Mother of accidental fentanyl overdose victim works to prevent tragedies for other families with foundation
NAPA (KPIX) -- A North Bay family remains committed to raising awareness about fentanyl poisoning more than three years after their son died from an overdose. A fake pill sold to Michael Leonardi on Snapchat was laced with the lethal drug.
"Usually, I'm in the car by myself and it's a time where I really take this time for myself and I cry a lot," Mona Leonardi told KPIX on a Monday afternoon making the drive from Napa to Yountville where the family plans to build a bench in a park in memory of her son.
"We thought it would be nice to have a memorial bench where people can kind of sit and reflect and kind of have some quiet time," Leonardi said.
Leonardi and other parents who have lost a child to fake pills sold on Snapchat want to push the social media company to do more on this issue. They believe Snapchat could take additional steps to prevent the sale of these drugs on its platform.
She is working with the Social Media Victims Law Center.
"This is not a social media problem, this is a Snapchat problem," said Matthew Bergman, the founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center. "We hope that Snapchat will change the design of its platform to be safer so that it doesn't provide a platform for drug dealers in the manner that it does."
KPIX reached out to the company for comment on the issue and the lawsuits Bergman is pursing against Snapchat.
"The trafficking of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl is an urgent national crisis. It is devastating that these counterfeit drugs have taken the lives of so many people, and our hearts go out to families who have suffered unimaginable losses," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "We are committed to bringing every resource to bear to help fight this national crisis, both on Snapchat and across the tech industry overall."
The company wouldn't comment on any ongoing litigation but did say they are working to improve the platform.
"We use cutting-edge technology to help us proactively find and shut down drug dealers' accounts. We block search results for drug-related terms, redirecting Snapchatters to resources from experts about the dangers of fentanyl," the statement said. "We continually expand our support for law enforcement investigations helping them bring dealers to justice, and we work closely with experts to share patterns of dealers' activities across platforms to more quickly identify and stop illegal behavior. We will continue to do everything we can to tackle this epidemic, including by working with other tech companies, public health agencies, law enforcement, families and nonprofits."
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said during a U.S. Senate hearing last month that the agency's "One Pill Can Kill" campaign has seized around 36 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.
The DEA wouldn't comment on this story but pointed to Milgram's testimony that also stated the DEA has investigated 129 cases directly linked to the sale of a fake pill containing fentanyl on social media since the campaign launched in 2021.
KPIX also reached out to the Attorney General Rob Bonta's office, they would not comment on this case either but did say they remain deeply concerned about fentanyl's impact in California.
Bonta's office has announced a number of actions regarding the role of social media on youth mental health, his staff said in an email.
One way Leonardi keeps her son's memory alive is by enjoying his favorite dessert, carrot cake. She loves buying it from their favorite bakery in town, which helps remember her son by honoring "Carrot Cake and Kindness Day" on his birthday each August.
"Every time I see the cake, it's just his smile. Eating the cake, he loved food," she said while inside Sweetie Pies Bakery. "Yeah, it's very emotional, so I got here very early today because I knew I'd be emotional."
The area is special to Leonard because her son worked at the hotel next door that is along the river walk. It's one more reason why she chooses to spend time here. She says they would always run into each other while he was working and her job required her to come by this part of downtown.
"I just feel connected to him, you know, I feel his presence when I'm here," Leonardi said.
The family created the Michael Leonardi Foundation to try and prevent more deaths by raising awareness about fentanyl poisoning. Michael Leonardi was passionate about music, so events organized by the nonprofit highlight young musicians as they target the 14 to 23 age group.
"I like to keep myself involved in the work and just keeping that awareness going, talking to the community," Leonardi said. "Talk to young people, talk to parents, talk to our community, everyone has a hand in making sure our kids are safe."