ADDICTION A SOCIAL PROBLEM

The growing misuse of painkilling drugs such as morphine, oxycodone
and fentanyl is part of a larger social problem, a doctor told a
workshop on opioid dependency.

"I don't think the drug necessarily is the problem. Society is part of
the problem," Dr. Frank Denson said during a panel discussion at
Thunder Bay's DaVinci Centre.

In his opening remarks to an audience of local health and social
workers, Denson said the rise in the abuse of certain drugs is part of
a bigger issue. Denson, who works with the Lakeview Clinic methadone
maintenance program and has done research on the history of opiates,
said more information is needed about the at-risk population. Often,
he said, drug addiction is linked to poverty or homelessness. Those
circumstances need to change if the problem is to be properly addressed.

"Why do people turn to addiction? They want to escape their miserable
lives," Denson said later in an interview. "It's a symptom of a social
problem."

The two-year-old Lakeview program serves 110 clients and has a long
waiting list. But more people are out there who aren't seeking help,
said case manager Tannice Fletcher-Stackhouse.

The panel discussion wrapped up a day-long conference for people in
health, social work and law enforcement. The seminar was held in
response to the increased use of prescription pain medication and the
accompanying health and social problems, said Patty Hadju, a health
promotion planner with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

About 110 people attended the conference, which heard from Dr. Doug
Gourlay, a specialist in the assessment and treatment of pain and
chemical dependency. Dr. Beth Sproule spoke on prescription opioid
abuse; Dr. John Copen talked about recognizing psychiatric issues in
managing pain; and Debbie Katz touched on case management and
counselling for individuals who are dependent on oral prescription
opioids, which include Percocet and OxyContin.

Det. Staff Sgt. Brian Brattengeier of the tri-force drug unit said
he's seen the current misuse of opiates rival cocaine and marijuana.

"They're poisoning our kids and there has to be something done about
it," he said, noting instances of increased abuse in Thunder Bay and
across the region, including native communities.

He called for a study of the social problems caused by addictive
opiates, such as Demerol, OxyContin and Valium.

Amy Rubino of the Sister Margaret Smith Centre said the increase in
youth who are misusing opiates is "alarming."

Gurj Husson, a Thunder Bay pharmacist, said opioid analgesics such as
Oxy are used properly by the vast majority of people who are
prescribed it for the management of pain.

Several of the conference participants were police officers, who said
they were concerned about a recent rash of break-ins and armed
robberies. In one case, a man and woman were arrested in connection
with drug store robberies that occurred in February.

"Since that arrest there hasn't been other (significant) robberies, so
it looks like we may have gotten the right people," Brattengeier said.

One participant was frustrated with the amount of money available for
agencies to deal with the problem. He noted that while pharmaceutical
companies have reaped millions of dollars from the sale of new drugs,
funding for addiction programs hasn't increased in a dozen years.

"That's what we need," this participant said. "We have these problems,
but we need resources."