Cohen Raises Funds to Prevent Teen Overdoses
Dunwoody junior Mady Cohen wants to inspire others to take action in fighting the opiate epidemic.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Mady Cohen has played girls’ flag football since the eighth grade and is now on the Dunwoody High School varsity team. She is also passionate about helping others who feel isolated and is a student activator in the school’s Whisper Program, created to help students fight loneliness by promoting simple conversations between students.
In May of 2024, Cohen went into action after the tragic overdose death of a fellow student. She researched Narcan, the drug used to rapidly reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency. She read medical journals about the fentanyl epidemic.
Cohen said, “I didn’t want to see another family suffer a senseless loss.” She wrote to the school administration with a plan of action, including staff training and easy access to Narcan. The law requires the school to maintain just one box. She felt that the high school was too big for one box, and stated, “We need to be able to get to someone who may be far away from certain locations. Seconds matter!”
Cohen learned more about addiction and recovery as she met with leaders at the Georgia Council for Recovery. She heard firsthand accounts of individuals who have been impacted with addiction and how recovery is real. The families who have lost someone to addiction have inspired Cohen to fight long-term. She has even educated some of her peers who are struggling with substance abuse, including providing resources.

When queried by the AJT, Cohen answered, “Jewish kids aren’t less prone to drugs. Common risk factors include family history of abuse, mental health conditions such as depression, genetics and even low self-esteem or social rejection. This is not a Dunwoody High School problem; this is an epidemic that can affect anyone. We need people to stop thinking just because their school has not had a tragedy that it doesn’t mean there are no drugs in their school.”
The school can order Narcan in bulk for a discount, but it’s not free. Cohen warns, “Narcan is not the solution, but a helpful tool. Education is the next piece. I want students to get a deeper education on the risks they put themselves at when they take drugs. One doesn’t know what’s in the drug. One pill can kill!”
Cohen dug in to raise money. She spent hours talking to news stations. She spoke at churches, recovery centers, with school staff, and parents at a PTSO meeting.
Thanks to Cohen having raised double the amount of funds that she needed, Narcan will be strategically placed in many areas of the school to allow for easy access. Weeks after Cohen’s supply of Narcan was distributed, another student suffered opioid poisoning; Narcan was there, and the teacher reacted. The student was revived and transported to a local hospital.
Cohen’s work is not done. She is working on more distribution of Narcan to be stored and accounted for in more classrooms, informative posters, and guest speakers. For her senior year, she plans to form a student club to get other students onboard to fight the problem.
Cohen’s research found data from 2021 showing that Georgia’s total overdose deaths for 15-19-year-olds increased 163 percent with deaths involving fentanyl increasing 775 percent. From 2019-2021, the proportion of overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased from 25 percent to 80 percent. Fentanyl-involved overdose deaths increased at a faster rate among adolescents compared to adults (20-plus years old). Deaths involving fentanyl increased 800 percent among adolescents, 3.7 times more than adults.” (Drug Surveillance | Georgia Department of Public Health)
Opioids may cause breathing to stop, and death can occur in four to six minutes. If one suspects an opioid overdose, immediately administer the nasal spray Narcan. Then immediately call 911 and administer the second dose. Narcan works on fentanyl and opioids but doesn’t work for alcohol poisoning. Administered Narcan is safe to use even if opioids are not present in the system. Side effects include slurred speech, pinpoint pupils, sleepiness or unresponsiveness, very slow shallow breathing (maybe snoring), unresponsiveness, and cold, clammy skin. Teens need to know about Georgia’s 911 Amnesty Law which provides protection to anyone calling 911 if they suspect an overdose. No one involved can be arrested, prosecuted or convicted for drug offences based on their call.
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