It wasn’t a huge crowd, but it was an attentive gathering of Williams Lake residents that came to hear about the fentanyl crisis that has cost nearly 500 people their lives so far in 2016, including one in the city.
The crowd of some 35 heard from several different speakers representing policing, harm reduction and the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
The goal last night was to inform the general public, particularly adults, about the very real dangers of this insidious drug.
Staff Sargent Del Byron says this inter-agency program got started in Williams Lake early this year…”we started this like in January-February. Jordan Davis saw fentanyl issues developing, was watching things closely, what’s going on in British Columbia. She saw a problem developing and she got some preliminary stuff going until then April 2016 we had the emergency declared and then we really got things rolling.”
Davis is the harm reduction coordinator with the Williams Lake Boys and Girls Club.
Beginning today, the Williams Lake RCMP will be receiving Noloxone kits and be given a course in how to administer the antidote in the case of an overdose.
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