Schools send home AHS fact sheet to outline the dangers of fentanyl

A grim fact sheet about the dangers of fentanyl is being provided to parents of Calgary schoolchildren.

The four-page Alberta Health Services information sheet provides advice for parents and teachers on everything from how to talk to kids about the deadly drug to how to recognize and react to an overdose. The information is stark and to the point.

“If you take fentanyl, it can stop your breathing.”

“272 Albertans died from fentanyl in 2015.”

“Just a small amount of fentanyl, the size of two grains of salt, can be deadly.”

The sheet also provides a lengthy list of links to resources on topics such as CPR training, addiction, peer pressure and parenting.

Both the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District posted the information on their websites in September, and made it available to principals and staff on behalf of Alberta Education and AHS.

“We received a directive … in September to share the fact sheet with schools and parents,” said Megan Geyer, CBE spokeswoman.

No one from either AHS or Alberta Education was available to comment on the strategy.

A Calgary mother whose son died of an fentanyl overdose praised the info sheet as a bold move.

“I think that’s fantastic. It might be a little scary for kids and parents but it’s needed,” said Yvonne Clark, whose son, Connor, died in 2013.

An opioid up to 100 times more powerful than morphine, fentanyl has been blamed in the deaths of 154 Albertans, including 67 in the Calgary region, as of the end of July this year, trending ahead of last year’s record pace.

Health officials are calling it a crisis and working on a number of initiatives to stem the tide.

Geyer said health education is part of the Alberta school curriculum and is tailored to be age appropriate.

“Any resource that can help students make informed and safe decisions is good,” said Geyer.

Calgary Catholic spokeswoman Karen Ryhorchuk said other effective measures include school presentationson dangerous drugs from Calgary Police, and parents whose children died from overdoses.

“This discussion is already taking place, in the media and the community. It’s timely and important.”