Drugs Harm People: Save the Next Generation
According to data released by Health Canada in December 2024, the overuse of opioid drugs remains one of the most severe public health crises in modern Canadian history. A 2017 report titled "The Menace of Deadly Fentanyl" warned that the emergence of the "super drug" fentanyl could trigger a drug crisis in Canada. Eight years later, the federal government not only failed to tighten drug regulations but also legalized cannabis in 2018, implemented the "Safer Supply" policy in 2020—where drugs are supplied to users by the government—and in 2023, British Columbia decriminalized the possession of small amounts of drugs. On January 30, a 14-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl in British Columbia tragically lost her life to a fentanyl overdose. Her mother, in an interview with this publication, claimed that her daughter's death is closely tied to Canada’s drug policies.
G’s mother shared her painful story, recounting how, in November 2024, a teacher at her daughter’s school reported that G had been asking peers about obtaining fentanyl. The teacher informed the school board, prompting Fraser Health to send a specialist to their home for weekly one-on-one counseling sessions with G. G’s mother referred to this specialist as a "detox advisor." However, parents were neither allowed to attend the sessions nor informed about their content.
The mother suspected that G had already been exposed to methamphetamine before November. She requested that the detox advisor place G on a waitlist for addiction treatment, but the advisor declined, explaining that such a decision required G’s consent. On January 11, during a dental visit, G’s severely chapped lips raised concerns from the dentist. G admitted to using fentanyl, shocking both the dentist and her mother. The dentist immediately inquired about addiction counseling. "I emailed the detox advisor that same day, explaining that my child admitted to using fentanyl. I begged her to talk to G and dissuade her from using it again. As parents, we didn’t even know what fentanyl was, but as a detox advisor, she should have understood the gravity of the situation. Although she was supposed to visit three days later, she never showed up," said the grieving mother.
On January 28, the "addiction counselor" returned and held a meeting with G and her parents. The mother urged her daughter to go to rehab. "G nodded two or three times. I asked the counselor to start the process immediately, but she insisted on speaking to G privately first. An hour later, the counselor told us that G refused to go to rehab because she didn’t want to sleep or bathe outside of her home."
On the evening of January 29, G’s mother contacted a church sister to arrange for G’s enrollment at the addiction treatment center. "That night, my daughter looked utterly exhausted. Thinking she might have caught a cold, I told her to brush her teeth and go to bed early," her mother recounted. On the morning of January 30, G’s parents left home early to discuss arrangements with volunteers and staff from the treatment center, planning an afternoon visit with their daughter. When they returned home at 10 a.m., they found G still in bed, unresponsive and pale. She was rushed to BC Children’s Hospital, where doctors tried to resuscitate her for four hours but ultimately pronounced her dead. An autopsy later revealed the presence of three different types of fentanyl in her system.
In her mother's eyes, G was a bright and innocent girl with a lively personality. She excelled in swimming and skiing, and her mother admired her strong ability to imitate. "When she was little, she saw a lion dance and insisted on learning it. We asked someone to bring a lion head from China for her, and she learned the lion dance just by watching performances on TV." G had a passion for painting, reading, making friends, and helping others. To her mother, she was a kind-hearted child.
How did G encounter drugs? G's mother believed her daughter's innocence left her unaware of the dangers of bad people and harmful things, and her curiosity about new experiences made her vulnerable. "Nowadays, finding drugs at school, on the streets, or online is not difficult. Look at East Hastings Street in Vancouver or SkyTrain stations—fentanyl can be bought for just $10. Our society is so open that teenagers can easily access drugs. Canada legalized marijuana, making teenagers think drug use is acceptable. Marijuana is a gateway drug, and after trying it, they seek something more 'high' (exciting). Isn't this endangering lives? Canada’s government, what exactly are you doing?"
G's mother also sharply criticized Canada's addiction treatment policies: "Why can’t we, as parents, protect our children during the rehabilitation process? Why can't we ensure our children get into rehab? Why are children over the age of 13 allowed to decide for themselves whether to seek treatment? They don’t even understand fentanyl, let alone that a tiny amount can instantly stop their heart. That 'addiction counselor' was supposed to visit five times in December but only came three times. Do the people working in the medical counseling system truly care about children’s lives? Do they take responsibility for their profession? The system is broken!"
G attended church with her mother from a young age and was baptized at the age of eight. Her mother believes that she has been taken by God. "My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were all Christians who believed in Jesus, and I am also a believer in Jesus. I trust that my dear, innocent daughter has been taken by God and is now in His kingdom, free from pain and suffering. "
Shirley Chan
