Pubdate: Wed, 19 Oct 2016
Source: Williams Lake Tribune, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Williams Lake Tribune
Contact:  http://www.wltribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1226
Author: Angie Mindus

FORUM TACKLES FENTANYL CRISIS

No street drug is safe, not even marijuana.

That was the message driven home by a multi-agency panel who gave up
their Thursday night to speak at a public forum about the dangers of
street drugs laced with fentanyl.

"There's always been this belief that marijuana is safe but that's
just not true. Fentanyl is being found in everything," said Kelly
Culbert, a representative for the Ministry of Children and Family
Development (MCFSD).

It was an intimate setting at city hall where the 30 or so members of
the public got a close look at what Williams Lake's frontline workers
are doing to raise awareness about the sharp increase in
fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths, which prompted the province to
declare a public health crisis in April.

So far 488 people have died in the province due to drug overdoses,
while more than 2,100 naloxone kits have reportedly been used to
reverse affects of an overdose.

In Williams Lake, there have been seven overdoses reported in the last
seven weeks, and one possible overdose death in the past year.

"This has been a labour of love," said Jordan Davis, the Boys and
Girls Club of Williams Lake and District (BGWL) harm reduction
co-ordinator, of the unique multi-agency collaboration between the
BGWL, MCFD and Williams Lake RCMP which has been spreading the word to
students throughout the school district.

"We know that offering naloxone is a band-aid solution, and doesn't
address other underlying issues, but at this point we just want to
keep people safe. We do not want people dying of an overdose."

Staff Sgt. Del Byron echoed Davis' sentiments.

"We are doing everything we can to protect our community from this,"
Byron told the audience. "We are taking a proactive approach through
education (by talking at local schools) and an enforcement role by
targeting crack shacks and dealers."

Byron said the RCMP do not want anyone experiencing an overdose to
hesitate calling 9-1-1 for help.

"We don't want people to be afraid to call the police because if you
are overdosing you need medical attention … this is a medical problem.
We want to help."

Even after naloxone has been administered to someone who has
overdosed, he said the person needs to go to hospital as they can
relapse and die when the immediate affects of the treatment wear off.

Community Safety manager Dave Dickson used the opportunity to speak of
several other multi-agency groups working to keep communities safe and
to help reach those living high risk lifestyles.

"Our goal is to make our community safer," said Dickson. "We have a
great community, we really do. There are about 100 (repeat offenders)
who give us a bad name but that doesn't reflect what our community is
really about."

Dickson listed no fewer than ten professional working groups in
Williams Lake that team up on everything from restorative justice, to
domestic violence, mental health, prolific offenders, homelessness,
troubled youth and youth at risk.

Those in attendance at the meeting also got a brief preview of another
partnership that will see RCMP Const. Sharon Peters and BGWL Davis
enter the schools to talk to students as part of the Human Trafficking
Prevention Project.

Peters spoke of how easy it is for online predators to target
vulnerable girls and lead them into a life of prostitution. She is
hopeful the project will build relationships with local students and
allow for conversations around sexting, peer exploitation and
recognizing the signs of recruitment.

Also on hand for the forum, Insp. Jeff Pelley said he was very proud
of the work his staff was doing in the community and thanked the
audience for also actively participating in the discussion around
fentanyl to assist in keeping the community safe.

It was expected that all RCMP officers in Williams Lake would be
receiving two doses of naloxone each, in the form of nasal spray, and
training on how to use it should they encounter an overdose victim or
if a member is exposed to the deadly substance through their work.

The forum was sponsored by the Williams Lake Tribune/Weekend Advisor
and The Goat Cariboo Radio.
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MAP posted-by: Matt