Pubdate: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2001 The Calgary Sun Contact: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67 Author: Peter Smith MOUNTIE BLAMES DOCTORS Inquiry Hears Of Prescription Abuse EDEN VALLEY RESERVE -- A Mountie slammed the medical profession yesterday for its part in an "astounding" problem of prescription drug abuse that has brought death to this reserve southwest of Calgary. And a fatality inquiry into two reserve members who died of prescription drug overdoses heard from an ambulance driver who said he'd been to 200 such calls here. Claudia Labelle, 26, was found dead in her bed April 19 last year, and Roderick Lefthand died of an overdose Jan. 20. Both deaths are being called prescription drug overdoses. "The mixture of prescription drug abuse combined with alcohol is a major problem on a reserve of this size," said Turner Valley RCMP Const. Joseph Dupont, who had been called when Labelle was found. Dupont quoted statistics showing 2,700 prescriptions for drugs had been written for reserve members in a three-month period. "For a reserve of this size with only 200 to 250 adults, the figure of 2,700 prescriptions is astounding." Dupont said doctors over-prescribing were putting so many drugs in circulation, they were encouraging trafficking. "It appears to me that the medical profession isn't being responsible in addressing what's happening," he said. "They're making it very easy for the community here to obtain the drugs, making the problem much worse." Dupont said there was only one explanation. "Unfortunately, judging by the numbers, you'd have to believe there's trafficking in prescription drugs," he said, adding the blame ought to be laid at the feet of doctors who over-prescribe. "When I investigated prescription drugs, no one seems to be accountable and it was hard to get any answers," he said. He said Mounties at Turner Valley didn't have the manpower to investigate prescription drug abuse. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth