Aura brought the welcome voice of a young person with lived experience of substance use to a recent dialogue for parents and 13+ kids that we were both part of. Aura started using substances at 15, and briefly lived on the edge of homelessness after a bandmate, who has since died, introduced Aura to Dilaudid bought on the dark web. Now 24, Aura describes themselves as a functional addict, but struggles with the stigma of even saying that out loud. “I’m trying really hard to say that about myself to lift the stigma, but there’s a lot of stigma that comes with doing that.” Aura’s jacket features a homemade patch depicting a cheery rainbow and cute animal with the words “I will overdose” written on it. More patches have since been made for friends. “The drugs were fun, but I’ve lost a lot of people I loved, ” Aura says. “The patches are a reminder to myself to be careful, and remember that.”