Waterloo Regional Police Launch #TheNewFWord to Educate Youth on the Dangers of Fentanyl
Back to SearchWaterloo Region, Ontario – The Waterloo Regional Police Service is launching a new opioid-prevention campaign aimed at educating young people on the dangers of fentanyl.
The campaign, entitled #TheNewFWord, sends a powerful message – that fentanyl is real, and it is deadly.
“Fentanyl does not discriminate,” said Bryan Larkin, Chief of Police. “It can impact anyone. The opioid crisis we are facing is not something that is happening to other people in other places, this is happening right here in Waterloo Region. It is happening to our friends, our family, our neighbours, our classmates.”
The campaign is geared towards youth and young adults, aged 13 to 23, to remind them that if they choose to take a drug that is not prescribed to them, it could contain fentanyl. The choice they make to take the drug could be a deadly one.
“The time to talk is now,” said Chief Larkin. “We want youth to educate themselves and to talk to each other. Talk to their parents, a teacher, a police officer, to anyone they trust. It’s time everyone started having a serious conversation about the deadly consequences of fentanyl.”
The campaign features a video, which depicts a young man ingesting a pill while at a gathering with friends. The young man does not know the pill he has ingested contains fentanyl. He collapses in front of his friends and is rushed to hospital where his mother and sister are waiting. It ends with the message “Fentanyl. It does not discriminate.” The title of the campaign - #TheNewFWord - was chosen to capture the attention of young people and to force them to have a conversation on the seriousness of this opioid crisis.
Select movie theatres will run the video in their pre-movie line-up from December 15, 2017 to January 4, 2017. The video will also be available on social media and will be shown in local schools.
A press conference will be held December 14, 2017 at 3 p.m. at Police Headquarters, located at 200 Maple Grove Road in Cambridge, for media to view the video and ask questions regarding #TheNewFWord campaign.
For more information on fentanyl visit our fentanyl page.
To view #TheNewFWord video visit Youtube.
Media Inquiries
Cherri Greeno
Media Relations Coordinator
Executive Branch
Waterloo Regional Police Service
519-570-9777 (WRPS) ext. 8773
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