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Abbotsford police chief calls for drug education in school curriculum

Click to play video: 'Tragic spike in overdoses in Abbotsford'
Tragic spike in overdoses in Abbotsford
Police say five people died yesterday, all within 10 hours, from suspected overdoses. Kristen Robinson reports. And a warning, the story includes disturbing images – Oct 28, 2017

Five overdose deaths in Abbotsford last Friday have prompted the city’s police chief to call on the provincial and federal governments to include drug education in the school curriculum.

“I actually believe we should be doing a provincial-wide curriculum that, in Grades 4 through 12, [has] hours of instruction every year for kids around this issue,” said Chief Bob Rich.

He said kids need to learn about the dangers of using drugs.

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“We need to be telling kids exactly what fentanyl is and explain to them where it is, and why it kills people.

WATCH: Latest numbers on the drug crisis in B.C. 

Click to play video: 'Shocking new numbers on drug overdose deaths in B.C.'
Shocking new numbers on drug overdose deaths in B.C.

“We need to actually explain to people you can’t use street drugs anymore, they’re a poison, they will kill people.”

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He said there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“They’re not stupid, the truth is there’s no safe way to take these drugs when they’re laced with fentanyl.”

Rich is also calling on the provincial and federal governments to do more to deal with the fentanyl crisis.

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