Teenager's death sparks new concerns about fentanyl in Saskatoon
Friends say 18-year-old Adria Bosshart is city's latest victim of fentanyl
Adria Bosshart died of a fentanyl overdose this past weekend, a day shy of her 19th birthday, multiple friends confirmed.
She's the latest young person to fall victim to the deadly opioid in Saskatoon.
She wasn't herself when she was using, a friend says. She wasn't the smiling, laughing 18-year-old. She wasn't the fun loving aunty, sister and friend.
"I really hope that this was a wake-up call," said Sarah Schlechte, who considered Bosshart like a little sister.
Fentanyl overdose deaths down province-wide
Fentanyl deaths in this province are decreasing. There were six fentanyl overdose deaths in 2016 compared to 22 in 2015.
But those statistics are cold comfort for Bosshart's friends.
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Schlechte said the teenager had reached out for help, but what was offered was never enough to get her away from the pull of the highly addictive drug. Experts say the deadly opioid is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine.
"She just kept coming back. She continued to use it. It was her safety blanket," Schlechte said.
Advocate says more overdose reporting needed
That's a cycle Kim Lamb knows too well.
Her 18-year-old son knew Bosshart and was himself addicted to fentanyl. He's currently enrolled in a methadone program.
Lamb said while the attention is focused elsewhere, people in this city need to know the fentanyl crisis is not over.
"We all know the numbers from B.C. because we read about it every week. We don't see that here, so people here think it's gone away ... It's not. It's still here," Lamb said.
Lamb believes the police should do more reporting on fentanyl overdoses even if they aren't fatal. That way, she said, more people would understand that it's an ongoing problem that needs ongoing solutions.
"I don't think the police are reporting these things enough. I would like to see every week them giving us stats on how many calls paramedics are doing for overdoses," Lamb said.
Earlier this week, Saskatoon police Supt. Dave Haye said while the fatal overdose numbers are down, people shouldn't become complacent.
"We still need to be vigilant. We still need to understand that it is a dangerous drug," Haye said.
'They all know what the drug is'
Colton Greyeyes is another one of Bosshart's friends who described her as "one of the most caring people" he knows.
He said he didn't even know she was using fentanyl.
Most young people know about the drug and how deadly it can be, he added.
"They all know what the drug is and what it does. It's up to them to decide whether to do it or not," he said in a Facebook message.