Santa Clara University Hosts Song For Charlie Event

The panel featured (from left to right) Marica Lee Taylor from Songs for Charlie, Jim Crotty from Meta, Jason Munoz from the Welness Center, Burnout Broncos member Spencer Kornfeld ’28, Mira Parwiz, founder of the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention project and Division Director for Santa Clara County’s medication Assisted Treatment Program. (Elaine Zhang/The Santa Clara)

In a continued effort to educate about the dangers of illicit drugs, Santa Clara University hosted an interfaith and educational event for the organization Song for Charlie on Oct. 16. 

Santa Clara University student Charlie Ternan ’20 passed away in 2020 after taking a counterfeit prescription pill that contained fentanyl. His parents, Ed and Mary Ternan, founded Song for Charlie to promote public and private partnerships for education and awareness about counterfeit drugs. Their goal is to equip students and families with the skills and knowledge to use healthy coping mechanisms. 

The event, “Just Say Know: Faith Communities and the New Drug Talk,” was an interfaith gathering in partnership with Meta. Held at the Mayer Theater, the program included a screening of the film “Real Talk About Fake Pills,” a Q&A, and free Narcan distribution. This portable naloxone nasal spray can reverse the effects of an overdose. 

The panel was composed of Jim Crotty, former deputy chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Agency and Current Law Enforcement Outreach Manager at Meta, as well as Jason Muñoz, Santa Clara’s Assistant Director of Substance Use and Recovery Programs.

The event highlighted the work that the University has already done to decrease fentanyl overdoses, such as a free Narcan vending machine in the basement of Benson Memorial Center. 

Santa Clara University is the first University in California to install a Narcan vending machine. Since its installation, the University has distributed over 800 Narcan units. 

The University also has support groups through the Wellness Center to help support students who are struggling with addiction or are curious about sobriety. Through the center, students can attend “Burnout Broncos,” a sober social event hosted every Friday evening. The Wellness Center also hosts “One Night at a Time,” a 12-step recovery program every Sunday evening, open to all students. 

Throughout the event, Ed Ternan, Father of Charlie Ternana and co-founder of Song for Charlie, emphasized the complexity and the paradox of teen drug use and fentanyl deaths. Teen drug use has gone down substantially in the past 20 years. However, crude drug-induced deaths have increased substantially. The increase in counterfeit pills and fentanyl explains this paradox. 

As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is smaller than a penny, can kill a person, and according to the film showcased at the event, “Real Talk About Fake Pills,” 70% of illegal pills seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency contain at least 2 milligrams of fentanyl. So while young adults are statistically using less drugs, there is a clear increase in risk of overdosing, causing thousands of deaths per year.

The organization will continue traveling to high schools and colleges to spread awareness of the imminent dangers posed by counterfeit pills.

Song for Charlie has one simple motto: “No Random Pills.” They hope these events will “Break through the noise and communicate with young people on their terms- go where they are; speak their language and get them talking.”
If you or a friend need support or more information, email Jason Muñoz at jmunoz2@scu.edu or call the CAPS 24/7 support line at (408) 554-5220.