SITTING ACROSS the picnic table from Alan Vickers, a strong sense of grief is in the air just a few short months after the death of his son, Chase. His eyes occasionally welled up with tears, and his voice carried a tremor that spoke volumes of the heartbreak over the loss of a child. However, during suffocating tragedies, there are people in this world who find themselves a rare kind of fortitude.
Alan Vickers is one such person. Still healing from the heart-wrenching loss of his son to fentanyl poisoning, Alan channeled his profound grief into creating Chase Away Fentanyl, a nonprofit dedicated to combating the opioid epidemic.
His voice cracked as he recounted some of the darkest days — days he wouldn’t wish upon any other parent.
“My son battled with addiction, and I first sent him to treatment when he was just 14,” he said, as tears filled his eyes.
His son’s struggle ended tragically on Jan. 16. He was only 31. Alan said he didn’t know his son had been using again, making the stark reality of his passing even more shocking. “And so after he passed, I knew I either needed to be part of the problem or part of the solution,” Alan said. “And on the way home from the hospital on the day my son died, I saw it in bright gold letters in my head: ‘Chase Away Fentanyl.’”
This organization has continued to grow ever since, as Alan, his wife, and his grandson, among hundreds of others, continue to share the impact of the mission.
“I just looked, and we’ve got over 10,000 social media followers,” Alan remarked with a mix of astonishment and pride. “It’s my way of grieving — I mean, it really is. It’s therapy that money can’t buy,” he added, vulnerably sharing how his personal healing journey is tied to his public advocacy.
Alan is not merely an advocate. He is a warrior in the fight against opioids. He pointed to a personal regret that transformed into a critical operational focus for Chase Away Fentanyl — the absence of Narcan, a life-saving drug, in his home when his son was poisoned by fentanyl.
“We didn’t have Narcan in our home … So what we decided to do is start this,” he said.
His ambition is clear.
“Our long-term goal is to put Narcan in every home in the United States.”
Alan shared the importance of this life-saving drug, whether you know someone who may have struggled with drug use or not.
“Lots of people will say they don’t need this, but you do because you don’t know when your child or your neighbor’s child is going to have a headache, and their friend is going to give them what they think is an Advil and it is going to be pure fentanyl or have fentanyl in it,” Alan explained with a sense of urgency for those who do not see the significance of Narcan in their own homes.
Beyond the physical distribution of Narcan to homes across Tennessee and later the whole country, Alan’s dedication extends to educational and legislative reform.
“I’m trying to get legislation where, like, drug awareness is an actual class credit that you have to take to graduate,” he stated, emphasizing the urgent need for education to combat this crisis. “I think education can save lives,” he reiterated, his voice firm, filled with a hopeful vision that informed communities can effectively protect themselves and their loved ones from the danger of opioids.
Despite the constant grief and pain that Alan and his wife experience, their eagerness to help others in their community is clear and inspiring. Alan’s life is now consumed by his mission, ranging from local community interventions to national advocacy, envisioning a future where Narcan is everywhere, and talks about addiction are framed by compassion rather than stigma.
“I choose to be part of the solution,” Alan shared with passion in his voice as his eyes filled up with tears once more — but his spirit was strong.
Through Chase Away Fentanyl, Alan Vickers is not only memorializing his son. He is forging a movement that could save countless lives. His words resonate deeply within the community. “You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.” For Alan, the choice is unmistakably clear, and his path forward is filled with determination and purpose. GN
