Manitoba on pace to see record substance use deaths in 2024

Joseph Fourre, creator of the ‘No Thanks, I’m Good’ Campaign, is fighting to bring more awareness to the dangers of drug use. After losing his son to fentanyl poisoning in April of 2023, he created this campaign to try and get the message out that social use is not safe use.

“The more that we can educate people about the dangers of fentanyl and recreational drugs, I think the better chance we have of saving lives and reducing the numbers of deaths that are occurring in our community,” said Fourre.

“We have to get the word out there that we’re in a fentanyl crisis, there is so much fentanyl out on the street and it’s being mixed with so many different kinds of drugs that unsuspected recreational or social users are consuming drugs that are containing fentanyl, and they don’t know about it.”

Fourre says Manitoba is on pace to set a record for substance use deaths in a year, with the office of the Chief Medical Officer releasing statistics that show 323 deaths in the first seven months of 2024 – while the total number for 2023 was 445.

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“We need to come up with a four-pillar plan that really addresses the issue of what’s happening in our communities, and I really believe that needs to include treatment, we definitely need treatment, we need law enforcement we need to start getting tougher on fentanyl dealers, we need harm reduction, but we also need awareness and prevention,” said Fourre.

Fourre is calling for the government to come up with a more balanced approach that is not solely based on addiction, but also on prevention. Through his No Thanks I’m Good Campaign he has shared his son’s story at schools and has seen firsthand how educating the youth can make a difference.

“There was this young 14-year-old boy who came up to me after the presentation and he had tears in his eyes and he said I’m sorry for your loss but thank you for trying to save our lives and bringing us this information, because we didn’t know.”

Fourre says he hopes the No Thanks I’m Good campaign will help save lives in honour of his son Harlan and will be hosting the second annual fentanyl awareness day walk on September 13^th next year.