OKOTOKS MAN NOT JUST A STATISTIC

Last week the Okotoks community was shocked to learn a local youth
died of a drug overdose at an Edmonton rave.

Even more upsetting was the fact two other Okotoks youths were
arrested the following day on charges of making and trafficking ecstasy.

Zachary Lamb, 20, died in an Edmonton hospital on Oct. 12 after
collapsing at a party where it is believed he overdosed on ecstasy.

Family and friends gathered at a memorial service on Sunday in Okotoks
to bid farewell to Lamb, a person many described as being a wonderful
young man.

Hopefully Lamb's family and friends will remember the positive aspects
of the 20-year-old's life and not be saddled with the stereotypes that
may haunt his death.

Apparently it was the first time Lamb had experimented with the drug
ecstasy and sadly his curiousity proved fatal.

However, one foolish mistake should become Lamb's legacy. He is not
deserving of the stigma that comes along with an accidental drug
related death.

By all accounts Lamb was a good kid and hopefully the community will
remember him as such.

What is most frightening is the fact this tragedy could have happened
to anyone.

Experimenting with drugs does not necessarily make one an evil person
- - ask anyone who lived through the 60s.

One cannot be naive to think our communities will ever be drug free.
On the contrary, foothills communities are - rightly or wrongly -
earning a reputation for being drug havens. The terms "Crack Diamond"
and "Smokotoks" are becoming popular slang terms among the youth.

However, that does not mean, as a community, a valuable lesson cannot
be learned from what transpired in Edmonton last week.

Often youth and adults alike say they are only going to try it once,
they will not be addicted, nothing bad will happen and they can quit
when they want.

What happened to Zachary Lamb is proof it only takes one mistake to
cost someone their life.

Zachary was someone's brother, someone's son and someone's
friend.

His life should not be categorized as nothing more than a statistic.
He should be remembered as a fun-loving young man who cherished his
family and friends.

A young man who made one horrific mistake.

Zachary should be a beacon for everyone to remember one pill, one hit,
one toke or one snort - whether it be your first or 101st - it could
be your last. Is it worth it?