A Halifax man is trying to raise awareness about what he calls a ‘hidden epidemic’ after the sudden death of his stepdaughter.

Brianne Ashley died two years ago, just four days before her 21st birthday, from an overdose of alcohol and prescription pills.

Her stepfather, John Munro, says it’s alarming how easy it is for people to obtain prescription pills and how many deaths are linked to their abuse.

“The reality is, it applies everywhere in Nova Scotia, everywhere in Canada,” says Munro.

It’s an issue highlighted by CTV’s W5 on the weekend. The program took an in-depth look into the prescription pill problem in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley on the weekend.

The police chief in Kentville says there have been some positive changes since the issue first came to light, such as improvements to the prescription drug monitoring program, as well as methadone programs for addicts.

In addition, a strategic plan is being developed through the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and is due before the end of the year.

“It brings all the provinces together and it brings in federal health to address this from a community perspective, from a surveillance perspective, from an enforcement perspective, from an education perspective,” says Kentville Police Chief Mark Mander of the Kentville Police Service.  

Nova Scotia is a partner in that and Mander hopes the province will take the lead in adopting the recommendations.

Nova Scotia Health Minister Dave Wilson says awareness is an important factor.

“Along with strengthening the prescription drug monitoring program, a local MLA says there’s another area that needs to be addressed and that is increasing awareness among local high school students,” says Wilson.

It’s an area Wilson says he will be addressing in the legislature this fall.

Munro says he wants the chance to share his stepdaughter’s story with students, in the hopes of preventing another young life from being lost to prescription pills.

“I think it would have a huge impact on them.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster