David Parnell is a motivational speaker who focuses on drug prevention by educating and warning people about the dangers of addictive substances. He also hopes to reach out to and help those already suffering from addiction.

David spent twenty-three years abusing drugs, seven years of which he was addicted to methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is highly addictive stimulant, which severely affects the brain. Under its influence, he even attempted suicide by shooting himself. He shot himself under the chin with an SKS assault rifle, blowing his face apart. Though he survived, he sustained severe injuries. To this day he still occasionally undergoes reconstructive surgery.

David came out of the grasp of methamphetamine after a hard and prolonged struggle. As of December 4, 2008, he has 5 years and 10 months clean and sober. Now he uses his own example to tell others to lead a normal life away from addiction to such substances. He has received an overwhelming positive response for his efforts.

David presents his lectures in schools, churches, community group gatherings, jails, and rehabs. He cautions people about the dangers of substances like methamphetamine through his lectures. His audiences include various sections of the society from students to people recovering from substance abuse. His personal story acts as both caution and inspiration to others. It cautions others to stay away from addictive substances and inspires people to get free from the spell of such substances. It also makes people realize how drug use affects everyone and leads them to get involved in the fight against drugs like methamphetamine.

David calls his talk “Facing the Dragon”. His program covers educating about drugs; especially methamphetamine including the effect meth use has on users, their families, and communities. He uses PowerPoint to show people how destructive and deadly meth use could be. Several pictures show him before and after he started using methamphetamine and also pictures of the moments after he attempted suicide.

Please take time to browse our website for more information about David. We have several wonderful, informative links to the right of the page for more information about meth. For those interested in scheduling David to speak please click here for more information or contact us. We’d be very happy to send out a full reference packet upon request.