Teen Works to Save Lives with Org After Cousin, 18, Died from Accidental Fentanyl Overdose: 'Talk Openly'

Ahead of International Day of the Girl, Avery Kalafatas speaks with PEOPLE about how she's making a difference following a family tragedy

Avery Kalafatas was 15 years old when she was told the news that her 18-year-old cousin died from a deadly fentanyl pill that he thought was a Percocet.

“I was in shock and didn’t really believe it,” Kalafatas, now 18 herself, tells PEOPLE for the Girls Changing the World package in this week's issue. “It was so out of the blue. It was just a random phone call on a Sunday morning, and my life was completely set in a new direction. I was very down and sort of lost in terms of what to do.”

After “going through the grieving process,” Kalafatas began researching fentanyl poisoning, and discovered it was more prominent than she thought.

“As I started to process his death and talk to people, almost everyone I talked to was like, 'Oh, I know someone who had a very similar situation,'" she adds. "And I realized just how big of a problem the fentanyl crisis was and how little we were talking about it."

Kalafatas wanted to destigmatize the issue and bring awareness to fentanyl poisoning from a young person’s perspective.

“I think a lot of the information that we were getting was from teachers and parents, which is just a very different way for teens and young adults to take in information,” she tells PEOPLE. “When it's coming from other young adults and teens who have stories and the facts and can talk pretty openly and authentically about those dangers, that's when real change can happen.”

Related: Cooper Noriega Was Prepared for a Possible Overdose Before His Death, Medical Examiner Suggests

A few months later, Kalafatas, then 15, channeled her grief into action and started Project 1 Life, a teen-run nonprofit charity dedicated to increasing teen and young adults’ awareness about prescription drug abuse and fentanyl poisoning. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“We have over 200 ambassadors across 20 states,” Kalafatas tells PEOPLE. “We provide these ambassadors with resources and guidance into how to talk about the fentanyl crisis and opioid addiction, and we’re giving them megaphones to spread this information and to create safer communities, both in person and on social media. These ambassadors come together to think of ways to engage their unique communities in these conversations and ways to implement the resources that we're giving them.”

Related: Mom's Heartbreaking Billboard Warns 'Fentanyl Kills' After Daughter's Death: '1 Pill That's All It Took'

In her third year of running the nonprofit, Kalafatas believes Project 1 Life is making a big difference.

“I've found a huge increase in people's understanding and acceptance,” the nonprofit founder says. “I feel like talking about it now, yes, I'm further away from the death of my cousin and my grieving process, but I've noticed a difference, and I've had a lot of people say to me too, that I feel like now through Project 1 Life and other nonprofits, there's obviously been a huge surge of awareness towards fentanyl, that it's talked about much more openly. And that is essentially our goal.”

For more Girls Changing the World, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

Currently a freshman at Dartmouth College, Kalafatas plans to study neuroscience and learn more about the “chemical relationship between opioids, fentanyl and the human brain” in the hopes of creating tangible solutions.

Related: Austin Eubanks, Columbine Shooting Survivor and Public Speaker, Died of Apparent Overdose

In the meantime, the 18-year-old is looking forward to expanding her nonprofit.

“I hope to create more school chapters and have them be associated with school faculty because I think young adults have come to a real place of acceptance in talking about this sort of thing, but I think the discussion between adults and young adults is still a little bit stigmatized," she shares. "And then eventually, as my ambassadors grow up, have them bring the chapters to their universities.”

No matter where her organization lands, Kalafatas is proud of the growth Project 1 Life has created.

“After losing someone, it's obviously very different for everyone, but I've found a great way to put that energy into something that's bettering that exact thing that ended up causing the harm,” the college student adds.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.