ADDICTS WANT A VOICE

OxyContin forum brings out concerns

Go out and talk to the addicts! That was the resounding message to a panel
of professionals during a forum on OxyContin abuse that recently attracted
hundreds in St. John's.

As Canada Now's Ian Hanomansing took questions from the audience at the CBC
TV-sponsored event, it quickly became evident the OxyContin problem is
certainly not confined to the St. John's region.

"I'm from Central Newfoundland, Grand Falls-Windsor, and I can tell right
now this is just not big in St. John's. This is big all over Newfoundland,"
a young adult addict said, his voice breaking.

The 22-year-old went on to talk about his admissions to the Waterford
Hospital, his getting OxyContin from another inmate while in prison and how
the drug was prescribed for him for chronic pain from Crohn's disease once
he was on the outside.

The man was prepared to name the doctor who he feels contributed to his
addiction.

Hanomansing thanked him, and the other addicts who found their voice in
trying to help others understand the addiction. He assured him that the CBC
would follow up and ensure steps were taken to have his allegations
investigated.

The panel for the discussion, which lasted nearly two hours, consisted of a
pharmacist, security guard, psychiatrist, Health Minister Elizabeth
Marshall, deputy chief of police and Maureen Harvey, whose daughter Sonya is
addicted to the drug. 'Thirty doctors a week' Several audience members
voiced concern over the fact the provincial government's OxyContin task
force does not include an individual battling an addiction to the drug.

While the psychiatrist on the panel, Dr. Tom Cantwell, can speak of his
30-plus years of involvement with addictions, it was argued that he has not
walked in an OxyContin addict's shoes and cannot fully understand aspects
such as the need to get more of the drug - at any cost.

While they haven't been asked to sit on the task force, the addicts
certainly contributed their share to the forum.

Trying hard to control his anger, one young addict's voice struck a chord
with those listening. The individual has been fighting various drug
addictions for the last two decades.

"When you started the prescription monitoring program, I was seeing up to 30
doctors a week," he said in admitting his two-year addiction to OxyContin.

According to information provided by the CBC, in 1998, doctors wrote about
700 Oxycontin prescriptions in this province. Before 2003 ended, that number
had risen to over 13,000.

Security companies are seeing more shoplifting by addicts who will do just
about anything to get money for the drug. Those committing the crimes are
often armed with knives or needles.

After watching a short video, Hanomansing told the audience he was struck by
the power of addiction as well as the lack of a monitoring system and the
huge rise in the number of prescriptions being written for the drug.

"Is that where the solutions begin and is that where we should begin, and
that is what to do to stop what seems like, in over a five-year period, a
more than a 2,000 per cent increase (in prescriptions)?" the moderator
asked. 'through hell' In order to deal with the problem on a long-term
basis, it was suggested that many things must happen. There must be an
extensive education plan, an effective prescription drug-monitoring program,
and serious penalties not only to those who abuse the drug by double
doctoring but also to physicians who write the prescriptions.

To date, doctors in this province monitor themselves. Many felt that needs
to change, in order to make the physicians more accountable.

Two years ago the province's recovery centres saw one person addicted to
OxyContin. Last year that number grew to 67. Today, there are upwards to 15
people being treated at any given time and that number could be much higher
if there were more centres in operation.

The minister of Health was also given the message that addiction centres
need to be set up closer to home.

Perhaps the saddest information noted during the forum was the fact that at
least six people died last year from OxyContin overdose. Some believe that
number could be much higher.

That problem, as well as the overall OxyContin abuse problem was addressed
by Maureen Harvey. She's the mother of Sonya Harvey, who was recently
convicted of double doctoring in order to feed her OxyContin addiction.

According to Harvey, her daughter was also on a pathway to destruction that
she feared would also lead to her death. Her family "has been through hell
and back," in trying to help their daughter, she says.

Those present heard Harvey's gut wrenching description of her daughter's arm
after two years of injecting OxyContin into her blood stream.

"It was like a mangled piece of driftwood with lumps and twists and turns,
infection almost like boils," Harvey said.

As a member of the panel, the very concerned mother told those present that
if anyone feels OxyContin isn't out of control in Newfoundland they need
think again. 'Where can you possibly get this drug?' "We picked up our
daughter (on the street) on the 14th of November and we were driving her
from one location to another. In the midst of her high I said, 'Where can
you possibly get this drug?' And her comment to me was that, 'You can plant
me down anywhere in this city and I can make a 360 degree turn and I can
tell you where I can go and put my hands on this drug.' "

Because there is no rehabilitation centre in this province, as part of her
sentencing agreement, Sonya is now enrolled in a rehab program at the
Portage Treatment Centre in Quebec. It's too early to tell if she'll conquer
her addiction, her mother says.

However, Harvey is hoping that by shedding light on the problem, others like
Sonya will get the help they need. She suggested an education program to
help youth realize how serious this pill can be.

And in order to combat addiction, she said things such as doctor/patient
confidentiality must be addressed.

Unlike alcohol and other drugs, Harvey stressed, in the right dose, just one
Oxycontin pill can kill.

"We have court documents where my daughter has pled guilty to 16 charges of
double doctoring and that's not enough for our medical board to take on the
files and explore them."