Helen Jennens keeps an old photo of her sons - both sporting huge grins, their arms around each others害羞草研究所� shoulders - on her dresser, near to a metal sculpture inscribed with their names: Tyler and Rian.

It害羞草研究所檚 a looping infinity symbol and represents the way the two are forever intertwined - in death, as they were in life. Jennens affectionally called the pair who were born just 18 months apart 害羞草研究所渟eek害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渄estroy害羞草研究所� as children. Their closeness lasted as they grew up to be 害羞草研究所渁mazing guys害羞草研究所� and as they developed drug addictions that ultimately killed them both.

To the world, they are statistics of an overdose epidemic first declared a public health emergency in 2016.

To Jennens, they are so much more - her much loved children, whose absence she will never stop grieving. Children, who in death, threw her into a lifetime of advocacy.

害羞草研究所淲e say at Moms Stop the Harm, we don害羞草研究所檛 do this for our kids,害羞草研究所� she said, referring to the overdose awareness advocacy group that she害羞草研究所檚 a member of.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 too late for them. We害羞草研究所檙e doing it for yours.害羞草研究所�

Related: B.C. suing drug companies to recoup overdose crisis costs

There were 1,422 overdose deaths in 2017, a 43 per cent increase compared to 2016, which saw 914 deaths. Up until July of this year there have been 878 deaths, with 134 overdose being recorded in July.

Those deaths mark a 12 per cent increase over the same month last year, and a 25 per cent uptick from June. It equates to four deaths per day.

It害羞草研究所檚 a figure that should make jaws drop, but Jennens said she thinks the public is becoming desensitized to the death toll.

Instead of the shock she saw a year ago when discussing the crisis, people are almost indifferent. And the stigma that has sent so many people to misuse drugs in the dark corners of society remains intact.

It害羞草研究所檚 not surprising. Demonizing drug users, allows people to out the issue in the distance. They can say to themselves it害羞草研究所檚 not something they will face or that they need to understand.

It害羞草研究所檚 a dangerous misinterpretation of the reality.

害羞草研究所淒id I ever think, at this age, my sons would gone 害羞草研究所� no,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淒id I ever think they害羞草研究所檇 die of a drug overdose 害羞草研究所� no,害羞草研究所� she said.

Nor did she think that the places her children went to heal from injury would be what lead to their end.

害羞草研究所淲e had a lot of years of trauma and drama,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淩ian, my oldest son, had a drug problem, and then he got into a recovery program and had eight years of being sober before being struck by a truck on his motorcycle,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭he next few years he suffered through multiple surgeries, and the list of prescription drugs he was on wasterrible.害羞草研究所�

Related: Spike of potential drug ODs on Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 party weekends

He died in 2011 at age 37 from an overdose of prescription drugs. One day in 2011, Jennens went to his house with a pot of chilli and found him propped up on his bed with his computer on his lap.

害羞草研究所淗e was reading and he害羞草研究所檇 just stopped breathing,害羞草研究所� she said noting that he害羞草研究所檇 been prescribed benzodiazepines, various drugs for insomnia and depression, and opioids for chronic pain while he awaited a second hip replacement.

He was 37 years old. Five years later Tyler died, at age 40. He had ruptured his left Achilles tendon in 2008 while playing football. A lot of surgeries followed and for the pain he was prescribed OxyContin.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 when he acquired his opioid addiction,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲hen his brother died in 2011, he turned to heroin.害羞草研究所�

The family then went through four to five years of 害羞草研究所渁wful stuff害羞草研究所� trying to help him. 害羞草研究所淲e thought he was doing really well and then he picked up on Jan. 14 2016 害羞草研究所� we have all the information in his phone害羞草研究所� he thought he bought heroin, but it was 100 per cent fentanyl. I don害羞草研究所檛 know if we had gotten to him sooner we could have saved him.害羞草研究所�

At that time, fentanyl was just coming on to the scene and Tyler was considered one of the first reported poisonings. There were no systems in place to catch him as he fell.

Today,there害羞草研究所檚 more hope in Kelowna for someone who finds themselves in his position. The city now has a mobile supervised injection site, there are public information campaigns aimed at reducing the stigma of drug misuse and the conversation about the risk of fentanyl have become louder, more pointed. Last year the Good Samaritan law was passed and it allows people who fear calling 911 while someone is overdosing a legal shield if they too are on drugs or in possession of them. 害羞草研究所淜ids were going to parties and they were afraid to call 911 when someone overdosed,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淣ow they can.害羞草研究所�

Related: B.C. overdose deaths drop in June, but 100+ still dying each month

For all those positive changes, however, there害羞草研究所檚 a lot more than can be done. Jennens has raised concerns about the legitimate practices that lead people into addiction and into acquiring an illegitimate stream of drugs. Jennens publicly decried common practices among doctors that she said led to the deaths of her sons.

Had doctors checked their drug histories in the real-time database PharmaNet, which links pharmacies and hospitals to a database that stores information on all dispensed prescriptions. The system is also available to physicians.

She also looks to legalization of possession illicit substances as the way forward.

害羞草研究所淟ook at what they害羞草研究所檙e doing in Portugal,害羞草研究所� she said. In the 害羞草研究所�80s, an estimated one in 100 Portuguese were battling a heroin addition. Overdose deaths were on the rise and the HIV invention was the highest of the European union.

In 2001, Portugal became the first country to decriminalise the possession and consumption of all illicit substances. Rather than being arrested, those caught with a personal supply might be given a warning, a small fine, or told to appear before a local commission 害羞草研究所� a doctor, a lawyer and a social worker 害羞草研究所� about treatment, harm reduction, and the support services that were available to them.

The opioid crisis soon stabilized, and the ensuing years saw dramatic drops in problematic drug use, HIV and hepatitis infection rates, overdose deaths, drug-related crime and incarceration rates. HIV infection plummeted from an all-time high in 2000 of 104.2 new cases per million to 4.2 cases per million in 2015.

Reports say the culture around drug users changed, too. Instead of using the parallel word for 害羞草研究所渏unkies害羞草研究所� people started referring to 害羞草研究所減eople who use drugs害羞草研究所� or other with 害羞草研究所渁ddiction disorders害羞草研究所�

This, said Jennens, is a key piece of the puzzle.

害羞草研究所�(Tyler and Rain) probably wouldn害羞草研究所檛 want me talking about it,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey were ashamed of what they were doing.害羞草研究所�

If, however, they weren害羞草研究所檛 forced to hide in the shadows, in fear of labels there害羞草研究所檚 no telling where they害羞草研究所檇 be.

害羞草研究所淲e believe it害羞草研究所檚 a disorder, a medical illness, not a moral failing,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎nd we want people to treat it with dignity and respect, the same way as anyone with a medical issue would be treated. That is some of what we hope people will start to think about today.害羞草研究所�

A full roster of the events that start at 9 a.m. and go until 9 p.m. can be found at

Aug. 31 event schedule:

10 a.m. 害羞草研究所� 12 p.m. 害羞草研究所� Schedule of Speakers 害羞草研究所� Evangel Church

• Luke Stack 害羞草研究所� Deputy Mayor 害羞草研究所� Affirmation of Proclamation of August 31 as Overdose Awareness Day in Kelowna B.C.
• Dr. Jeff Eppler 害羞草研究所� Kelowna General Hospital Emergency Physician 害羞草研究所� Sharing his perspective on the overdose crisis
• Lawrence East 害羞草研究所� Pastor of Metro Community Church 害羞草研究所� Personal stories from our community
• Nadine Rigby 害羞草研究所� Interior Health Clinician, Substance Use Team Lead 害羞草研究所� Interior Health害羞草研究所檚 response to the overdose crisis
• Stephanie 害羞草研究所� Mom害羞草研究所檚 Stop the Harm 害羞草研究所� Combating stigma and dealing with grief after the loss of a loved one to overdose
• Pastor Nick 害羞草研究所� Evangel Church 害羞草研究所� His 35 years of experience with addiction
• Helen 害羞草研究所� Mom害羞草研究所檚 Stop the Harm 害羞草研究所� Sharing her story of the loss of her two sons to substance misuse
• Sheila Kerr 害羞草研究所� Living Positive Resource Center 害羞草研究所� Explanation of naloxone training process
• Nathanael Sherman 害羞草研究所� musician 害羞草研究所� closing song

12 p.m. - 1 p.m. - Training

• Free naloxone training provided by Sheila Kerr of Living Positive Resource Center

8 p.m. 害羞草研究所� 10 p.m. Candle Light Vigil - The Sails Downtown Kelowna

• Remembrance and Honoring 害羞草研究所� Music, Candlelight Vigil & Open Mic

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