Fentanyl is the scourge of British Columbia, and New Westminster has lost 35 people plus to fentanyl overdose in the last year. In BC, seven people die every day from an such an overdose or poisoning.

Susan Millar – Local Journalism Initiative

This program covers a training session by Kristina Selby Brown, the Harm Reduction Program Coordinator for the Purpose Society – a non-profit society that works to help the vulnerable in this city in many ways. 

It was put on by the District Parent Advisory Council and was organized by Laura Kwong. It took place at the QayQuat Elementary School.

The program teaches people everything they need to know if they come across someone who is in an opioid poisoning crisis. 

Kristina, the program teacher, knows what she is talking about. She has brought many people back from death, personally, and she knows all the 'ins and outs' of helping people in dire straits.

She gives excellent hands-on training in administering naloxone with personal instruction for each participant at the workshop ...useful information for viewers too. 

She also provides an overview of what is happening in the streets, the ongoing and escalating problem of opioid use and misuse, the realities of finding help – to be forthright, pretty challenging. For example, it can take several months to get a detox bed. Also, rehab beds are hard to come by unless you have between $10,000 to $80,000.

Some good news on the harm reduction front – the city has just approved having a site for inhaling opioids, as opposed to administering them by needle. While 80% of users inhale their drugs, this is a huge step forward. Let's hope a site is found soon.