Trail of Truth

03/16/2026

This is such a powerful watch - a 16 year old opens up about her substance use, addiction to fentanyl and her path to use. She had lost both of her parents to an overdose.

We HAVE to start thinking about AND ACTING for the kids being left behind.

And to think no NYS opioid settlement funds are being used for the impacted families...

The 16-year-old in recovery joins medical experts and first responders in efforts to reverse the deadly trends.STORY: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/inves...

03/15/2026

03/12/2026

I’m sure you’ll all be happy to see this!

We are highlighting those receiving awards during our 10th Anniversary Event this Saturday, 3/14! Join us for the party!

The Benita Roth Movement Builder Award honors a Rainmaker who demonstrates an ongoing commitment to learning, a courageous drive to create meaningful change, rigorous critical thinking, disciplined work ethic, and the ability to translate complex issues into language that resonates with and empowers the community they serve.
This award is named in honor of Dr. Benita Roth, former Dean of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies in the Sociology Department at Binghamton University. A respected union leader, intersectional feminist scholar, editor of the Journal of Women’s History, and researcher of health-related social movements, Dr. Roth devoted her career to examining and strengthening movements for justice. Her second book, The Life and Death of ACT UP/LA, explored the AIDS movement and remains a significant contribution to movement scholarship.
Beginning in 2016, she turned her research and energy toward the overdose crisis through her involvement with Truth Pharm, studying and supporting grassroots responses to the epidemic. She was an invaluable thought partner and mentor to Alexis and a steady intellectual force behind the movement-building work that continues today. Her leadership, scholarship, and solidarity are deeply missed.
Mia Hause is selected as the recipient of the Benita Roth Movement Builder Award for embodying each of the qualities it represents. She is wise beyond her years, a critical and creative thinker who consistently brought vision to life at Truth Pharm and the Trail of Truth.
Mia is among the most hardworking, determined, and dedicated individuals I have known. Her impact extends far beyond her own contributions. She strengthened and expanded our movement by bringing others into it, including fellow Rainmakers such as Hannah, as well as her parents, Kristin and Kevin. Friends she inspired volunteered at Truth Pharm events and even traveled to Washington, DC to support the National Trail of Truth.
Through her artistic expression, Mia translated the complexity of our work into forms that were accessible and resonant for the broader community. She helped people understand not only what we do, but why it matters.
Her dedication, creativity, and unmistakable whimsy have left a lasting imprint on our organization and the movement we are building.

Purchase event tickets here: https://truthpharm.square.site/s/shop

02/24/2026

What's everyone doing for Black Balloon Day this year?

Many of us in New York are going to the NYS Opioid Settlement Advisory Board meeting 2/25/26 to advocate to ensure opioid settlement funds (our blood money!) is being used appropriately. If you're interested in joining us, email truthpharm@gmail.com!

01/19/2026

We are grateful to be sharing the Trail of Truth memorial in Florida next Tuesday.

Please join us on Tuesday January 27th at 6pm for a memorial honoring lives lost to Opioid & drug overdoses. This event is open to the public & will take place at the 4th Annual Florida Harm Reduction Conference at the Hilton Bayfront in St. Petersburg.
Attendees are invited to bring a t-shirt from their loved one’s favorite band to be displayed at the National Mall in Washington for Opioid Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st.

12/31/2025

See! She’s still at it!

I am planning to spend New Year's Day organizing all of your requests for rocks. I appreciate your patience! I am not ignoring messages! I promise to get back to you soon. Everyone who particpated in the ceremony on Monday was brought to tears reading the names of your loved ones. We wish we could do a group hug with all of you.

12/12/2025

Unacceptable!

Local governments have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the opioid settlements to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention efforts. Their spending decisions in 2024 were sometimes surprising and even controversial. Our new database offers more than 10,500 examples.

11/10/2025

Hi Friends, I'm very sorry and sad to report that claimants are getting ROYALLY screwed in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy process.

And even if you aren't a claimant, if you lost a loved one to an overdose, you're getting royally screwed too! They closed the process to claimants back in 2020 which literally takes your rights under the 1st amendment of the constitution to seek redress for a harm caused to you away.

If you have a claim in, or did, please let us know how your claim is going. Most of us have gotten claim rejections even after submitting the requested proof of claims. Feel free to give details in the comments or email us at truthpharm@gmail.com.

Whether you have a claim in or not, we would be so grateful if you'd write a letter to the judge and your State Attorney General to tell them to reject the bankruptcy to restore the rights of claimants.

Our friend Susan Ousterman created this outstanding document which shows all the flaws with the bankruptcy as it stands now. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PW5XAOfZm9cJZSZsvBB7XEGoREWoNU0V/view?usp=sharing

Please let them know that it's unacceptable and a direct assault of constitutional rights to move forward with this bankruptcy proceeding.

Copy:
purduepitrust@purduepitrust.com
purduepharmainfo@primeclerk.com
courtservices@nysb.uscourts.gov
truthpharm@gmail.com

Search for contact information for your State Attorney General. Most have forms online you can submit to contact them.

11/03/2025

The shop for our Trail of Truth merch will close soon! Please order ASAP if you want anything!

10/31/2025

We agree. 💜🙏

10/28/2025

Check out this episode of The Addiction Podcast, "Alexis Pleus Turning a Mother's Heartbreak into Action" discussing the Trail of Truth 💜

"You'll hear her inspiring story of creating the National Trail of Truth, a memorial that turns collective loss into a force for change. This is more than a story about loss; it's a testament to the power of a mother's love and her relentless pursuit of a more compassionate and accurate understanding of substance use."

When Alexis Pleus, a civil engineer and dedicated educator, lost her son Jeff to a he**in overdose, she discovered that everything she'd been taught about addiction was wrong. This devastating truth ignited a new mission. In this powerful episode, Alexis, founder of Truth Pharm, shares her journey f...