The mother of a promising Coquitlam actor who died of an overdose this past spring is welcoming the new treatment beds announced for youth this week.
But they come too late for her boy, says Marlyse Williams, whose son, Logan Williams, was on a waiting list for a treatment bed when he died.
This week the province announced it would spend $36 million for youth assistance with locations of treatment facilities to be determined by regional health authorities.
The money will help pay for 123 treatment beds, in addition to 124 such beds currently.
“It is certainly a step in the right direction. It is unfortunate that it is too late for my son who died on a wait list among hundreds of other youth in the past years,” Williams told The Tri-City News in an email.
Known for his role as the young Flash on the TV series, and a Terry Fox secondary student, 16-year-old Logan Williams struggled with addiction for three years.
He died in April after after taking a drug laced with fentanyl.
The cause of his death was not immediately revealed. Now his mother is going public with her concerns and says more needs to be done to combat overdoses, fight stigma and help youth struggling with addiction.
In addition to more youth beds, Williams would like to see tougher sentences for those dealing drugs laced with fentanyl and Carfentanil, especially when they result in death, and efforts to stop fentanyl and Carfentanil from getting into Canada.
“Addiction is an extremely complex illness and very difficult to navigate. The number one issue is the surge of the toxic drug supply coming into B.C and Canada that needs to be addressed on a provincial and federal level.”
“This is drug-induced homicide and should be treated as such. In addition, we all need to address the stigma. It’s crucial that families understand that drugs don’t discriminate.”
As reported to The New York Post in May, the young actor began using marijuana at 13 as a way to cope with the stress of auditions.
From there, it escalated to other drugs. At one point, things got so bad, Williams told the Post, she had to remortgage her home to pay for expensive rehab, first in the U.S. and then in B.C.
