Three recent summer-party stories are serving as reminders for young people to plan ahead and use common sense, says the Abbotsford Police Department.
One incident began on Canada Day, when a group of teens got together at a friend’s house, with the intention of attending fireworks celebrations that evening.
Const. Ian MacDonald said the group did not make it to the fireworks because they began drinking, as well as consuming marijuana and the drug ecstasy.
He said some of the party-goers had also raided their parents’ medicine cabinets, and prescription drugs, such as the painkiller Percocet, were used.
MacDonald said someone left some methadone – a strong liquid narcotic used to reduce withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to heroin – on a table in the home and it was ingested by a 17-year-old boy who did not live at the residence.
The following day around noon, party-goers noticed the 17-year-old was missing. He was found unconscious outside on the property, and emergency responders were called to the scene.
The boy was taken to hospital, where he spent a few days recovering.
MacDonald said the parent of the home where the party was held had been away overnight and returned just as the medical issue was occurring.
MacDonald said police have also been concerned about the number of outdoor parties that have been occurring over the last three weekends.
He said police and Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service have been called to “multiple” locations – in remote mountain areas and along the shores of the Fraser River – for reports of parties involving bonfires.
Although he said these types of gatherings are typical for this time of year, authorities are concerned about the potential for impaired driving and for the spread of fire, particularly during the dry weather.
Police attending these scenes have seized alcohol and towed the cars of intoxicated drivers.
Another incident involved two women in their early 20s who had gone to a bar for the evening.
MacDonald said the pair ended up in a home with three men they didn’t know, but had no recollection of how they got there.
When one of the women realized they were in a stranger’s home, she panicked, ran away and called 911, saying she was concerned about the well-being of her friend.
However, the woman lost track of where the residence was located. MacDonald said police tried to call the friend on her cellphone, tracked her GPS coordinates, and conducted an area search.
Officers eventually found the home and located the other woman, who MacDonald said was “extremely intoxicated” and also didn’t know how she got to the residence.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident to determine whether any criminal action might have occurred.
MacDonald said police are releasing details about these situations as a reminder to young people to think ahead and make better choices about how they spend their time.