METHADONE DEATHS FOCUS OF PROBE

Coroners Concerned About Increased Overdoses

OSHAWA -- An investigation has been ordered into a string of
methadone-related deaths after local coroners cited an alarming
increase in the number of fatal overdoses.

Regional Coroner Dr. William Lucas ordered the probe of several
methadone deaths dating back to 1997 after coroners "expressed
concerns" about a higher-than-expected number of overdoses in the
Oshawa area.

"They believe they're seeing more methadone deaths individually as
coroners than would be expected," Dr. Lucas said in an interview Monday.

Under the coroner's direction, Durham Regional Police are
re-investigating cases involving methadone-prescribed patients who
died of apparent overdoses, and others who died from illegally
obtained methadone.

Dr. Lucas said the review will help determine whether the coroners'
concerns are valid and an inquest should be held, or if the increase
is a "blip."

"We're going to go back and put all the information together to see if
there's any pattern (to the deaths)... indicative of a potential
problem," he said. "We're trying to look at the bigger picture... for
any common denominators."

Dr. Lucas couldn't provide the exact number of methadone deaths to be
placed under the microscope, but said he expects it will be less than
a dozen.

Among the cases being probed is the death of a 42-year-old woman. The
methadone patient was found dead Sept. 21, 2003 in her Cubert Street
residence and the coroner's investigation is continuing, Dr. Lucas
said.

Methadone was a possible factor in three other deaths in the city last
year, while 11 died of apparent overdoses from 1997 to 2002, police
said.

Two Durham police detectives have been assigned to head the coroner's
investigation, which will also include a comparison of the number of
overdose deaths in other Ontario communities that, like Oshawa, have
methadone clinics.

In Oshawa, First Step Medical Clinic and Parkwood Pharmacy both
dispense prescribed methadone to patients. First Step has been at the
centre of controversy since it moved into Oshawa's downtown more than
a year ago, against City wishes.

Dr. Mike Semoff, medical director of the Simcoe Street South clinic,
was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used to treat recovering heroin and
prescription opiate addicts, as well as people suffering from chronic
pain.

Treatment programs were federally regulated until 1996 when
responsibility was handed down to the Ontario College of Physicians
and Surgeons, and the number of clinics rose dramatically across the
province.

Dr. Lucas said Ontario saw a sudden increase in the number of
methadone-related deaths in the two years following the transition.
The number of fatal overdoses jumped to 54 in 1998, compared to just
six in 1996.

The troubling increase led to a series of changes in the guidelines
for methadone therapy, including the levels of dosage and patient
supervision, leading to a gradual decrease in the death rate to 46 in
1999 and 36 in 2000.

Provincial figures show the majority of methadone overdoses are by
people who are not patients, but who obtained the drug by illegal means.

In one such case, a 21-year-old Oshawa man died of an accidental
overdose after ingesting a lethal dose that was given to him by a
friend. Chad Irvine was found dead in his parents' Celina Street home
on Dec. 6, 1999. He had no history of substance abuse and was supplied
by the friend with a 65 ml bottle of methadone as pain relief for a
sports injury, a homicide investigation revealed.

"He was your average 21-year-old who worked full-time... It appears
this was just something to help him cope with the pain," Detective
Sergeant Shane Wasmund said at the time.

As a result of the police probe James Roland Maughan, now 31, of
Oshawa, was convicted on Feb. 24, 2003 of trafficking in a controlled
substance and criminal negligence causing death.

He was sentenced to 14 months in jail and two-years of probation.