Nelson police and service groups to host youth substance-use forum Nov. 2
The Adventure Hotel in Nelson will host a free community forum on youth substance use on November 2. File photo.
Photo credit: Tamarack Media Co. / Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism
NELSON — The Nelson Police Department is joining two community service organizations for a free public forum on youth substance use, drug trends and available support services on Monday, Nov. 2.
The event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Adventure Hotel, 616 Vernon St., and is open to teenagers, parents and other community members.
The forum is the first instalment of the Linkage Series, a four-part community education program organized by Nelson Police to address issues affecting young people. Representatives from ANKORS, Freedom Quest Youth Services and the police department will discuss substance use, answer questions and explain how residents can access local services.
The first session, titled Drug Trends: What We See, Where to Go, How to Get Help, is intended for people seeking information about substance use, including parents concerned about their children and young people looking for support for themselves or someone they know.
ANKORS provides harm-reduction and overdose-prevention services throughout the Kootenays and Boundary region. Its programs include drug checking, harm-reduction supplies, peer support, outreach and education. The organization operates a Nelson office at 101 Baker St.
Freedom Quest Youth Services provides free support for young people aged 12 to 19 who are affected by their own substance use or that of others. Its youth substance-use support workers serve Nelson and several surrounding communities, offering confidential assistance with substance use and related concerns, including relationships, family life and mental health.
According to the October 22 police announcement, representatives from all three organizations will be available at the forum to answer questions and help participants identify appropriate sources of assistance.
Three additional Linkage Series sessions are planned, addressing youth mental health, healthy relationships and domestic violence, and digital awareness and safety. Dates and locations for those sessions have not yet been announced.
Admission to the November 2 forum is free. The police announcement does not specify whether advance registration is required.
For more information, residents can contact Constable Lisa Schmidtke of the Nelson Police Department at 250-354-9338 or lschmidtke@nelsonpolice.ca.
Some Whitevale Water Utility customers on Franklyn, Fraser and Banner roads may lose water service between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on October 26, 27 and 28 as construction work continues, according to an update from the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO).