Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 77 Originally published by Charles Hamilton, CBC News (May 11, 2017) Adria Bosshart died of a fentanyl overdose, a day shy of her 19th birthday, multiple friends confirmed. 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. "I know a lot of (young people) think that they are invincible; they thought it wouldn't happen to them. That's what they always say, that 'It's not going to be me.' I'm hoping her death might save other lives." Fentanyl overdose deaths down provincewide 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. 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 18year-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. TEENAGER'S DEATH SPARKS NEW CONCERNS ABOUT FENTANYL IN SASKATOON Adria May Bosshart died of a fentanyl overdose. Bosshart was a day shy of her 19th birthday when she passed away. (Facebook ) "We still need to be vigilant. We still need to understand that it is a dangerous drug."
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