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8 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, December 15, 2011 Parents told of dangers of opioid addiction at forum By LISA TALLYN Staff Writer About 80 people learned about the dangers of opioid addiction from two Halton parents who lost sons to accidental overdoses of OxyContin at a session at Georgetown District High School recently. The "do you KnOw?" Opiate Awareness Evening for Parents was put on by the school's parent council and featured local resident Betty-Lou Kristy, whose 25-yearold son Peter (Kristy) Beattie died 10 years ago from an accidental mixed drug overdose, and Bill Robinson of Oakville, whose son James, 24, died of an accidental OxyContin drug overdose in 2010. Halton Regional Police Det. Const. John MacKinnon also spoke about when legal drugs become illegal. Georgetown resident Kristy said she wanted to applaud the parent council for being brave enough to bring the topic to parents. She said her son was "absolutely the love of my life." "There are no words to describe the loss of a child." Once youths are trapped into OxyContin addiction "it's a long hard road to get back," said Kristy. Youth look at the drug, Kristy said, as a "safe high" and wrongly assume it to be safe because it's prescribed. "It traps people because the withdrawal makes you incredibly ill," said Kristy. "It impacts all walks of life, all ages, from youth tin overdose. right through to seniors." He decided to do some reShe said her son "fell into search and found that death the trap of escaping the mantle from drug overdose had comof emotional pain through alcopletely surpassed drunk drivhol and prescription pain mediing. He also found that the 19cation." 24 year-olds were the age group He was prescribed OxyConmost affected. tin and Percocet for gastrointesIn 2009 the CAMH Ontario tinal pain, but found the drugs Student Drug Use and Health also alleviated his mental and Survey revealed that use of upemotional pain. She said she BETTY-LOU load medication among stuwasn't aware of the volume of KRISTY dents ranked third behind aldrugs he was taking, but he cohol and cannabis. In Canada did eventually tell her about Oxycodone-related deaths inthe depth of his addiction and creased nine fold between 1991 and 2006 how he had tried to stop. But, Kristy said, due to the severe with- in Ontario. Robinson said his son had been attenddrawal symptoms, it is something that ing a methadone clinic to get off the Oxycan't be just stopped. She tried to find help for her son, but contin. He relapsed several times but he kept trying, he said. couldn't. He said his son tried to find a treatment In 2001 her son ended up in psychiatric care and OxyContin, mixed with psychiat- program, but as an adult it would take ric drugs, proved to be a lethal combina- several months to get into a detoxification centre. He stressed the need for these protion. grams to be more available. Robinson's son died in May 2010. MacKinnon said, "We can't arrest our Robinson said he didn't "know how to describe the horror of finding my son dead way out of prescription drug addiction." He said police aren't the answer and are in his bedroom that Saturday morning or the anguish of knowing I couldn't help him only part of the big picture. He added the number of deaths from opioids are higher anymore." His son James took some of the leftover than cocaine and heroin combined. MacKinnon said parents need to ask painkillers Robinson had from previous surgery after he was hit in the mouth with questions of their kids when they find baggies of pills, pill bottles or blank prescripa bat while playing softball. Four months after James died, James's tion pads in their home. MacKinnon recommended parents go 21-year-old friend also died of an Oxycononline and search for developmental assets that could play a role in keeping kids off drugs. They include parental involvement in schooling, a community that values youth, high expectations and creative activities. Education of parents and physicians about prescription drug addiction is important said MacKinnon, as is enforcement by police and proper drug disposal. An audience member asked what some of the signs of opioid use were. Kristy said in her son's case he previously had anxiety, but when he was using, she said he was "all of a sudden very happy." Later, he spent a lot of time in the bathroom and was often violently ill. Robinson said his son lost weight. Kaitlyn Walsh, an addictions counselor, said an addicted person may lose interest in work, school, friends and just go "into themselves." Robinson said he and Kristy want to get into the schools to talk to the students about the issue, but they can't get in unless they're invited. "The school trustees, principals are frightened to have anyone come into the school-- and rightly so-- where they do not know what the message is," said Robinson. So, he said, they're taking a different approach, by coming to the parents, service clubs with grandparents. "If you want us in the schools, you'll get us in the schools, but you have to do it because we've tried and we can't." NEW CLEARANCE STORE NOW OPEN its Men's Su Reg. $300 $ W O N 99! Men's s Sweater NOW $ 25! ts e k c a J t r o Men's Sp 85 - $225 o $1 Reg. up t $ W O N 75! o Reg. up t for $ NOW s Men's Tie $35 2 20! es i d o o H s ' Men Reg. $59. $ W O N 99 35! lour o C n i a l P Hoodies NOW $ 99 ! 9 1 280 Guelph St, Georgetown Market Place 905-877-1598 www.jvclothing.com