Growing misuse of OxyContin a complex problem

Task force takes a multi-partnership approach

By: The OxyContin and Other Prescription Opioids task force

The headlines keep on repeating themselves across the country: “Pharmacy robbed at gunpoint for OxyContin”, “Break-ins linked to OxyContin”, “Hillbilly heroin claims another life”.

Abuse of OxyContin and other prescribed opioids is on the rise. Why? It could be because Oxy is readily available by prescription, or because there is a perception that prescribed drugs are “safer” than illicit drugs. Either way, the current situation is quickly spiraling into an epidemic. Read more...

OxyContin… A mother’s story

By: Nicole Giroux-Laplante
The OxyContin and Other Prescription Opioids Task Force

This story is real but names in the article have been changed to protect anonymity.

One bad choice. One lapse in judgement. One family changed forever.

Janet and Mark, a hard working, middle class, married couple are doing all they can to provide for their two daughters, Jennifer and Ashley. Both girls have been honour roll students and highly praised by their teachers. Read more...

OxyContin… the drug that doesn’t discriminate

By: Nicole Giroux-Laplante
The OxyContin and Other Prescription Opioids Task Force

This story is real but names in the article have been changed to protect anonymity.

The gentleman sitting beside me looks like he could pass for anybody’s grandfather. Wearing glasses, a blue plaid shirt and trousers… he welcomes me with a very warm smile and introduces himself as Richard. Well spoken and highly intelligent, Richard was a successful and respected professional at the top of his career. But, what sets him apart from other men in their 70s is his addiction to OxyContin. Surprising? Not to the staff at Withdrawal Management Services. Unconventional users, the people you would never suspect, are secretly living with an addiction to this opioid. Read more...