According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), overdose is the number one leading cause of death among young people in the U.S.
You don’t have to remind Colleen Ronnei of that fact. She’s lived it.
Her son Luke was prescribed opioids after a routine wisdom teeth procedure. When his recovery took longer because of dry sockets, his prescription was extended. In no time, the extra pills took hold.
“It only takes three to five days for the brain to start rewiring and for young, not fully developed brains, those changes can set in a hook that puts people on a path that is very, very difficult to get off of,” said Colleen Ronnei, executive director and founder of Change the Outcome.
In January, Ronnei’s nonprofit, Change the Outcome, was awarded $50,000 from Washington County to reach out to local students and provide focused, real-time, fact-based learning opportunities on substance use disorder and the opioid epidemic.
Ronnei never got a chance to have these thoughtful discussions with her son Luke. “I can’t advocate for my son anymore, but I can make sure to do it for other parents.”
Luke entered the repetitive cycle of recovery and relapse in his battle with opioids, which eventually led to heroin. He died on Jan. 7, 2016, at the age of 20.
“I want other parents to have information that I didn’t have,” Ronnei said. “I want other kids to understand what Luke didn’t, that it’s not your fault if you struggle.”
Ronnei founded Change the Outcome after her son Luke’s death. The mission is to educate parents, kids, teachers, and the community as a whole on opioid use disorder. Ronnei says even legitimately prescribed medications can affect young, developing brains dramatically, and personal and family history of mental health issues can amplify those effects.
“A lot of people have pain, and it’s human nature to avoid feeling emotional or physical pain,” Ronnei explained. “Unfortunately, pills are very accessible and they’re highly risky.”
As part of the grant from Washington County, Ronnei and other volunteers offer middle school and high school students a 90-minute program. It begins with a 40-minute, Minnesota-made documentary with personal stories of local people struggling with addiction. The film is followed by a panel of discussion with young people either in recovery or those impacted by a loved one’s substance use disorder.
“Kids are hungry for information that is truthful and delivered honestly,” Ronnei said. So far this year in Washington County specifically, Change the Outcome has delivered education to 1500 middle and high school students, including facts on opioid use, the disease of addiction, and emerging drug trends among other topics. “The goal is to improve student understanding about the risks associated with substance use,” Ronnei said the information provided to students in Washington County is lifesaving.
“I wanted other kids to understand what Luke didn’t, that it’s not your fault if you struggle with something like that. It’s imperative you ask for help because substance use disorder is not something you can generally take care of on your own.”
Surveys from more than 130,000 students, teachers, parents and neighbors in more than 100 Minnesota communities show that 99% of students felt more informed about the current risks related to substance use with the information they learned from Change the Outcome. Additionally, 95% of those students said they believed other people their age would benefit from the program.
“I didn’t know what the risks were when my son was struggling because it was a secret, and secrets don’t help us. If I had been more aware of what was happening, I would have done things differently.”
Ronnei and Change the Outcome are doing just that, spreading awareness and arming families with the information that could save lives. To learn more, go here.