Knowledge is power

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/02/2018 (3027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With fentanyl in the news regularly, students at Elmwood High School are creating an opportunity to spread awareness about the dangers of the drug to students, parents, and the community at large.

On Thurs., Feb. 22, Elmwood High (505 Chalmers Ave.) is hosting two events in conjunction with Crime Stoppers, the Elmwood Community Resource Centre, and the Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation.

The first is an in-school assembly, and will present information to over 800 students about the deadly street drug. The second event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. and is free, is open to the public.

“I think the interest is there in the community,” said Mike Babb, principal of Elmwood High School. “The more knowledge is out there, the safer people are.”

Both events will feature presentations from Crime Stoppers and members of the Winnipeg Police Service. Following the presentations, there will be plenty of opportunity for questions.

“We’re pretty involved here at the school, and we didn’t know much about it,” said Trisha Lubo, a Grade 12 student and president of the student council, which is helping organize the event. “So for students who were less involved, we want them to know about it too.”

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid based drug that has been reported more frequently on in connection with overdoses across Canada in recent years. According to the government of Canada, 69 people suffered opioid-related deaths in Manitoba in 2016, while 2,861 were reported nationally. Between January and June of 2017, there were another 30 opioid-related deaths reported in the province, and a total of 1,460 nationally.

The Elmwood High School student council felt there was still a lot of misconceptions and a general lack of knowledge about the drug among students and the community.

“I didn’t know what fentanyl was before this,” said Chester Nacalaban, a Grade 12 representative on student council. “I thought it was like cocaine. I didn’t know it was so deadly.”

Student council has been soliciting questions from students by placing a number of “question boxes” around the school. So far, they said response has been “great.”

While much information exists online about the drug, the student council felt strongly that a public presentation was the best way to engage with students and their families.

“Most people ignore the fact that there is information on social media,” Zekaria Selahadin, another Grade 12 rep on council. “For this presentation, it’s more likely the information will stick in their minds, rather than just scrolling through and skipping the information.”

“Not only do students have to be involved, but also the parents so as not to risk any more lives,” said Grade 12 student Kareena Ricafort, vice-president of the student council.

“These kinds of presentations are not for the present, but for the future,” added Nacalaban.

The public fentanyl awareness event begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs., Feb. 22 in the multi-purpose room at Elmwood High School (505 Chalmers Ave.). Snacks, coffee and refreshments will be available.