Pubdate: Thu, 18 Nov 2004
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2004 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Aldo Santin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

TEEN'S DEATH TRIGGERS WAVE OF OVERDOSES

Gods River Overwhelmed By Crisis

THE mysterious death of a popular teen in the remote community of Gods 
River triggered a wave of prescription drug overdoses by other teenagers 
that the native community has been unable to stop.

Chief Moses Okimaw said the teen's death Oct. 1 was followed by 18 
prescription overdoses among the reserve's young people -- three of them 
involving the same teen.

Okimaw said none of the overdoses resulted in death, but all of the youths 
were flown to Thompson or Winnipeg for treatment. "We didn't know what to 
do, and we need help," Okimaw said.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs sent a youth crisis team to the community 
this week, and the medical services branch of Health Canada agreed to send 
an extra nurse and a therapist.

Dr. Shannon McDonald, director of community wellness and health 
surveillance at Health Canada, said it's not certain how many of the 18 
overdoses were suicide attempts and how many were drug trips that went bad. 
Either way, he said, the outcomes are cause for concern.

McDonald said the community's traditional leaders -- teachers and band 
council members -- didn't know what to do. The community's two nurses at 
the nursing station were overworked and stressed. The community is located 
on the north shore of Gods Lake, at the outlet to Gods River, about 850 
kilometres northeast of Winnipeg and 225 kilometres southeast of Thompson. 
The community has an on-reserve population of 550 people. Almost half are 
under the age of 20.

McDonald said what's happened in Gods River over the last six weeks 
followed a typical pattern when a tragedy hits such a small community.

"People are related by blood or marriage or (are) good friends, and 
everyone is affected in a negative way," McDonald said. "Their coping 
skills are exhausted. The tragedy tends to feed on itself in a small 
community, and these people become overwhelmed."

McDonald said an additional nurse was sent to the community to help the 
nursing staff. A therapist went there on the weekend and a regularly 
scheduled therapist flew in at the beginning of the week.

McDonald said the intervention team from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs 
youth secretariat helps community staff learn to identify teens at risk and 
develops proper responses that can be deployed.

There haven't been any further incidents since last week, McDonald said, 
and it appears the crisis may have passed. McDonald said the community will 
identify the resources available to it and what additional resources it may 
need. Staff from Health Canada's regional office will go there in a couple 
of weeks to formalize a plan on how to deal with a similar situation if it 
were to happen again.
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