DRIVE LAUNCHED AGAINST 'HILLBILLY HEROIN'

MP Angus Spearheads Campaign

Two youngsters and five more people in Kirkland Lake have died after
misusing a deadly prescription drug.

OxyContin, also known as "hillbilly heroin," is found in medicine
cabinets and on the streets. The demand for the drug seems to be on the rise.

"We believe that the problem of OxyContin is a major problem
affecting our communities and one of the biggest problems is the lack
of awareness of the dangers and warning signs of an epidemic," said
MP Charlie Angus (NDP - Timmins-James Bay.

Angus, alongside the representatives from the Timmins Police Service,
Ontario Provincial Police, Porcupine Health Unit and South Cochrane
Addictions Services, launched the Timmins OxyContin Awareness
Campaign on Friday morning.

The drug is called "hillbilly heroin" because it's cheap and easy to
get and extremely addictive.

"We're very surprised at the amount of people who have come forward
who are on treatment for it," Angus added.

Those numbers are very high and what we're hearing from frontline
workers is that it's just the tip of the iceberg."

South Cochrane Addictions Services executive director Angele
Desormeau has seen first hand what OxyContin can do.

"What we've seen in our agency are individuals that do come in for
help end up with some pretty devastating things that have happened to
them," she said.

"The damaging effects that we see facing people with opioid addiction
in particular are things like they seek the drug so much they are
buying it off the street and getting the medication from wherever they can."

One solution, she said, is methadone treatment.

"That has been promising and has saved lives and is continuing to
save lives," Desormeau said. "The people coming in are younger and
younger. We really need to target schools."

Anyone found guilty under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for
possessing, seeking or obtaining the drug without a doctor's
prescription could face jail time of six months to a year with a fine
that could reach up to $2,000, said South Porcupine OPP Const. Marc Depatie.

"Our drug enforcement section is actively pursuing a number of
investigations related to current persons who are currently involved
in the illicit trade of OxyContin," he said.

Angus is pushing for a provincial registry of prescription abusers.
Having one, he said, would help give frontline medical workers some
of the tools they need to ensure people are not getting prescriptions
they don't need.

"We need a registry provincially so that pharmacies and doctors know
when someone comes in for their prescription renewed they can look
right on that registry and say, wait a minute, you were just at
another town and got a prescription filled," he said.

Porcupine Health Unit nurse Renelle Cheff invited those needing help
or parents who believe their child is involved with the misuse of
prescription medicine to come to the health unit.

"We have a lot of resources and education and can refer them to an
appropriate agency," she said.

The health unit also has medication clean-out bags so residents can
give it to pharmacies for disposal.

"This is an epidemic is caused one pill at a time," Angus said.