Not a day passes without Jenn Pisarra remembering the worst moment of her life.

It happened five years ago, when she found her youngest son, Michael, 20, foaming at the mouth on his bed — unresponsive from a fentanyl overdose.

Since then, Pisarra, 54, of Rockville, has done what she can to carry Michael with her. She inked a forearm with his name and her ankle with his mantra — “It’s all Love.” She wears a necklace fashioned with his fingerprint.

“I used to think time heals,” Pisarra said, her eyes glassy with fresh tears. “I cope better, but the pain is as raw today as if it happened last night.”

One way she copes is through a county contest to educate young people about the dangers of fentanyl.

Pisarra will serve as a judge for the third annual “Speak Up, Save a Life Video Contest,” which aims to highlight the dangers of illicit drug and fentanyl use among teens. Founded by Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy, the contest is open to any middle or high school student who lives or goes to school in the county.

This year’s contest is raising the stakes, offering $15,000 to winners — up from last year’s $12,000. The prizes are $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, $1,000 for third and another $1,000 for the video deemed “fan favorite.” An additional $5,000 will be split among honorable mentions.

The award money is donated by several local companies. Submissions are due by Dec. 7.

There were about 600 entries last year.

The contest honors Michael Pisarra and Matthew Loudon, 21, who was found dead in an Olney home in 2020 after accidentally taking fentanyl. Both young men’s parents have been involved in trying to spread word of the risks of opioids.

McCarthy said the contest reflects his growing belief that an effective state’s attorney must be more than a prosecutor.

“The more I do this job, the more I realize the way in which you protect the community is in very nontraditional prosecutor ways,” said McCarthy, who was first elected the county’s top prosecutor nearly 20 years ago. “We’re talking about educating children from making choices that could end in them losing their life.”

Since 2021, the county has seen a substantial reduction in opioid-related deaths. That year, 142 people died from opioids, county data showed. The following years saw 109 deaths in 2022, 138 in 2023 and 83 in 2024. This year, there had been 38 deaths as of July 31, according to county data.

McCarthy said county employees — including in the schools and health department — have worked hard to teach young people and their families the dangers of fentanyl and illicit opioid use. McCarthy said staff members with his office have visited dozens of county schools since 2023 to deliver the message.

“We begin to educate them about the Good Samaritan doctrine,” McCarthy said, referring to a state law that protects people who come to the aid of people who overdose.

“But we also talk to them about the fact that, in 2022, there were 11 fatalities in children that were in Montgomery County Public Schools. … There are additional deaths that occurred in private schools.”

People need to understand, McCarthy said, that it’s not uncommon for pills bought on the street — unbeknownst to the buyer — to be laced with fentanyl.

“I talk to them about Russian roulette,” he said. “Potentially four out of 10 pills that you bought from somebody on the street have enough fentanyl in them to kill you. Would you ever take the pill?”

Past winning videos have portrayed a teen buying pills “to get him through his finals” and being told by another young man, “Yeah, I got you, bro. Works just like Adderall.”

That winning video ends with the teen who took the pill collapsing and the camera later panning to an empty plate at the family table.

Another winning video explained how a small amount of fentanyl, the size of “one-tenth of a single grain of rice,” can be deadly.

Pisarra said the program is making a difference. She also shares her son’s story at county middle and high schools.

“It’s very rewarding, as hard as it is,” she said. After her speeches, students often hug her and tell her they’ll pray for her and her late son. “It means they’re listening . . . It validates that what I’m doing is making a difference.”

Michael Pisarra was a graduate of Wootton High School and was about to begin his junior year at Towson University when he died. His mother wears beaded bracelets in both those schools’ colors.

He took a pill laced with fentanyl, Jenn Pisarra said. She tells students you don’t have to be a drug addict to die of an overdose.

“You can’t even experiment with this,” she tells them. “This is absolute.”