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19 youth have died from overdoses, B.C.’s top doctor tells parents

Dr. Perry Kendall has penned a letter, as 19 youth have overdosed since 2016.
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B.C.’s provincial health officer has written a letter, urging parents to speak to their children about the dangers of substance use, amidst the deaths of 19 youth from overdoses since 2016.

The letter will be distributed by schools across the province.

RELATED: Two local mothers share grieve loss of their sons to fentanyl

It asks parents to discuss the risks of overdoses, nearing the summer months when young people may experiment. “Non-judgmental and supportive conversations about substance use and overdose risks can save lives,” Kendall writes.

According to current statistics, fentanyl has been the cause of about two-thirds of overdoses in B.C., being detected alonsgide heroin, methadone and codeine as well as cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamines.

RELATED: 488 illicit drug overdose deaths so far in B.C.

Seven people aged 10 to 18 years old have already overdosed this year, according to the most recent report from the BC Coroner, including a 16 year-old-girl from MDMA in New Westminster last month.

Contrary to some reports, fentanyl has not been found in marijuana, Kendall also writes.

He says that parents should remind their children of the new federal Good Samaritan law, which protects people from charges of possession if they call 9-1-1 to report an overdose, and train children on how to use nalaxone kits, if appropriate.

Friday’s letter comes at the same time as a regional conference being hosted by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, focussing on new strategies aimed at helping control the ongoing drug overdose crisis.


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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Letter to Parents and Guardians-talk to Your Youth About Substance Use by Ashley Wadhwani on Scribd



About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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