Netflix actress Ava Michelle has shared a stark warning about the dangers of fentanyl in an emotional video, one year after she suffered from the tragic loss of her brother from an accidental overdose.
The 20-year-old actress, from Michigan, broke down as she detailed the fentanyl crisis in the country while explaining that her 23-year-old brother Devan died as a result of drug poisoning in February of 2021.
In the powerful video, the Tall Girl star attempts to raise awareness about the dangers of the drug, which is often laced in other drugs and causes accidental deaths.
Ava opened up about the dangers of fentanyl one year after she suffered from the tragic loss of her brother Devan from an accidental overdose
The 20-year-old actress from Michigan broke down as she detailed the fentanyl crisis in the country while explaining that her 23-year-old brother Devan died as a result of drug poisoning
In the powerful video, she attempts to raise awareness about the dangers of the drug which is often laced with other drugs and causes accidental deaths
‘I just had to finally make this video because I am just so done hearing about everything else,’ she said.
‘I’m so done hearing about COVID deaths when the number one cause of death in people between 18 and 45 is fentanyl poisoning.’
She added that there are many people who have no idea what the powerful opioid is, and admitted she didn’t know about it until her brother ‘passed away from fentanyl poisoning.’
The star then broke down in tears before adding that many other families have lost ‘so many amazing people because of [fentanyl].’
Ava wiped away her tears and explained she wanted to make the video to ‘educate’ and ‘stop people from making this choice’.
She explained that ‘175 people a day’ die as a result of fentanyl poisoning.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration or the DEA, fentanyl is a synthetic drug that was developed for pain management in cancer patients.
The opioid is said to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and because of how powerful it is and is often diverted for abuse.
Fentanyl is usually added to heroin to increase its potency, or be disguised as extremely potent heroin.
She added that there are many people who have no idea what the powerful opioid is, and admitted she didn’t know about it until her brother ‘passed away from fentanyl poisoning’
Ava wiped away her tears and explained she wanted to make the video to ‘educate’ and ‘stop people from making this choice’
According to the DEA, fentanyl is the primary driver of overdose deaths in the country and as little as two milligrams is considered a lethal amount
Accidental overdose deaths occur when drug users purchase heroin without knowing that they are actually purchasing fentanyl.
The drug is primarily manufactured in China and Mexico and brought over the borders.
In her video, Ava adds that the drug is being sold ‘illegally by lacing it in drugs or selling it pure form.’
According to the CDC, fentanyl is primarily mixed in with heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine and made into pills that are made to resemble other prescription opioids.
‘Any drug that you buy that is not prescribed has the possibility of being laced with fentanyl,’ the actress said.
A lethal dose of fentanyl is considered to be two milligrams.
Fentanyl poisons one person every 8.57 minutes, killing 175 people every single day.
Drug trafficking organizations often distribute the powerful opioid by the kilogram, one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
The drug is extremely lethal as the actress explains it can kill someone ‘whether it is swallowed, inhaled or just touched.’
The actress then details the tragic case of six college students in Florida who overdosed on the drug.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, six college students overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl in March of 2022.
Two of the students who overdosed had not taken the drug but suffered from and overdose after performing CPR to the initial overdose victims.
The actress ends her video by pleading with her over 2.5 million followers to educate themselves about the dangers of fentanyl so they don’t have to suffer the pain of loosing a loved one the same way she did.
‘If you decide you want to do drugs and you want to get them off the street there are testing kits that are available in many states that might help your chances, but honestly guys, know the weight of your decision,’ she says at the end of her video.
The drug is extremely lethal as the actress (pictured with her mom and brother) explains it can kill someone ‘whether it is swallowed, inhaled or just touched’
The lethal amount of heroin is equivalent to about 30 milligrams; whereas only three milligrams is more than enough to kill an average-sized adult male
Ava has previously opened about the death of her brother noting that he was an amazing person who ‘always wanted to do good’
The star has previously spoken out about the detrimental effect of her brother’s death.
In an interview with PEOPLE Ava said: ‘It was very unexpected and obviously an accident. It’s still hard to share, but I think it’s important.’
She added she is ‘super passionate’ about spreading awareness about the drug and added that she would soon be starting her ‘own foundation.’
Following Devan’s death, Ava and her mother her Jeanette Cota, 48, launched a clothing line inspired by Devan called Identified, which she said he named.
‘The night before he died he was talking about this line that we all wanted to do together, and he named it the night before he passed.
‘He was sitting there talking about how much we struggle to find our identity in this world, because society really just makes it difficult for us.
‘They think we can be put in boxes, but we’re all different, and we’re all human, and so we all should just be identified as human,’ she told PEOPLE.
She concluded the interview by noting that her brother ‘always wanted to do good’ and that there was ‘a lot’ she had to ‘learn from him.’
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