The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office is accepting entries for the 3rd Annual “Speak Up, Save a Life” student video contest from October 9 to December 7, 2025, encouraging middle and high school students to create original PSAs about the dangers of opioid misuse and fentanyl.
Winners will be announced at the January 31, 2026 “Save a Student Summit,” with top prizes up to $5,000 and qualifying MCPS participants earning 10 SSL hours.
Per the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office: “In honor of two young Montgomery County residents who lost their lives to illicit fentanyl, Michael Pisarra and Matthew Loudon, the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County hosts an annual contest that challenges middle and high school students to create an original video to promote awareness of the dangers of opioid misuse or overdose and fentanyl among teens.
Entries will be accepted for the 3rd Annual “Speak Up, Save a Life” student PSA video contest from October 9 through December 7, 2025. The winners will be announced at the “Save a Student Summit” on January 31, 2026.
The video contest is open to all 6th–12th-grade students living in, or attending school in, Montgomery County. The top prize is $5,000; second place is $3,000; third place and fan favorite winners will receive $1,000. The fan favorite winner is part of a partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools and will be selected by a vote open to all MCPS middle and high school students. Multiple Honorable Mention winners will also receive a monetary prize.
In addition, MCPS students who submit a qualifying video will receive 10 SSL hours.
This contest is not just a competition; it’s a platform for students’ voices to be heard. The videos can make a real difference.
For more information on the contest and to view previous winning videos click here:
Speak Up Save A Life Video Contest
Here is the link to register and submit a video:
“Speak Up, Save a Life” Video Contest Entry Form
PSA Video Requirements:
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All submissions must have a title.
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All submissions must be in either English or Spanish.
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All submissions must be 50–70 seconds in length.
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All submissions must address at least one of the following as it relates to illegal drug use:
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Statistics or factual information about opioids, drug abuse, overdose, accidental overdose and/or fentanyl.
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Impact of peer pressure or mental health issues.
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Examples of healthy choices when it comes to avoiding the use of illegal drugs.
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Bystander intervention (i.e., seeking help from a trusted adult, Naloxone, the Good Samaritan Law).
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All submissions must include the visual link knowtherisksmc.org or the QR code and logo as a resource.
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Submissions may not include any copyrighted music, audio/video clips, characters, logos, or other protected material. Videos may include music only if it is considered “open source” music, or if it is composed and played by a student (or students) in the group.”
