Louisiana’s “Velvet Hammer” Takes Fight Against Fentanyl from the White House to the Classroom

Louisiana’s own Tonya Doucette was honored to be the state’s sole representative invited to the White House for the official commemoration of Drug Overdose and Poisoning Awareness Week. During her visit, Tonya, founder of Project Trey, met with White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter. She advocated for reaching every Louisiana high school with a direct warning about the deadly threat fentanyl poses to the state’s young people.

Tonya also met with members of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s team to discuss protecting Louisiana’s youth from the type of fentanyl poisoning that claimed the life of her firstborn son, Trey. Tonya was the one who discovered Trey in his bedroom after he died. She has since transformed unimaginable grief into relentless action, earning the nickname “The Velvet Hammer” for combining compassion with a powerful, unwavering message.

As Louisiana State Director for AngelArmy.com and FentanylFathers.org, Tonya is on a mission to bring lifesaving fentanyl education to every high school in the state. Louisiana has approximately 692 high schools across its public, charter and private school networks, according to GreatSchools. Not every school has opened its doors to the program. Tonya is urging school officials—especially principals—to welcome her and her team of bereaved parents for a 45-minute, DEA-approved Angel Army assembly designed to fully warn students about the hidden and deadly dangers of illicit fentanyl.

“Being complicit with the ignorance that is killing our kids is akin to being an accomplice to murder,” Tonya said. “I wish another mother or father had reached Trey with this message. I believe he would be alive today. He was smart enough to avoid certain death—if only he had known what he was facing.”

The most recent CDC state statistics report 1,467 drug-overdose deaths in Louisiana (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/drug-overdose.html).

“Stop the sadness!” Tonya said. “It’s 911 in the bayou, y’all. Help me save our kids!”

Click here to watch the White House video featuring Tonya during the national commemoration.