I joined the Five Moms campaign in 2009 because I wanted to share my personal story: In 2003, my son Carl, who was 18 years old, passed away from a lethal mix of drugs, including dextromethorphan – a common ingredient of many over-the-counter cough medicines. It was a heartbreaking time for my family, and we were shocked and devastated.

After I lost my son to medicine abuse, I felt that it was very important to alert other parents and teens about this type of abuse. I knew I had to do something to make sure that other parents wouldn't suffer the same heartache. The Five Moms became my “voice” so that I could share his story. And by telling his story, I've brought a lot of awareness to cough medicine abuse.

The Five Moms have been a big part of my life over the past several years and it has given me so much peace to know that Carl's story has been told and heard. Throughout my time with the Five Moms, I have had the exciting opportunity to raise awareness of National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month alongside Dr. Drew; tell my personal story on CNN; and see legislation in California passed – and national legislation introduced – that would help combat teen cough medicine abuse. These are all supportive and integral parts in helping stop medicine abuse, but awareness and education efforts remain so very important.

I wanted to take a moment to let you know how incredibly thankful I am to have been a part of this amazing program and to reach so many parents. After three years as a Five Mom, I have decided it’s time for another mom like me – a mom who wants to make a difference – to join the team. By welcoming a new mom, Five Moms can continue to reach parents in communities across the country.

Whether you have experienced cough medicine abuse personally or through a family member or friend, the Stop Medicine Abuse community understands how important it is to get the word out about this issue. Because of your support of the Five Moms campaign, I know I am not alone in my efforts to stop cough medicine abuse. Through my work with these four incredible mothers, I hope I was able to help reach other parents with the information and resources that I unfortunately did not have. The Five Moms campaign will soon be introducing its newest Mom, and I know she will be great!

I'll always be a friend of the campaign, and educating others about cough medicine abuse will be a cause I continue to support. Together we can make a difference! It's because of you that we're able to keep teens safe and substance-free.

All the best,

Misty