Pubdate: Thu, 27 Oct 2016
Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc
Contact:  http://www.mrtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372
Author: Ashley Wadhwani

A CASE FOR KITS

School board wants to see Narcan kits in high schools.

Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school board is looking to the province to
put Narcan kits in every high school in B.C.

The motion to bring anti-overdose kits to local high schools passed
unanimously at last night's school board meeting, led by school
trustee Susan Carr.

Carr told The TIMES more needs to be done to combat the overdose
crisis hitting cities and towns across the province, including in
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

"If fentanyl is in pot and cocaine and we know youth are using these
drugs - it would follow that we need to be prepared for an overdose to
happen during school," Carr said.

As co-chair of the City's Strong Kids Team, Carr hosted a fentanyl
forum earlier this month, with experts speaking on their perspective
realms of overdoses in the community.

A letter from the board is going to the provincial ministries of
health, education, and children and family development.

Carr referenced a report issued this week by B.C. child and youth
advocate Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond on the June 2015 death of Nick Lang,
a 15-year-old boy in a court-ordered program on Vancouver Island.

Lang's family had tried in vain to get help for their son's drug
problem before he ended up in the court system.

"It's all tied to what I'm trying to do. It's access to help when it's
needed," Carr said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt