Mehek Budshah, Writer
“The number of illicit drug overdose deaths in August 2017 (113) equates to about 3.6 deaths per day for the month”
Last week, WGSS decided to address an important issue that has been rapidly killing lives every day; drugs. More specifically, the focus is on the danger of 
substance overdose and how life-threatening they can be. Drug Awareness Week did exactly that, and more for the students and staff here at WGSS.
At the Drug Awareness Assembly, students were gathered in the gym to hear Sue, the mother of a victim of overdose who didn’t survive. Sue shared the devastating story of her daughter and what she herself had gone through as a mother. Her thoughts, words, and emotions strongly touched the 2000 hearts of WGSS.
Afterwards, a slideshow was shown with several pictures of young adults and teenagers, who had died from drugs. There were no common factors or recurring themes with the people. If you would look at them, you would see ordinary happy people, smiling in the pictures. Only one thing had brought them together in that slideshow, and that was the fact that hey had all died from drugs. While most of the cases of death had been from an overdose, some had died from having a substance that had been spiked with deadlier drugs, like fentanyl.
“Illicit fentanyl-detected deaths appear to account for the increase in illicit drug overdose deaths since 2012”
The few days of the week after the assembly, drug awareness workshops had been set up to provide more information and awareness at WGSS.
“Thank you NA, AA, Fraser Health, Langley Comm Services, Encompass, Indigenous Youth Mental Health and RCMP, and The Glass Door for supporting WGSS Drug Awareness Week” – Mr. Moorthy, Principal of
WGSS
This issue is not something to be taken lightly. More and more people have been dying in BC, ie Surrey, Vancouver, and Victoria being the three biggest cities where drugs have been responsible for most drug-related deaths. It may not impact you directly, but hundreds can be impacted by just one person dying from an overdose. If you know someone who is doing drugs, help them. You could save their life. Keep yourself, your friends, and family safe and stay away from drugs, Gators!
