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Oakville group taking action to combat `hidden problem' by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 3 | Friday, August 28, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com With fatal overdoses from the painkiller fentanyl dominating headlines, and a suspected fentanyl overdose in Oakville earlier this month, an Oakville youth recovery group is taking action to combat what its members say is a hidden problem in town. The Halton ADAPT (Alcohol Drug and Gambling Assessment Prevention Treatment) youth program, Resiliency Through Recovery (RTR) will hold its second annual International Overdose Awareness Day of Halton at Oakville Towne Square, 212 Lakeshore Rd., E. Monday, Aug. 31. RTR is an Oakville recovery group, created by youths for youths between the ages of 1624, who are struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health issues. The organization's meetings attract between 15-20 youths weekly. Candlelight vigil part of event The Aug. 31 event, being held thanks to funding from the Oakville Community Foundation, (OCF) will run from 7:30-9 p.m. and feature a candlelight vigil to remember lives lost to overdose in this community. There will also be several guest speakers, who hope to raise awareness about drug addiction and overdose in Oakville and Halton, and discuss ways to potentially stop fatal overdoses. "It is a very hidden problem here," said Emily, 20, an RTR member. "I feel like a lot of people are in denial about it and it is something that is definitely growing... It seems like every two weeks there is someone, one of us, or all of us, know (who experiences an overdose)." When asked about this perception, Halton police Det. Sgt. Brad Murray of the Integrated Drug, Gun and Gang Unit said drug addiction and overdose are no more prevalent here now than in the past. He noted there have been some overdoses in the last 12 months in relation to various drugs, but said that when compared to communities of similar size the numbers in Halton are about the same. Emily, whose last name has been withheld, said she became addicted to cocaine at age 13. Many other RTR members, all now in various stages of recovery, said they became addicted to drugs in their mid- to late teens, but said they began experimenting with drugs well before that. They say their experiences are not unique. The youths -- all residents, or past residents of Oakville, who attended both public and independent schools here -- said many youths in Oakville have access to money and free time. This, they say, translates into a dream for local drug dealers. The members claim they are aware of heroin dealers in town who don't hesitate to sell to children as young as 14. While Murray said he has never come across this exact scenario in Halton, he acknowledged it is not outside the realm of possibility. Michelle, 20, now in RTR, said she became addicted to opiates at age 16. "I remember I used to think, `I'm never going to sniff a drug. That's disgusting. That's junkie level. I would never do that," she said. "And then a couple weeks later I was doing it because all my friends were. When you are that young, you are so easily influenced." Peer pressure was a common theme in the stories of many RTR members about how they started using drugs. Michelle's addiction lasted for more than a year and didn't end until trouble at school and multiple seizures made her realize she could not continue on that course. She is now taking the opioid medication methadone, which she credits for saving her life. The group hopes to save lives with the | submitted poster event by also raising awareness of the medication, Naloxone (Narcan). It is an opioid antagonist used to counter the effects of an opioid (e.g. morphine, heroin) overdose. The group is calling for the medication and training in its use to be more widely available. "It can save lives, but you have to call 911 right away because it only lasts for 30 minutes," said Emily, who has received training in its use. Halton Chief of Paramedic Services Greg Sage said Halton EMS advanced care paramedics have carried the medication for the past 15 years, referring to it as the "go to" product to counter this type of overdose. In October he said all the primary care paramedics are being trained in its use. Forty-three per cent of Halton's paramedics are advanced care paramedics and most ambulances are staffed with one of them. Halton Region's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hamidah Meghani noted that according to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control 85 per cent of overdoses occur in the presence of others. This means there is strong potential that making Naloxone more widely available could prevent overdose deaths, she said. Naloxone is a prescription drug and needs to be ordered by a doctor. Meghani said recently the Association of Local Public Health Agencies in Ontario passed a resolution advocating for the exsee RTR on p.4 Sore Feet, Sports Injury, Painful Ingrown Toenails? Plantar Warts? We can help! Exceptional footcare for all ages. · Routine footcare · Corns & calluses · Plantar warts · Heel/arch/foot pain · Diabetic footcare and education · Thick or ingrown nails · Nail surgery · Sports related foot problems & injuries · Custom made orthotics · Sigvaris® compression stockings · Evenings and saturday appointments available · New patients welcome! J. Richard Werkman chiropodist We Treat the Unwanted Benefits of Summer Jobs... 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