My name is Olivia Tennant, I'm 17, and I'm from a small town in West Virginia. As many people know, West Virginia has had a drug problem for a long time. According to the CDC, in 2020, 81.4 per every 100,000 residents died from an overdose in West Virginia. In 2021, about 1.783 million people were living in West Virginia. So you can imagine how deeply we are affected by this disorder. In 2018, West Virginia created a youth substance abuse prevention program called Game Changer. Game Changer is a student-led organization that works with schools and the community to encourage children to make healthy choices about alcohol, drugs, and other substances. It was recently implemented in a handful of schools. My small school of just 350 students (6-12) was the second school to take up this initiative. We started by gathering in our classrooms and watching a video called "One Pill Can Kill". The short film was about the growing fentanyl crisis and it included middle and high school students from around the state law enforcement, EMS, and even a former drug dealer. As someone studying to be an EMT, this made me realize I need to gain as much knowledge as I can about substance abuse, so I can make a difference. The video was more than informative and gave me a better sense of how serious this is, so when they allowed us to apply to be a Game Changer peer leader, I quickly took the opportunity. I ended up getting selected and I was very happy to be part of such a promising program. Following our admission, we signed a document and promised to not use any substances during our time as Game Changer peer leaders. We then met a former drug addict turned educator from Boston named Mr. G and he gave us a crash course on common drugs, peer pressure, false presumptions of "social norms", and a little pathophysiology of substance abuse. We also practiced skits to convey our messages to our middle school which we performed and then took the students' questions. We also opened our auditorium to our community and introduced ourselves and why we choose to not use chemicals. Then, we presented the “One Pill Can Kill” video. Our group also hosted an LSIC (Local School Improvement Council) meeting. Recently, we had a meeting with the two other schools involved and United States Senator, Joe Manchin at the Game Changer Headquarters in Fairmont, WV. This organization has been such an amazing experience and I'm so excited to see the growth and impact it's going to have on our state. I've already began educating others on substance abuse including our community, and middle school. We plan to talk to elementary schools as well. But I will continue to gain knowledge, educate others, and make a difference through my organization and my EMS journey. I understand that as a medical provider, substance abuse is a huge part of healthcare. My goal is to learn as much as I can and help people through medical treatment and advocacy against substance abuse.