On Sunday afternoon, she found her 16-year-old son on the floor of her bedroom at her California home. He was a good student, enrolling in college and preparing for a summer internship. He was liked by friends in Chicago and in his California city.
He could not be revived by paramedics.
“He was always researching and exploring things and he was incredibly sweet, kind and full of dreams,” she said.
Berman said he was told that he appeared to have died of an overdose of fentanyl. She believes the drugs were purchased through a dealer on Snapchat.
Berman said his son’s friend said Sammy met someone on the social media app to buy what he thought were prescription drugs. The Santa Monica police are investigating and would say only that a preliminary investigation has led them to believe that the use of prescription drugs may be involved.
“I wanted people to know that these ‘innocent experimental things’ that you may be doing can be likely, because they seem to be everywhere, mixed with fentanyl, which they do to get you hooked,” said Berman.
FULL INTERVIEW: Dr. Berman on the loss of her son, what parents should know
The Drug Enforcement Administration said it actively investigates drug trafficking in a variety of methods, including online through social media, websites and the dark web, and said that “many illegal substances on the online market contain deadly fentanyl”.
Berman said his previous concerns about Snapchat were centered on inappropriate photos, not drug use. She said that even if their children are getting older, parents should still ask for their passwords and monitor their activities online and on social media for their safety.
While Berman and her family cry and await the test results, she wanted to warn other families.
“I want parents to know, to talk to their children, that the things they are going to get from a dealer are not safe and could very well kill them,” she said. “And if I can help a child not to die, it helps my heart.”
Berman said she and her family are grateful for the support of her friends, family and communities, and other bereaved parents who came to her.
She created a Facebook page for her and her families who lost a child to a drug overdose.
Full Snapchat statement
“Our deepest condolences go out to Samuel Berman Chapman’s family and friends and we are heartbroken by his death.
“We are committed to working closely with the authorities in this case and in all instances where Snapchat is used for illegal purposes. We have zero tolerance for using Snapchat to buy or sell illegal drugs. Using Snapchat for illegal purposes is totally against our community’s guidelines and we enforce these violations. We’re constantly improving our technology resources to detect drug-related activities so we can proactively intervene. If you witness illegal behavior on Snapchat, use our in-app tools to report it quickly and confidential, we can act.
“We have no higher priority than keeping Snapchat a safe environment and we will continue to invest in protecting our community.”
Full DEA statement
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is actively investigating various methods of drug trafficking, including online through websites, social media platforms and the dark net. DEA Chicago, through cyber investigations, is committed to disrupting and dismantling drug networks. drugs that exploit the Internet to distribute illegal drugs, including fraudulent and counterfeit controlled drugs – to adults and children.Many illegal substances marketed online contain deadly fentanyl – which is 50 times stronger than heroin and potentially lethal in doses of 2 , 5 milligrams.
The DEA encourages parents and guardians to talk to their children about the dangers of drug abuse and the misuse of prescription drugs, emphasizing the immediate potential for death from an overdose.
Tips on websites or individuals selling drugs on social media can be shared anonymously at dea.gov/submit-tip. ”
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