Police are investigating whether fentanyl played a role in the death of a young teen found unresponsive in a Starbucks bathroom.
16-year-old Gwynevere Staddon was discovered inside the Port Moody coffee shop bathroom Sunday evening with a small amount of drugs, and drug paraphernalia, leading police to believe she died of a drug overdose.
“This is a tragedy,” said Sgt. Travis Carroll. “We’re extending our thoughts and prayers to the victim and her loved ones.”
The teen was a student at Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam and would have been entering Grade 11 in the fall.
From Opposing Views:
Staddon’s mother, Veronica, says she “completely suspects” that her daughter died from an overdose of fentanyl, says CBC. Her official cause of death has yet to be determined.
“My best friend, my daughter, my sweetheart baby … I will never stop missing you,” the mother wrote on Facebook. “My heart won’t stop breaking.”
According to Veronica, Gwynevere had been struggling with substance abuse for some time. Prior to her death, she told her mother she had stopped using for three weeks.
“I’ve quit, so I’m OK now, Mom,” Veronica recalled Gwynevere saying. “It was calling out her name, and so she thought, ‘One more time.’ The one more time was the very last time.”
Veronica says she looked into putting Gwynevere into rehab, but the wait lists for public clinics are too long and she could not afford a private clinic.
“If I don’t have $50,000 available, then they are not something I can use as a resource,” she told CBC.
“The whole world is missing out on a born entertainer,” Veronica continued. “Either that, or a future politician.”
Veronica says she wants to see more done to get drug dealers off the streets and to provide rehabilitation to those in need.
Port Moody Police say they will probe if the dangerous recreational drug fentanyl is to blame. Other drugs are sometimes laced with the powerful opioid, often without the knowledge of the user.
“It is extremely strong. It’s far stronger than heroin,” said Sgt. Carroll. “A lot of drug users may not realize they’re using it.”
Tributes to the killed teen have been pouring in on social media, including one who says her death should be “an eye-opener” to teens doing drugs.
Police are reminding the public of the risks of illegal drug use as the investigation into Staddon’s death continues.
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: OpposingViews, CBC, Global News
