Local police forces and school boards are joining forces in the fight against the deadly drug Fentanyl.
"Fentanyl can kill you" is the message behind a public awareness campaign aimed at local high school students and students in Grades 7 and 8 informing them of the dangers of the drug which can be 40 to 50 times more toxic than heroin.
"So little amount of it can be fatal, micrograms can be fatal and depending where and how it is mixed, most users don't know what they are doing or what they are getting," says Windsor Police Staff Sergeant Jeff Mailloux.
Pamphlets are being distributed in schools and information is being posted on police and school board's websites.
Windsor Police Sergeant Steve Betteridge says information is power.
"I would like to stress that this is an informational campaign, it is proactive. We are not saying there is a drug problem at our schools, we are saying that information is knowledge."
Catholic School Board Superintendent Joseph Ibrahim encourages parents to talk to their kids.
"This initiative provides us with an opportunity for a teachable moment. It provides us with an opportunity to be proactive about educating our students and families about the dangers of this extremely harmful drug."
Windsor Police, Amherstburg Police, LaSalle Police and OPP partner with all four local school boards to raise awareness of the dangers of Fentanyl. June 2017 (Photo by AM800's Teresinha Medeiros)
None of the school boards report any incidents of Fentanyl-use by students and they want to keep it that way.
Fentanyl may be in pill, powder or liquid form and can be cut into other drugs.
The pamphlets also outlines the signs of an overdose such as severe sleepiness, slow heartbeat, trouble breathing, cold or clammy skin or trouble walking or talking.