WHO WILL HELP? –
By Ryan Hampton and Teresa Cobleigh
June 19, 2025 – We come from different places — one grounded in the hope of recovery, the other in the profound grief of loss — but we stand united by a shared, devastating understanding: The system designed to help people like Ryan, and meant to save sons like Spencer and Graham, is fundamentally broken.
Teresa’s sons’ deaths weren’t just personal tragedies; they were fatal symptoms of a national failure, one rooted in inconsistent standards, inadequate oversight, and the insidious creep of profit motives into spaces where healing should be the only priority. We represent millions of Americans touched by this crisis, demanding more than acknowledgments and incremental steps. We demand systemic change that prioritizes safety and accountability above all else.
The scale of the overdose epidemic is staggering, claiming tens of thousands of lives annually in the U.S. — a total American death toll exceeding that of any war fought this century. We commend the Trump administration for recognizing the severity of this emergency and outlining a strategy focused on reducing overdoses, expanding access to evidence-based treatments like medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and supporting long-term recovery.
