In May of 2021, Ethan Bherwani was at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut to celebrate graduating from college. While there, he met a stranger who gave him a substance that turned out to contain fentanyl. Shortly after 2 a.m., Bherwani collapsed onto the floor. No one came to his aid for 11 minutes. Ten days later, he was declared braindead at the age of 22.  

In the wake of the young man's death, his father Kamal Bherwani has dedicated his life to raising awareness around the dangers of fentanyl. Kamal Bherwani has approached the governor’s office in New York and legislators in Maryland to adopt stronger policies to make naloxone available in public places.

Kamal Bherwani is also planning to release a free digital game in August geared toward educating younger people about how to recognize symptoms of fentanyl poisoning, and what to do if they see someone experiencing an overdose. 

Bherwani spoke with Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter.