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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
OPIOID ABUSE
FLYING HIGH AT PROVINCIALS Fentanyl found in Merritt bust Tim Petruk KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
A Kamloops judge declined to consider the presence of fentanyl an aggravating factor in handing down B.C.’s first sentence for trafficking the highly potent and potentially deadly synthetic opioid on Monday, saying it’s up to Canadian lawmakers to dictate how the drug should be handled by courts. Matthew Hickson was handed a 28-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking — one for cocaine, the other for fentanyl. The Crown had been seeking a four-year prison sentence, citing lengthy terms of incarceration doled out for fentanyl dealers in Ontario and entering into evidence reports about the serious and sometimes deadly implications of fentanyl use. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Hope Hyslop said cocaine and fentanyl, both considered Schedule 1 controlled substances under Canadian law, should be treated the same in court. “Until Parliament legislates otherwise, I will make no distinction in sentencing Mr. Hickson,” she said. Hyslop did, however, acknowledge the seriousness of fentanyl. “The danger with fentanyl lies with the potency and possible overdose risk,” she said. “Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Drug overdose deaths in British Columbia have been increasing.” In April, B.C.’s chief medical health officer declared a medical state of emergency due to the skyrocketing number of overdose deaths in the province, the majority as a result of fentanyl use. But, Hyslop said, there was no evidence Hickson knew he was carrying fentanyl when he
Captain Mack Stead (above) and the rest of his Nicola Valley Thunder team overcame the odds to win silver at the provincial B lacrosse championships in Coquitlam on the weekend /Page 21 Photo courtesy of Freeze Frame Photography For all your landscaping needs call the professionals at
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