Frankly Speaking

Frank Bucholtz photo Jason Cook, executive director of Langley Health Services and site manager of Langley Memorial Hospital, talked Tuesday to members of Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce about health challenges in Langley. He was joined by emergency room physician Dr. Robert Anthony. The fentanyl crisis involves many more people than the high-profile drug addicts on the streets of Whalley or Vancouver’s downtown eastside. It involves people who overdose in their homes or at parties. In many cases, they die because those around them don’t know what to do. Jason Cook, executive director of Langley Health Services and site manager of Langley Memorial Hospital, emphasized the importance of awareness in combating the scourge of fentanyl, when speaking about health issues to Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. There were 30 deaths from fentanyl in Langley in 2016, and the people most susceptible were men between 30 and 50. Dr. Bob Anthony, an emergency room p...

Surrey RCMP Insp. Shawna Baher examines a $4.5 million drug seizure at a press conference on Friday. Photo by Kevin Diakiw/The Surrey-North Delta Leader Surrey RCMP have now been called to 31 shots fired incidents in 2016 – as of Monday afternoon, when the latest shooting took place at 140A Street and 86A Avenue. There may well be more by the time this column is in print in the Peace Arch News on Wednesday, and the Surrey-North Delta Leader on Friday. While there has only been one death as a result of the gunfire thus far, there have been five injuries. Nine buildings have been shot at. Perspective is important. The 30 shots fired incidents represent half of all such incidents reported to police last year. That was a year in which police and members of the public both made it clear there were a staggering number of shots fired. If this year’s incidents continue at the same rate, there will be twice as many in 2016. While most of these incidents are related to drugs, gan...