Fentanyl is impacting our communities, especially young people. Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of people under 50 than any other cause – even heart disease, cancer, homicide, and suicide.
The opioid epidemic in the United States has been a devastating issue for over two decades now. However, the problem has only gotten worse, mainly due to the rise of fentanyl. This potent drug is incredibly cheap for dealers to make into pills and is highly addictive. Not only is it lethal in small amounts, but it also lacks any distinguishing taste or smell. This makes it difficult for drug users to know what they’re taking, leading to inadvertently overdosing and causing a surge in deaths. Sadly, American teenagers and young adults seem to be particularly vulnerable to this problem. Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness of the risks associated with opioid use and encourage those who need it to seek help. Remember, addiction is a disease, not a choice. Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills, and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills. They are made to look just like prescription drugs such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®). Because of this, many individuals who encounter fentanyl have encountered it unknowingly.
In response to this dire situation, The Josh Burks Foundation is working tirelessly to increase community strategy and proactively address the dangers of fentanyl use. Through education, prevention, and youth awareness initiatives, The Josh Burks Foundation aims to empower youth and help them navigate the complex landscape of opioid use, including the hidden dangers of fake pills and other contaminants that can lead to fatal overdoses. With opioid addiction continuing to pose such a significant challenge for America, The Josh Burks Foundation is committed to stepping up and making a difference in the community.
The Foundation provides annual college scholarships to Barrington High School student athletes planning to study business administration or a related field.
The winners of the 2024 Josh Burks Memorial Scholarship awards. Julia Shein, Hope Regas, Cyndi Burks, Quentin Muhs, and Connor Baird. They each received $2,500.
Josh Burks was a vibrant 20-year-old college student from Lake Barrington, IL who died from Fentanyl poisoning on December 1, 2022. Josh was a baptized believer in Christ. He was loved by his family, friends, and community. He was a hard worker, loved and played football and genuinely cared about others. He was receiving help for opioid use disorder, but had his life unnecessarily cut short by a pill laced with 9mg of Fentanyl (2mg will kill a person).
Over 100,000 Americans die each year from drug overdose. 70% of the deaths are from Fentanyl poisoning (US CDC). Accidental overdoses are the leading cause of death for young people in America. While the person responsible for selling Josh the Fentanyl laced pill is in jail and charged with murder; it is critically important that Josh’s death allows others to live.
The foundation board requests your support in raising an initial $100,000 to insure Josh, in death, saves the lives of others. Please make your tax-deductible checks to “The Josh Burks Foundation”. Your generous donation will be placed on deposit at Cornerstone National Bank to fund this important work.
Click the button below or scan the QR Code to donate with a credit card. Checks can be mailed to: 25663 N Countryside Dr., Barrington, IL 60010.
The Josh Burks Foundation (EIN 93-3938654) was incorporated to prevent accidental death from fentanyl in young people aged 13-25. The foundation will create web-based content to equip community members for real nonjudgmental conversations with 13–25-year-olds. The content will be clinically based, easy to understand and designed for use by a variety of people who are involved in the lives of young people. The foundation will also provide an annual college scholarship to a Barrington High School student planning to study business administration or a related field.
Share information for how to prevent, recognize and respond in an overdose situation.
The resources here share more information about life-saving safety measures and how to use them.
Tap into resources to support at risk communities toward recovery.
Learn how you can support the fight against the opioid crisis.
Opioid use has gripped the United States for two decades, and synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are the driving force behind overdose deaths over the past few years.
JBLivesInc@gmail.com
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