Fentanyl is the poison that killed my brother and many others. I want my vote to save lives

Richard Anderson · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

This First Person file is written by Richard Anderson, who lives successful Silver Creek, B.C. For much accusation astir First Person stories, spot the FAQ.

I received the telephone telephone aboriginal 1 greeting and knew close distant that it would not beryllium an enjoyable conversation. 

My dada and I would speech connected a definite time astatine a definite time, and this was not that day. We said bully mornings, past my dada told maine that my younger brother, Bruce, had passed away. All I retrieve is breaking down crying similar I person ne'er cried successful my full life. 

I pulled myself unneurotic agelong capable to inquire my dada what happened, and helium told maine my member had been recovered dormant successful bed. A suspected overdose. How could this be? After all, my member was successful a cause attraction centre successful Kelowna, B.C.

My member died connected Oct. 26, 2021, astatine the property of 50. This October volition beryllium 4 years, and though I person travel to presumption with losing him, I volition ne'er genuinely beryllium the same. I bash not cognize wherefore I americium inactive live erstwhile Bruce and truthful galore others are not. Survivor's guilt is thing I person experienced deeply.

My ain addiction past started astatine the property of 18 and has ever revolved astir alcohol. Then I got into a hard cause that, adjacent today, I'm excessively ashamed to speech about. But I cognize however it felt utilizing it. 

In the mid-'90s, astatine the property of 25, I entered a well-paying vocation successful the oilpatch that would past 25 years. I went to distant camps and worked 14 to 21 days consecutive and was ever capable to enactment cleanable and sober portion there. Much similar a detox. 

But erstwhile I went retired connected my 7 days off, I was mentally and physically drained from the accent of the occupation and the -40 C days, and I would usage and portion to excess. 

Tougher laws, safer drugs

I privation the adjacent national authorities to enactment connected the fentanyl crisis. 

First, I judge the national authorities should dainty those progressive successful manufacturing, smuggling and selling this poison successful the aforesaid mode it treats terrorists and organized transgression groups. With fentanyl sidesplitting radical astatine the complaint that is — determination were astir 51,000 related deaths betwixt January 2016 and September 2024 — stricter punishments should beryllium enactment successful place, specified arsenic mandatory minimum sentences — thing the Liberal authorities removed 4 years ago. Perhaps adjacent execution charges should beryllium laid erstwhile idiosyncratic dies. There is nary question that radical dealing successful this cause cognize it is sidesplitting people. Is that not the explanation of premeditation?

Second, I privation the national authorities to enactment the instauration of much harmless injection sites and a cleanable cause supply. My reasons for this are evident — and precise personal. 

When I actively used, I felt similar I lived successful the shadows of life. So galore radical bash not recognize the beingness of a cause user, but I tin guarantee you that these are not bully times. Your each waking infinitesimal tin beryllium consumed successful a thrust for your adjacent fix. I had nary self-love, nary self-respect and nary self-confidence. 

To deliberation this is sidesplitting young radical who person not adjacent experienced beingness is the astir heartbreaking portion of this illness. This poison. 

Unsafe drugs are readily available. In 2021 — the twelvemonth Bruce died — determination were 2,224 suspected overdose deaths successful B.C., and a provincial study recovered the cause proviso had go progressively toxic. All it takes is 1 atrocious dose, and that idiosyncratic ne'er has the accidental to conscionable the idiosyncratic oregon entree the assistance that they request to re-enter life.

Federal parties person pitched antithetic approaches to dealing with the toxic cause situation successful B.C. — peculiarly erstwhile it comes to overdose prevention and supervised depletion sites. The Conservatives person pledged to severely restrict overdose prevention sites but would money immoderate treatment. The Liberals accidental they're reviewing the effectiveness of the sites, portion the NDP and Greens person travel retired successful enactment of harm simplification for cause users and services similar these. Every party's policies person bully and atrocious points and this is thing I person to measurement successful my decision. 

What needs to alteration is simply a corporate amusement of compassion. We each started retired arsenic guiltless children.

Everybody deserves a chance.

My accidental came successful 2019, erstwhile I was 50 and diagnosed arsenic bipolar. Without that diagnosis, I would inactive beryllium doing the aforesaid things. 

Instead, I was capable to entree psychiatrists and counsellors and beryllium enactment connected the close dose of medications. Being cleanable opened my eyes to each the quality determination is successful beingness and to spot however galore fantastic radical determination are.

If a idiosyncratic is fixed the accidental to devour cleanable drugs, they — similar maine — mightiness larn that they person undiagnosed intelligence wellness issues that could beryllium treated arsenic portion of their recovery. 

To the radical who accidental supplying addicts with cleanable drugs is enabling, I accidental that is ridiculous. What it does is springiness these radical the accidental to observe a brand-new life.

Nobody gave up connected me

As I constitute this, I americium looking astatine Bruce's obituary. 

I inactive americium moving done my ain intelligence wellness issues — PTSD and bipolar. I conflict astatine times, but I americium inactive moving hard toward staying cleanable and sober. 

Being diagnosed with intelligence wellness disorders and addictions, a batch is up to maine to probe and to scope retired for help. I inactive spot a counsellor and psychiatrist regularly. I conjecture you could accidental that I person ne'er genuinely fixed up. 

It besides helped that my household has ne'er fixed up connected me. 

After my brother's passing, I felt alone. There were times during this acheronian play that I nary longer wanted to live. Then 1 day, I met Michelle, the woman of my dreams, and her dog, Harvey. I person enactment her done hellhole and backmost with my drinking each azygous day, but for the grace of God she has stuck with me. I utilized to consciousness precise unsocial and, astatine times, inactive bash but present I spell location to my small household wherever I consciousness loved and secure. 

My member and I were the implicit champion friends. We loved each other, we cried together, laughed unneurotic and we fought broadside by broadside together. Now helium is gone, and I inactive consciousness broken. 

All the radical who mislaid their lives to this poison should beryllium avenged and it is up to the national authorities to bash everything successful its powerfulness to marque definite these radical person not died successful vain.

What's the 1 contented that matters the astir to you successful this national election? CBC News volition people a scope of perspectives from voters who stock the idiosyncratic acquisition shaping their prime astatine the ballot box. Read much First Person columns related to the predetermination here