However, it was during this time that Tony first began using alcohol and other drugs. He quickly realized that using substances had a different effect on him compared to the effect on his friends. Despite using the same substances, Tony’s friends did not quickly develop the persistent need to use them again in the same way Tony did. Still in high school, Tony’s drug use soon became persistent and problematic. While none of his immediate family struggled with addiction, the disease impacted his extended family greatly, with Tony having multiple cousins who have lost their lives because of addiction.

As Tony’s drug and alcohol use began to progress in high school, he tried prescription pain killers for the first time, which had a major impact on his life. Tony attended high school in the late 2000s, and prescription opioids were an easily accessible substance at the time for him and his friends. After graduating high school, Tony attended and graduated from The Ohio State University, where he majored in Public Health. While in college, prescription opioids became increasingly difficult to find, and Tony began using heroin. After a long journey, and multiple stints in treatment, Tony is now in long term recovery. In total, Tony lost 10-plus adolescent and young adult developmental years to addiction.

Today, Tony works as the overdose prevention coordinator for the Lucas County Health Department, a position he began in August 2021. In this role, Tony is the regional lead for a Northwest Ohio-focused grant that seeks to build prevention capacity in smaller, rural counties. Tony is also involved in the Lucas County Opiate Coalition. Tony is married with a daughter who recently turned two. This year, he had the opportunity to speak at a National Public Health Conference and ran in the Boston Marathon.

As an individual in recovery who now works in the public health space, Tony is passionate about expanding treatment and recovery services for others experiencing addiction, recognizing he is fortunate to have the opportunities he did to enter and sustain long-term recovery. Tony works to remind people that addiction is a brain disorder, and we should have empathy for individuals struggling with a substance use disorder. He also wants people to know that recovery can look unique for everyone, and the opposite of addiction is connection. We thank Tony for sharing his story with us.