‘Love your kids’: Family demands change after teen dies of fentanyl overdose

Andrew Johnson shares the painful story of the Dunlap family, who hopes to advocate in their son Tyler’s memory after he died from a fentanyl overdose.

On the heels of a major fentanyl seizure campaign, parents of a Vancouver teen who died of a fentanyl overdose say more attention needs to be paid by police to people selling the drugs to teens.

“I applaud that they’re trying to get this stuff off the streets,” said Karen Dunlap. “But there’s no enforcement of the people that are actually out there selling this to our kids for $5 or $10. The police turn a complete blind eye to any of that kind of accountability.”

Karen and Greg Dunlap’s 16-year-old son Tyler does not fit the mold of what Canadians may imagine to be the average fentanyl overdose victim. The Dunlaps say Tyler was outgoing, popular, active in sports and loved family gatherings.

“I’d say he was the typical teenager, but he was so much more than that,” said his mom. “You know, he was just so vivacious and full of life.”

An ‘extremely high’ bar

Regarding the investigation following Tyler Dunlap’s death, Vancouver Police Sergeant Steve Addison said in a statement, “The evidentiary bar to prosecute someone for supplying drugs that led to an accidental overdose is extremely high.

“We advised the young man’s family that it would be unlikely, in these circumstances, that anyone could be found culpable in the accidental death of someone who voluntarily acquired and consumed an illicit substance. However, we documented the information that was provided to us, and we advised that it could be used in a future drug investigation.”

The Vancouver teen also lived with ADHD and anxiety. His parents say he began to struggle in the weeks before his death.

“He spiraled in about a week and a half, two weeks. He spiraled. It was a crazy two weeks,” said Greg.

“We actually had him in the hospital three times the week he died,” added Karen. “Begging, begging the hospitals and the doctors to help us, they said ‘he’s fine, take him home.’”

“I said to one doctor – if you don’t help him, I think he’s going to be dead in a week,” Karen told CTV News through tears.

Her worst fear came true one week later. When they tried to wake him up for school, the Dunlaps found their only child dead of a fentanyl overdose. They believe he was trying to self-medicate and didn’t realize the pill or pills he had purchased were lethal.

In addition to the ease of access to fentanyl for young people, the Dunlaps worry the series of busts that has taken thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs off Canadian streets may also have an unintended side effect.

“Another big fentanyl bust happened a year ago, just slightly before Tyler passed. It was in a small town in B.C. The supply was taken away, but the demand was still there. And so people started cooking things up in their basements, I imagine. And I think that’s what Tyler got hold of, so I’m worried,” said Karen.

‘Love your kids,’ urges father

The Dunlaps hope Tyler’s story will also spark important conversations for other families and teens struggling with mental health or substance use issues.

“Love your kids. Stay close to them. Be in contact,” Greg said.

“Also, I think that a strong message is kids need to learn how to be nice to each other. Please be kind to each other, like if you see someone having a hard time, reach your hand out, talk to them and say, ‘How can I help you?’”

The Dunlaps say they plan to continue advocating in their son’s memory, hoping to prevent even one more family from experiencing the pain they describe as something they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy.

With files from CTV’s Kristen Yu