Matthew Kim
“This is only an assembly to raise awareness in how badly drugs like fentanyl can affect you” RCMP Sergeant
For the last week of November, it was time to address a very important problem to the students of WGSS… drugs. From October 2016 up to present day, 622 apparent drug overdose deaths have been recorded in BC. With such a crisis in our home province, the school needed a way to make sure that students know just how powerful and dangerous these drugs can be. Thus, Drug Awareness Week was made.
During the Drug Awareness Week Assembly, which was the first item on the list, students were gathered in the gym. A few RCMP officers were even in the middle of the gym, ready to say their part in the assembly. This was clearly something very serious.
After our principal, Mr. Kozlovic, said a few words about why we were gathered there, a video was shown to the students. The video was about two real-life cases of drug overdose, where eventually, the victims passed away. Not only was this video shown to explain what these drugs can do, but also how this affected the friends and family around them. Close family members and friends were interviewed and their stories touched the students of WGSS.
After the video, RCMP officers gave some facts and statistics on the topic of drug overdose. This presentation ranged from basic facts about drug overdose, to how one can save someone’s life from drug overdose, and how one can see symptoms of drug overdose in a victim. This wasn’t just a presentation to raise awareness of the danger of drugs, but also what to do if you are present in a drug overdose situation.
A few questions were asked of the RCMP officers about anything from the assembly and everything was wrapped up with another video; this time made by WGSS students. But Drug Awareness Week was nowhere near over.
The few days of the week after the assembly, drug awareness workshops had been set up for students to take part in on different days, each day featuring a different workshop with useful information about drugs.
These workshops ranged from identifying stages of addiction of drugs/alcohol within yourself, a peer or a family member as mentioned in this page, overdose prevention and information about the possible life-saving naloxone kit, sessions for those who are affected by a peer or family member’s drug use and finally a grief support group session for those who experienced loss to a friend or family member to drug overdose.
“I never had a time where I had a week solely to think about drug overdose and what it can do, I guess I’ve been taking the situation too lightly these days.” Jim Wei, Grade 10
Drug overdose is a serious thing, it should never be something to be taken lightly. Not only would being subject to drug overdose affect the victim’s life, but the people around them, whether that be close friends or family members. Just like it was said in the assembly, we are not here to tell you “don’t do drugs!”, but rather to show you what they can do. It is up to you whether or not you are going to take our advice… it could save your life.
