Bestselling author Ryan Leone is teaming up with renowned pop-artist Sinister Monopoly in the fight against America’s hidden epidemic – opioid overdose. They will be holding three raffles live on YouTube on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, awarding almost $15,000 in artwork and other memorabilia as prizes to raise money for The Paul Project, a non-profit charity founded by Leone in memory of his friend Paul Richard Harper, who tragically died of an overdose in late 2019.
This charity is dedicated to the national distribution of the medication Narcan, an opioid antagonist designed to counteract the effects of opiate/opioid overdoses. It was previously available exclusively in hospital settings, but is now sold without a prescription. In a new nasal spray form, first responders, family members, and friends can easily administer it, with little to no medical training, to anyone experiencing an opioid overdose. Widespread availability of Narcan, in combination with its ease of use, has the potential to save countless lives, and further avert the tragedy of thousands of American lives lost to opioid overdose every year. Ryan Leone, himself a recovering heroin addict, spent 5 years in Federal Prison.
While serving his sentence, he successfully entered into a long-lasting period of sobriety, and wrote his first novel, Wasting Talent, which went on to sell over 150,000 copies and is currently in advanced stages of development to become a feature-length film. There is also a documentary about Leone’s life, Idiot Savant: The Savage Life of Ryan Leone, that will he released this year. Never one to hide his past, Leone has now dedicated his life to educating others on the dangers of drug addition, the need for empathetic treatment programs for non-violent offenders, and the realities of the long-lasting traumas caused by the prison system. Sinister Monopoly served 11 years in Federal prison after being indicted for his activities as one of the biggest marijuana dealers in the United States. While incarcerated, he discovered a passion for art.
This newfound talent, along with his unusual life story, has made him one of the biggest emerging names in the world of art today. Not content to experience success without giving back, he has joined Leone in the cause of fighting against preventable opioid overdoses. To find out more information and buy tickets to the raffles, visit www.paulnarcanproject.com.
