Fentanyl and its impact on the family will be in sharp focus next week when a local church group hosts a community meeting on the topic.
Coquitlam Alliance Church is inviting the public to attend a seminar Feb. 22, 7 p.m., at the Terry Fox Theatre, 1260 Riverwood Gate, Port Coquitlam, to discuss a topic that has touched many lives in B.C.
“The whole goal is to remove stigma and offer hope,” said Brad Strelau, who is a pastor at the Port Coquitlam campus of CAChurch.
It’s a timely topic as a recent BC Coroners Service report noted fentanyl was detected in 21 of 29 illicit drug overdoses in 2017 in Coquitlam, up from eight in 2016. Province-wide, there were 1,422 illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C., with fentanyl detected in 81.3% of all cases.
“We figured this was such a hot topic and we’re hoping it will be a crowd because it’s important,” said Strelau, who said speakers will include members of the Vancouver Police Odd Squad, recovery workers, doctors and families, who will each bring their own personal perspective to the conversation.
Among those who will be on the panel are the parents of 21-year-old fentanyl victim Jaelyn Innes. Julie and Jim Innes, who previously attended the CA Church, lost their daughter to an accidental overdose last April. Fentanyl was found in her toxicology report and her parents are now advocating for better drug education about fentanyl in schools and for parents.
The Fentanyl and the Family event is free and open to all; School District 43 has donated the use of the Terry Fox Theatre to accommodate a large crowd.
Strelau said the church has seen a few families that have “walked through loss” because of fentanyl and next Thursday's event will be an opportunity to talk about “things that are on people’s hearts.”
It’s one of a number of seminars the church has hosted in its Peace by Piece series on various topics, mostly to do with mental health.
