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Juli Shamash's 19-year-old son, Tyler, died of a fentanyl overdose in 2018

She has channeled her grief into action, advocating for Tyler’s Law, which would require hospitals to include fentanyl in emergency department drug screens.

"We always say ‘not my child’ are the three most dangerous words a parent can say," she tells PEOPLE

Juli Shamash, a mother of three, was at home in Los Angeles putting laundry away one morning in October 2018 when she got the latest in a string of shocking phone calls about her son Tyler.

Their family had been struggling with the 19-year-old’s substance abuse issues for years. He started smoking marijuana around age 14 before moving onto a drink nicknamed lean — an illicit mix of cough syrup and Sprite.

Tyler was eventually kicked out of the

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