Fraser Valley – Recently a Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley Funeral and Cremation service caused a stir with a poster and campaign to scare people straight over the use of fentanyl and other opioids. The bottom line is that you could end up with the same fate as the deceased in the poster.
Tyrel Burton with Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services has reached out to media to calm a few rattled nerves including the BC Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe, who was concerned about “scare tactics” to get a message across.
Burton went on to say:
To be clear: our Fentanyl Prevention Program is intended for youth who are not existing drug users. It is a prevention program.
We believe the attached media release will answer many of the questions you may have about our program, as well as our response to several of the uninformed statements that have been made.
Some of the media and the public have also inquired if there is a video of the program available. The answers is no – as this will program will be a “live” presentation only at this time.
In part, the media release states:
To begin with, our presentation on Fentanyl prevention has not yet been seen by anyone, aside from the Alternatives personnel who have helped to created it. It will be presented for the first time in January of 2018. Alternatives Owner, Tyrel Burton said, “It is puzzling to us that BC Chief Coroner, Lisa Lapointe, has seen fit to pass judgement on the program before it has been put into action, particularly since the BC Coroner’s Service had been fully briefed on nature of our presentation 6 months ago and had agreed to support it. It’s very disappointing to now see that commitment withdrawn.”
Secondly, the Alternatives program is categorically not intended for those who are already addicted to drug use. It is a prevention program, designed for youth 12 to 20 years of age or beyond, who are not addicted and who haven’t yet experimented with drugs.
Alternatives also points out that its Fentanyl Prevention Program strongly relies on parents attending with their children, a detail that has also been missed by those who have passed such quick judgement.
Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services underscores the need for drug use prevention by pointing out that our province is on pace to see over fifteen hundred (1,500) drug-caused deaths this year. Therefore, Alternatives has felt a strong sense of duty to try and stem the tide through the education of our youth.
In summing up, Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services company Founder Lawrence Little said “If our Fentanyl Prevention Program turns out to be a waste of time, well, at least we tried. And we will accept the criticism of those who might say ‘we told you so’. But if our presentation saves the life of even one child, we will consider it a huge success.”
