Can. Tax Dollars Go To Support Oxycontin Hooked Reserves

OTTAWA - Smugglers rampantly dodge legal authorities and funnel narcotic prescription pills into First Nations communities, researchers say, and changes to the Canadian drug market could have a ripple effect.

More than 50% of the adult population in many First Nations communities are addicted to the painkiller OxyContin, according to Simon Fraser University addiction researcher Benedikt Fischer.
"We know that a lot of the OxyContin illegal supplies are flown into the First Nations communities or shipped up there by mail in very clandestine and creative ways like sewn into diapers or sent in food items," Fischer said. "There's also dealers flying up with a couple of suitcases of pills for a day."
Fischer says the opiate medication, which can be snorted or shot up to amplify its effect, is used by some aboriginal children as young as 10 years old.

Canadian manufacturer Purdue Pharma recently announced it will stop making OxyContin beginning in March. The drug company is planning to roll out a new, less abusive form of the medication called OxyNEO but First Nations leaders fear there will be withdrawal issues once OxyContin is no longer available.
"This is already quite a disaster," Fischer said. "What we know is likely to happen is that people will switch to other drugs and potentially, depending on what is shipped up there, that may include amphetamines, cocaine or heroine."

This week, Health Canada moved to tighten rules for First Nations people seeking to obtain funding for the prescription medication. It will now grant funding on a case-by-case basis, but typically only in extreme circumstances like cancer treatment and palliative care.
The government department says prescriptions aren't at the root of uncontrolled drug issues on reserves, but they recognize upcoming changes to the market could impact users.
"There is little concern of withdrawal for clients switching therapy from OxyContin to OxyNEO when taken as prescribed by a physician," Health Canada spokesman Stephane Shank said. "It is possible that some clients who obtained OxyContin through other sources may go through withdrawal when OxyContin is removed from the Canadian market."
Fischer believes infrastructure and resources are needed to address deep-rooted drug issues in remote First Nations communities.

Kristy.Kirkup@sunmedia.ca
On Twitter: @kkirkup

So, not only are they stoned most of the time, which results in being couch potatoes, neglect of families, personal responsibilities, ANY kind of motivation to provide or look after themselves, on top of ALL this, we are PAYING for this abuse thru OUR TAX DOLLARS! But, nooo, says the NDP - the current Gov't needs to have their hands slapped because the Aboriginal community isn't being looked after well enough. Where or what was Charlie Angus doing, you know, the NDP MP in N. Ont. for SEVEN years while this was going on? Maybe he and the NDP were in one chorus criticizing the Gov't for it's inaction on Aboriginals while the Gov't was sending 30 odd million per to these well-deserved (sic) oxycontin hooked (and whatever else) communities?