VANCOUVER -- B.C. actor Logan Williams, best known for his role on The Flash TV series, died of a drug overdose after struggling with addiction for years, according to his mother.
In an emotional interview with the New York Post, Marlyse Williams said preliminary toxicology results found her son's sudden death on April 2 was caused by fentanyl. The grieving mother said she shared the news of her family's tragedy because she's resolved to raise awareness about the opioid crisis.
"His death is not going to be in vain," Williams told the newspaper. "He's going to help a lot of people down the road."
Logan grew up in Coquitlam, and his family said he decided to pursue acting after a chance encounter with a casting agent in a mall. His most notable role was on The Flash, where he had a recurring part as a younger version of the main character, Barry Allen.
His mother told the New York Post he began using marijuana at the age of 13 and then escalated to harder drugs. She said she tried desperately to get him help, even remortgaging their home to send him to a U.S. treatment centre.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Williams stressed that she did everything in her power to save her son, but faced a number of roadblocks, including wait lists for treatment programs. She also said she's campaigning for the B.C. government to enact a "forced treatment law" for underage drug users.
"A young person doesn't know what rock bottom is," Williams wrote, describing drugs as "a loaded gun to a kid whose brain isn't fully formed."
"The pain of losing my beautiful Logan is so gut wrenching that there are no words to describe how devastating and hollow I feel," she said.
"I will do everything in my power to create a legacy to help others, change laws and anything I can to create positive change out of Logan's death."
