MORE AREA YOUTH OVERDOSE ON MORPHINE OVER WEEKEND

Second overdose incident in same week

Three youth were taken to Nipawin hospital Sunday after overdosing on
morphine, less than a week after the first incident when 15 other young
people were taken to hospital for the same reason.

The three youth were taken to the hospital in Nipawin Sunday night after
ingesting morphine. One youth was airlifted to University hospital in
Saskatoon at 7:40 p.m. Sunday, said Lyle Moffatt with North East EMS.

The three youth were at the same house in Nipawin on Sunday night where 15
others had overdosed on morphine just days before.

It is known that one youth, who was released from hospital, Aug. 19 after
staying overnight for observation, was also involved in the first incident.

While last week's morphine overdose was described as an unfortunate
accident, Corporal Brian Jones, media relations officer with the RCMP said
the latest incident is surprising and disheartening.

"I don't know what's in the minds of these youths as to why, when the
negative consequences have included so many of their friends that have
taken seriously ill. They continue to do it," he said.

"How many times do you have to show people and tell people that it's
harmful and it's dangerous?"

Last week, 15 teenagers were taken to the hospital after ingesting an
unknown amount of morphine at a house party. Seven girls between the ages
of 13 and 14, and eight boys ranging in age from 13 to 20 were involved.

The morphine belonged to a cancer patient who lived in the house but was
away at the time.

Later on during the morning of Aug. 14, RCMP officers picked up two other
youth who were also involved. A third youth came to the hospital alone.

From Nipawin, some of the youth were sent to hospitals in Prince Albert,
Melfort, Tisdale and Saskatoon.

Two of the young people involved in the first incident were still in
hospital in Saskatoon as of Monday. Officials with Regional Health #6 in
Saskatoon would not release any information about their conditions.

Nipawin's Dr. Bala, however, said that he thought that the two had been
moved out of ICU.

The rest of the youth involved have been released.

The morphine that was in the house was there legally, Jones said last week.

However, RCMP believe someone in the house at the time it was searched
secretly kept some of the morphine from them. They believe the morphine
that had been hidden was used by the three youth involved in the second
overdose incident.

They are now looking for the person that was involved in the first case,
and that may have re-distributed it in the second incident.

"The fact that the members went over to the house and thoroughly searched
it and took all that they found...is significant and serious," Jones said.

"The person that had it, and the person that gave it out violated laws."

Depending on the amount of evidence collected, Jones said that its likely
charges will be laid in the future.

How much of the drug involved in either case is still unknown.

Although not many details have been released, it is known that each of the
young people involved in the first morphine incident is from the Nipawin area.