‘This is a fight to save lives’: Fentanyl Awareness Walk calls for actions

Community members gathered at The Forks on Saturday to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and recreational drug use.

Families, advocates and community leaders got together at The Forks on Saturday for the Fentanyl Awareness Day Walk – an event aiming to raise awareness about the dangers of recreational drug use and fentanyl poisoning.

The walk began at Odena Circle and went through downtown Winnipeg, ending at the Manitoba Legislature for a remembrance event. The event was led by Joseph Fourre, founder of the Singing Red Bear Foundation Inc. and creator of Fentanyl Awareness Day.

“This is a fight to save lives,” Fourre said. “When we talk about the opioid crisis, we only talk about it in terms of addiction. We don’t talk about it in terms of recovery.

“We never talk about it in terms of the dangers of recreational drug use, and this is what we are trying.”

Fourre shared the story of a young man who died after unintentionally consuming fentanyl, thinking that he was taking ecstasy. He said the walk was meant to honour the lost lives, support grieving families – especially as youth return to school and increased peer pressure can surface.

Fourre said 95 per cent of recent substance-related deaths in Manitoba involved fentanyl, and added the northern communities are particularly vulnerable, with drug dealers targeting isolated areas with limited law enforcement.

He told CTV News on Saturday that he had support from the Assembly of First Nations and chiefs across Canada, and a letter from Canada’s fentanyl czar Kevin Brosseau.

“The Singing Red Bear Foundation’s commitment is to create that awareness, so that we can get prevention and save lives.”