A Kelowna teen害羞草研究所檚 recent overdose death is opening eyes about youth drug use and prompting change in the local harm reduction network.

害羞草研究所淲e all loved Chelsea (Christianson),害羞草研究所� said Angie Lohr, the face of HOPE Outreach, an organization whose volunteers hit Kelowna streets nightly, handing out care packages and harm reduction kits to the street-entrenched population.

Through that work she and her volunteers got to know the 17-year-old who fatally overdosed March 19, taking what she believed to be heroin. She was bright, friendly and clearly in need of some help.

害羞草研究所淲hen we heard she died 害羞草研究所� it was really hard on all of us,害羞草研究所� Lohr said. 害羞草研究所淪he was such an amazing girl.害羞草研究所�

Lohr, who battled her own addiction issues and recently lost her daughter to a fentanyl overdose in the Lower Mainland, said it害羞草研究所檚 a tragic turn of events that will only be repeated unless something changes 害羞草研究所� change she intends to contribute to.

害羞草研究所淭here are so many kids in this on the streets害羞草研究所� if they can害羞草研究所檛 find a place to go they害羞草研究所檙e not going to get better,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e going to lose a whole generation.害羞草研究所�

Youth drug use

Although there are four youth detox beds set to open in Kelowna in the next month, drug use in that demographic does not get much notice in the ongoing conversations about the fentanyl crisis.

In part, it害羞草研究所檚 because the numbers don害羞草研究所檛 support it.

Recent statistics from the BC Ministry of Health show that four out of five overdose deaths were men and more than half were between the ages of 30 and 49.

It害羞草研究所檚 also an uncomfortable topic.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of people don害羞草研究所檛 want to talk about the idea of a 14-year-old injecting themselves with drugs, but they do,害羞草研究所� said Interior Health害羞草研究所檚 Dr. Trevor Corneil, Tuesday.

害羞草研究所淭hat is a big first step for the public; acknowledging that the situation occurs. Once you recognize that gap exists of how to respond to that issue, you can start to work on providing services to address it.害羞草研究所�

Dealing with children addicted to drugs, he explained, can also be a struggle because there are so many organizations to navigate.

害羞草研究所淥ne of the difficulties, although it can be thought of as both a positive and negative, is that there are three different government ministries害羞草研究所攅ducation, health and families害羞草研究所攄ealing with this issue on respective levels, so they all have to come together in creating integrated solutions to help fill those gaps that exist,害羞草研究所� Corneil said.

Lohr doesn害羞草研究所檛 see the positive side of this bureaucracy so she害羞草研究所檚 forging ahead with another plan that害羞草研究所檚 focused specifically on adult women, but could also help teens in need of finding a safe place before getting off drugs.

House of Hope

害羞草研究所淵ou know what, when Chelsea died I decided then, I害羞草研究所檓 on a mission. I害羞草研究所檓 not going to see one more woman die on the streets,害羞草研究所� Lohr said.

This weekend Lohr re-opened House of Hope, a low-barrier safe house for women. She has five beds available on a month-by-month basis for women in need. Five more beds are expected to open by next month.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l even take teenagers if it害羞草研究所檚 needed,害羞草研究所� Lohr said, adding that she would require consent from parents to do so.

害羞草研究所淭here are just so many obstacles that prevent women from moving forward and I had to do something. I see so many women suffering I had to try to make this work. 害羞草研究所�

The safe house is where women who may want to go into treatment or who are looking to change their lives, end homelessness or abusive relationships can go.

Lohr described it as 害羞草研究所渁bstinence free space with harm reduction害羞草研究所� which means women who are using methadone, saboxone, THC pills or anything that would require a prescription are able to enter.

害羞草研究所淭reatment facilities will not take women who are on these drugs,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淪o, we work with (local resources) and the girls can get into treatment.害羞草研究所�

As of right now, there害羞草研究所檚 a four to eight week wait time to get into addiction help, said Lohr, and that害羞草研究所檚 too long to wait unless there害羞草研究所檚 some stability.

害羞草研究所淭his gives them a roof over their head and safe place to stabilize, so changes can start happening,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淧eople can害羞草研究所檛 make changes in a shelter or living on the street. They害羞草研究所檙e just in survival mode. You have to house somebody to make them feel safe to make changes.害羞草研究所�

If a woman chooses to go into treatment, which is about 30 days, they can reserve their bed so they have some place to call home once they害羞草研究所檝e completed their program.

She will also work with women who have been incarcerated, so they can learn how to function within the boundaries of society.

HOPE Outreach has only been open a week, and Lohr has yet to fully figure out funding. To contact Lohr go to .

GoFundMe

Family and friends of Chelsea Christianson are also making an effort to raise awareness on the issues of youth mental health and addictions and increase the services available.

害羞草研究所淥ur goal is to donate the money from Chelsea害羞草研究所檚 story, to the youth shelter at The Boys and Girls Clubs of Kelowna - a place where Chelsea often found comfort, support, and friendship, as well as The Maple Springs Bible Camp where she received support and unconditional love over the years,害羞草研究所� reads a GoFundMe account titled

害羞草研究所淥n April 22 Chelsea would have turned 18 - we will close the page on this day at 6 p.m.害羞草研究所�