Fentanyl overdose that almost killed Calgary teen becomes stark warning on social media
Facebook post by Reg Hampton about his son Anthony's tragic mistake shared thousands of times
The story of a Calgary teen left brain damaged after unknowingly taking fentanyl is shedding light on how easy it is for teens to access dangerous street drugs.
Last month 18-year-old Anthony Hampton took a pill he thought was OxyContin, but which was probably fentanyl, or a combination of the two, police believe.
He was discovered in his bed, not breathing and turning blue.
"By all accounts it was the first time he had tried anything like this, according to his friends, um and … it did not react with him well at all," his father Reg Hampton said.
Anthony spent 10 days in a deep coma, and has now been in hospital for more than three weeks. His prognosis is uncertain, but his family is hopeful Anthony will make a recovery, Hampton says.
Hampton shared his son's story on Facebook as a warning to other young people who might be tempted to try street drugs.
The post has been shared more than 4,000 times.
"You know, if we can stop one family from going through this, if we can get those conversations going … maybe persuade one kid who sees this or reads about it to maybe not take that pill, you know," he said.
According to Staff Sgt. Martin Shiavetta with the Calgary police drug unit, it comes down to a simple message— fentanyl is ruthless.
"Fentanyl is 100 times more toxic than morphine, 40 times more toxic than heroin," he said.
"Two specks of salt would be a lethal dose of fentanyl, two milligrams of fentanyl will kill a person roughly 200 pounds."
Martin says the danger is compounded by the fact that it's impossible to know what's really in the pills sold on the street.
"Some of the fentanyl tablets we've seized are being mixed with caffeine, heroin and xylazine — a sedation drug used in the castration of large animals," he said.
Hampton's plan to share his son's ordeal as a cautionary tale seems to be working.
Delaney Lamont-Green, 18, says she didn't know much about fentanyl or how harmful it can be.
"Well, I know I woke up today and my mom sent me the article and I think that's probably going to be happening with a lot of kids and their parents, and even friends with their friends who they know are into the party scene or just could be easily be persuaded into trying something new," she said.