Launch of anti-drug campaign at Cathedral service for Jamie

Wednesday November 15th 2017

Jamie Burns’ death prompted his family to launch the 1PILLWILLKILL campaign.

Belfast Cathedral is hosting a special service on Monday November 20 at 5pm to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Jamie Burns.

The 23-year-old north Belfast man died after taking ecstasy on a night out.

The service will be an opportunity to gather with his family, friends, work colleagues and the wider community to give thanks and to remember.

At the service, the Burns’ family will launch their #1PIllWILLKILL Christmas 2017 campaign. #1PIllWILLKILL is an anti-drugs initiative established by Jamie’s family in the wake of his death. The campaign’s hard hitting message is already having a big impact on raising drug awareness among young people.

The service in St Anne’s will be led by clergy of various denominations, highlighting the all-encompassing nature of the drug problem across all parts of society.

While the service focuses on Jamie, there will be an opportunity to remember others as well. People will be invited to write the names of loved ones on pieces of paper, which will be placed on the altar and these lives will be commemorated in a time of respectful silence.

Dean’s Vicar, the Rev Canon Mark Niblock, said: “We hope that this will be an occasion of celebration of Jamie’s life, but also an occasion of solemn remembrance of the many precious lives that have been and are being lost due to drugs.”