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Vol. 11, No. 11, Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Veselka dancers help ring in Malanka
MICHELLE PINON PHOTO
Members of the Lamont Veselka Ukrainian Dancers entertained around 300 guests who had gathered for the annual Ukrainian New Yearʼs Eve celebration at the St. Michael Recreation Centre on Saturday, January 9th.
Fentanyl a concern in every community, say RCMP Michelle Pinon Editor
While there are no indications the use of the highly toxic drug fentanyl is on the increase in Fort Saskatchewan and surrounding area, Cst. Sean Morris feels it remains a concern in all communities. “Investigations into all drug use will continue to be a priority for not only the General Investigation Unit, but for all members.” Cst. Morris went on to say that criminal investigation is only one avenue in which members of the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP
Detachment combat drugs and drug use within local communities. “Education and awareness are key in the prevention of drug use. Programs such are D.A.R.E. assist our youths in making mature and responsible decisions and forces the youths to look at the consequences of their actions.” He added that the school resource officer also assists by providing specific presentations and awareness to targeted groups. “Officer awareness and education is also necessary. Front line
members need to be aware of what is happening within our community,” pointed out Cst. Morris. RCMP officers also have to be aware of the risks of fentanyl that can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled when it is in the powder form. RCMP also must know first aid procedures if they are exposed, and always take precautionary measures when dealing with any substance suspected to contain fentanyl. Health Canada estimates that a lethal dose of pure fentanyl for a typical adult is as little as two milligrams, which
visually, is approximately the size of a few grains of table salt. Even smalller amounts of fentanyl can be dangerous, and any quantity needs to be handled with extreme care. To date, there have been no reported incidents of accidental exposure to fentanyl by law enforcement members, including RCMP. At the present time there are no presumptive test kits that can be used to positively identify the presence of fentanyl versus other opioid drugs such as heroin. The only way to determine whether or not a substance is fentanyl is
through lab analysis. According to the Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, between 2009 and 2014 there were 655 Canadian deaths directly linked to fentanyl, representing one death every three days. There have been a total of 1,019 drug poisoning deaths where postmortem toxicological screening indicated the presence of fentanyl, representing an average of two deaths every three days, more than half of which occurred in 2013 and 2014. Fentanyl can be found in a patch form, in a
powder form, liquid form, and pressed into tablets mimicking the appearance of known pharmaceuticals such as OxyContin. Illicit fentanyl related seizures and a high incidence rate of user overdoses and deaths are occurring in Canada, and Provincial Government recently announced that proceeds of crime grants will be available to police and their community partners to raise drug awareness and prevention. Cst. Morris confirmed that the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is currently looking into details about the grant.