As summer holidays near, a unique warning has been issued to parents of high school students in Saskatoon and area.
On Thursday, an email blast was sent out by both Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and Saskatoon Public Schools alerting families about the dangers of fentanyl.
READ MORE: Fentanyl trafficking bust made in Saskatoon
The intention, said officials, was not to startle but rather ensure everyone has a safe summer ahead.
“Student safety is our number one priority,” Shane Skjerven, deputy director of education with Saskatoon Public Schools, said.
“What we hope to achieve by sending this letter is information – information for students, information for families and information for parents.”
In total, the parents of 14,400 students in Grades 9 through 12 received the warning.
Officials told Global News this is the first time they’ve sent out a letter of this nature to families.
“We wanted to do our part to make sure we gave as much information to our parents and families as possible so they can inform themselves and inform their children of the dangers ahead of time,” Scott Gay, superintendent of education for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, said.
“It’s really a proactive step and not a reactive step.”
WATCH MORE: Saskatoon father speaks out after his daughter died of a suspected fentanyl overdose
Leading up to the letter, no concerns have been raised by students, parents or staff regarding the drug in either school system. Neither division has had any reports of fentanyl use on school grounds.
Still, officials said after conversations with their community partners and working closely with the Saskatoon Health Region and Saskatoon Police Service, they felt it was information parents deserved to know in order to avoid a possible tragedy.
“That would be the worst case scenario,” Gay added.
“Our hope to actually mitigate the risk and actually allow people to have more information as opposed to less.”
- ‘She gets to be 10’: Ontario child’s heart donated to girl the same age
- Bird flu risk to humans an ‘enormous concern,’ WHO says. Here’s what to know
- Shoppers faces proposed class action over claims company is ‘abusive’ to pharmacists
- ‘Bacterial vampirism’: Deadly pathogens attracted to human blood, study finds
READ MORE: Saskatoon police use naloxone to revive fentanyl overdose victim
The letter also arms parents with information on how to recognize if their child is using opioids and how to get help.
Since 2013, there have been 49 drug overdose deaths in Saskatchewan involving fentanyl.
*To see the full letter distributed to parents, scroll below:
Comments