’s using Uber as a platform to educate riders about addiction and overdose prevention.
"Addiction hits so many people and it's sad. It just doesn’t have to happen," she said.
A crucial step in preventing overdose death is naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan.
"I encourage families, mothers, and fathers, to just have it at the house. Maybe it’s not your kid that overdoses, maybe it’s their friend. Having that first line of defense is important," Drummond explained.
As for addiction…
"Addiction and alcoholism are nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a disease. You can’t brush it under the rug and hope it gets better. You have to face it head-on and deal with it," she said.
After more than 9,000 Uber trips, Drummond has shared her story with all types of riders.
"Have you ever picked up someone who you suspect is an addict that you reach out to?" asked KSBY News reporter Juliet Lemar.
"Yes, many times I’ve picked someone up in a location where I know there is a high chance that they might be struggling and so I’ll share my son’s story with them. I don’t think I’ve ever shared the story when it wasn’t appreciated," Drummond answered.
In Santa Barbara County, the number of deaths caused by fentanyl has spiked from 12 in 2017 to 112 in 2023, according to data from the Santa Barbara County Coroner's Bureau.
To save a life, whether it's your own or someone else’s, Drummond encourages people to, "Get test kits, use test kits, and carry Narcan."
For more information on Narcan and to get a free dose, visit cdph.ca.gov.
