Song for Charlie Announces LAUSD Partnership, National Launch of Life-Saving Teen Fentanyl Education Program

Song for Charlie Announces LAUSD Partnership, National Launch of Life-Saving Teen Fentanyl Education Program 

Media Contact:

Prerana Swami

songforcharlie@ellecomm.com

Los Angeles (Jan 8, 2025) -- Today, national family-led nonprofit Song for Charlie announced the nationwide launch of a groundbreaking fentanyl education program to give young Americans access to fact-based, lifesaving information. The program was soft-launched in late 2024 in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the country. It is tailored specifically for teens navigating today’s drug landscape and consists of a film, a classroom discussion and activity guide, a peer-to-peer program, and resources for parents to continue education at home. In 2025, Song for Charlie will expand the program to schools and districts across the country. 

According to a recent survey from Song for Charlie, 81% of teens view fentanyl as very dangerous, but nearly half (45%) don’t know that a fake prescription pill can contain lethal amounts of it. The same survey shows that 10% of teens report experimenting with prescription pills. 

“We’ve learned from our own research and other studies that while awareness is up, the knowledge students have is lagging,” said Ed Ternan, co-founder of Song for Charlie. “High schoolers are telling us they still don’t know enough about the dangers of fake pills, so that’s where we’re focusing our efforts. Pills might seem safe because they’re perceived as medication, but in the age of fentanyl and fake pills, that perception is deadly. Thanks to our partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, our film and peer-to-peer program empower students with the knowledge they need to understand these risks and stay safe in today’s drug landscape.”

About the Program and the LAUSD Partnership

In fall 2024, Song for Charlie and LAUSD partnered to soft-launch the program in every middle and high school in the district, reaching ~172,000 students across Los Angeles. Central to the program is a 20-minute Song for Charlie film tailored to teens, titled Real Talk About Fake Pills along with a peer-to-peer education program to empower students to take the message into their own hands. Additionally, Song for Charlie’s The New Drug Talk film for parents, including a version with Spanish subtitles, was made available to LAUSD families through the Principal's Portal at each school. These resources are developed with input from doctors, mental health experts, and educators. 

The partnership is the latest development in LAUSD’s response to the national epidemic of opioid overdoses in recent years, and was part of the district’s broader Every School Safe program, aimed at ensuring student safety and preparedness across the district. In 2025, LAUSD will host a series of virtual meetings for parents to ensure that students continue to have safe, productive conversations about pill misuse, fentanyl, and experimentation. 

“The opioid and fentanyl crisis has proliferated in every community across America," Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. "Many of us know someone who has lost a life or is battling the deleterious effects of opioids. Los Angeles Unified has been at the forefront of educating students and families about addiction, the life-saving power of Narcan, and where to seek treatment. We are grateful to have partners like Song for Charlie as we provide resources and information to our school communities on navigating this epidemic."

“We are lucky to have the partnership and support of everyone at Song for Charlie as we work to ensure that our students understand the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, said Nick Melvoin, LAUSD Board Member, District 4. Raising awareness about fentanyl can help keep kids safe and this program’s innovative approach empowers our students to learn life-saving facts in a holistic and meaningful way.”

“I’ve watched Song for Charlie’s Real Talk About Fake Pills video, and it is excellent,” said Jill. L, a parent with three children who attend Palisades Charter High School in LAUSD, who is a teacher outside of the district, and lost her brother to fentanyl. “I only wish my brother and his two childhood friends had known about the dangers of counterfeit pills. As a teacher and a parent, I hope every student has the chance to see this video.” 

About the National Expansion 

Now, this holistic approach will serve as a model for other districts nationwide. Song for Charlie is already in distribution discussions with school districts across the country. “This program is a template for addressing the fentanyl crisis on a national scale,” Ternan said. “Young people are dying from fentanyl at a record rate, and we must urgently use every avenue we have to reach them. Our program is designed to get through to them, without judgment, and equip them with the facts.” 

Relevant Data for Covering the Fentanyl Crisis for Teens 

According to CDC reports, more than 25,000 Americans under age 25 died from fentanyl between 2018 and 2023, an average of over 4,000 young lives lost each year. Despite a recent decline in this trend, youth fentanyl deaths remain at record levels and the survey results indicate high schoolers lag their Gen Z peers in potentially life-saving knowledge. 

A national survey released in late 2024 from Song for Charlie reveals:

• 79% of teens have heard about fentanyl and 81% view the drug as very dangerous.

• Yet, 45% of teens are unaware fentanyl is being used to create fake pills and,

• 10% of teens have tried a pharmaceutical pill without a prescription.

This initiative aligns with new California laws, such as Melanie’s Law (SB 10), which requires schools to provide fentanyl prevention and response training for staff and ensure lifesaving resources like naloxone (aka Narcan) are available. Additionally, AB 2429 mandates that schools include fentanyl education in their curriculum, ensuring students receive critical information about the dangers of opioids and counterfeit pills. These laws are part of a growing statewide effort to combat the fentanyl crisis in schools.

“We’re encouraged to see the mortality rate among youth decline slightly, which suggests that awareness and education are protective,” Ternan emphasized. “But we have more work to do if we are to reduce these trends from their current record high levels.”

Learn more about Song for Charlie’s lifesaving work and how you can bring these critical resources to your community by visiting www.songforcharlie.org.

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About Song for Charlie

Song for Charlie was founded in 2020 by Ed and Mary Ternan after the tragic loss of their son Charlie to fentanyl poisoning from a counterfeit pill. The Pasadena-based, family-led nonprofit produces and distributes educational content addressing the fentanyl crisis and its impact on youth and families. The new video aimed at teens, Real Talk About Fake Pills, is funded by a grant from the California Department of Health Care Services, as is The New Drug Talk (www.thenewdrugtalk.org) and its Latinx counterpart, La Nueva Drug Talk (www.lanuevadrugtalk.org)—both designed to educate families. Song for Charlie is also the organizer of National Fentanyl Awareness Day (www.fentanylawarenessday.org).

About LAUSD

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second-largest school district in the nation, serving over 429,000 students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. The district covers 710 square miles and includes Los Angeles as well as parts of 25 smaller municipalities and several unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.