A man whose son died of a drug overdose is commending the RNC for laying charges against the man accused of supplying the drugs that killed a 14-year-old boy in metro.

The incident occurred in mid March when officers responded to reports of an unconscious teen at a home in Mount Pearl. The boy was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The autopsy determined that he took what he thought was Xanax and Dilaudid, which turned out to be a deadly concoction of synthetic opioids.

The accused supplier, a 19-year-old man, has been charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death.

Jeff Butt, whose 20-year-old son Lucas Lethbridge died of an overdose, has campaigned to have similar charges laid against the person who supplied him with drugs.

He was overcome with emotion when he heard the news on Friday.

“At one point, I started to cry—and what that family is going through. We have to have more people charged with manslaughter in order to build in a deterrent,” said Butt.