Pubdate: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 Source: Peterborough This Week (CN ON) Copyright: Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing Contact: http://www.mykawartha.com/news/peterboroughNews Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1794 Author: Todd Vandonk 'I WAS A SLAVE TO THE DRUG' In the second of a three-part series on crime in Peterborough, PTW's Todd Vandonk tells the story of one woman's 15-year struggle to beat addiction and how her battle is now being played out with more frequency across Peterborough. Life was good for Connie. Or so it appeared. However, not even she could predict that her world was about to change and that she would embark on "15 years of private hell." But before 1990, before descending into more than decade-long battle with addiction, life was so very good. She had overcome a less-than-ideal childhood. Alongside two brothers and a sister, she was raised in Toronto by alcoholic parents. Her earliest childhood memories - memories she would later ty to escape through pills - were of sexual, mental and physical abuse at the hands of relatives. At the age of 17 she left home, coping, on her own, with the traumatic upbringing she endured. "As a teen I experimented with basic drugs like marijuana and alcohol and was always gravitating towards guys. I was promiscuous and wanted to be loved," she now says. Despite that burden, she hid the pain and moved forward. She graduated college, married, had children and found herself with a cushy government job with in Toronto. She was pulling in $65,000 a year. "It appeared to be good but I didn't see it falling apart and it bit me from behind. It was the beginning of 15 years of private hell," Connie recalls. With counselling, she later realized her downward spiral was triggered in 1990 when she came across a past childhood abuser who made his way back into family circles. That's when the heavy drinking and use of harder drugs started. Everything from her childhood started to catch up to her and, within that year, she separated from her husband, was fired from that cushy job and, after doctors said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety pills. Lynn Sones-Barnes, a team leader at Fourcast, a community addiction treatment agency offering professional counselling services for anyone concerned about substance use or problem gambling, says Connie's situation is a perfect example of the clients that walk through the doors of Fourcast. "Often it's something in life that triggers a very painful past. What (the drug) may first appear to relief the emotional discomfort may develop into a dependant of the substance," explains Ms Sones-Barnes, adding that many factors contribute to dependence. "Dependence can occur very quickly or over a long period of time. Biological, social and emotional vulnerabilities may contribute to the intensity and development of the addiction." According to Ms Sones-Barnes, when they look at addiction they use the analogy of an iceberg. With addiction the 10 per cent above the water is usually the behavior associated with substance abuse, such as the actual drug use and behavior in buying the drug. The 90 per cent below the water are all the reasons why the individual is using, perhaps a result of past trauma, depression and anxiety. "Unless we address what's under the water we're unable to address specific reasons for substance abuse. Then we're not doing our job," explains Ms. Sones-Barnes. In 1994 Connie was hospitalized for six months and, upon being released, moved to Peterborough, hoping to escape her addictions. It was the worst mistake of her life. "I thought I would move to smaller a city and get away from everything in the big city. It wasn't far from the city (Toronto) and I remember driving through it (Peterborough) as a kid. It looks really good from the outside but there's really a dark side to Peterborough," she says. Already on shaky ground, it didn't take her long to get mixed up with the wrong crowd in Peterborough. Suffering from back pain she accepted an offer that she regrets to this day. "A lady at the bingo hall gave me an Oxy (Oxycontin) for the pain. If I knew I was going to turn into an addict I wouldn't have went there," explains Connie. Taking a pill here or there quickly led her to swallowing two to three a day and eventually to her snorting and injecting the Oxycontin for a quicker high, bringing that euphoric feeling she craved. "Drugs consumed my whole life and I couldn't function without them," says Connie. Although in the 1990s it was not as prominent as cocaine or crack on Peterborough streets, Oxycontin -- a part of the opioids family, which also includes painkillers such as oxycodone, codeine, morphine, methadone and hydromorphone -- has become a growing problem in the region, according to Peterborough police inspector Tim Farquharson. "Cocaine and crack have been in Peterborough for 25 and 10 years respectively but we've noticed in the past two years is that opioids are really taken off and popular amongst 18 to 25 year olds," explains Insp. Farquharson. The recent misuse of prescription drugs prompted police, the local health unit and the Peterborough Social Planning Council to host a community meeting in April to explore ways to deal with the problem. "There needs to be a better liaison between ourselves (police), doctors, pharmacists and social service agencies. It's happening so we have to do something about it and it has to be a proactive approach," says Insp. Farquharson. The problem with opioids is how readily available the drugs are. "With a prescription they are legal to have. There are some coming into the GTA but anybody on your street could have them in their medical cabinets, making them relatively easy for anyone to get their hands on," says Insp. Farquharson. Whether it was opioids or cocaine Connie didn't have to look hard or long to find her fix. According to her they were everywhere. "People should be aware that drugs are not just a problem in Peterborough's downtown core and it's not just homeless, low-life welfare recipients using. It's local lawyers, car dealers, real estate agents and nurses as well," recalls Connie. who was living on welfare herself, but lost social assistance, leaving her living abroad and searching for other means to feed her addiction. "Within eight months I lost housing and personal belongings including my shoes. I was living in all over -- at friends -- and tenting it in parks," explains Connie. According Insp. Farquharson, opioid pills sell for about $40 to $50 on the street and $100 in institutions for a 40 milligram pill, while a 0.4 gram piece of crack sells for about the same price. The difference is the opioid high can last for several hours compared to about a 20 minute high from crack. "If you have a $40-a-hit addiction and did that four-to-eight-time a day it doesn't take long until you have a $300-a-day habit. Who can afford that? So where are they getting their money? They sell everything they own, scam family and friends, start stealing from vehicles, department stores, garages, sheds, and then residents and, on more serious level, robberies," says Insp. Farquharson, adding that opioid addictions carry huge legal, social and health care costs for Canada. In Peterborough alone, 35 of the 63 robberies committed could be directly linked to illicit drug use. Connie wasn't guilty of committing robbery but lived a life of crime, which included 11 convictions, ranging from false pretense, to theft over $5,000, to possession for purpose of trafficking. She began with running drugs. If you couldn't get your hands on drugs, she could, but at a price that would benefit her. That being a cut of the drug. However, that wasn't enough to keep up with her habit, so she started signing bad cheques in her own name and stealing prescriptions from acquaintances. "I was feeling pretty empty and desperate. I would do almost anything to get the drug," says Connie, which included embezzling her family, stealing money or anything she could pawn at the pawn shop. Despite not being proud of her past she holds great dignity in that she never turned to prostitution. "No, thank God," says Connie, admitting she knew dealers who were looking for girls and would arrange meetings where sexual favours were exchanged. "I have seen a lot of girls get on their knees for crack. You have high school kids that are into crack and the older guys selling don't give a shit about them," she adds. Identified street prostitutes has climbed each year in Peterborough since 2004, according to Insp. Farquharson. What was once two or three fulltime prostitutes working the streets has increased to 26 as of last year, including one as young as 14. "All of them have admitted to having a drug addiction and are mainly taking prescription drugs and crack cocaine," explains Insp. Farquharson, adding the growing number of sex workers in Peterborough is a concern. "It's just proof of how serious the drug problem is and highlights the issues we're dealing with right now," he adds. While Connie managed not to to sell her body to get the drugs she needed, her scars prove she was both a victim and offender of drug-related violence. She was severely beaten, and also beat others, for unpaid debts. "I continued to go because the addiction was so strong and you believe you deserve it. Looking back it was real hatred of myself. The drug controlled me and I was a slave to the drug," says Connie, who flirted with death on eight occasions. "Once it (overdose) was so severe I had to be on respirator and was in the hospital for two weeks. When I was released from the hospital I was getting high within an hour," she adds. This wasn't uncommon for addicts remembers Connie. "People would die in the house and as soon as we revived them they would wake up and take a hit," says Connie. Insp. Farquharson says a recent business case study regarding the drug problem in the city shows deaths contributed to overdoses -- including accidental, suicide or undetermined -- are on the rise in Peterborough. In 2006 there were 13 and in 2007 there were 20. According to the study, the numbers for 2008 are projected to be on par with 2007. In an effort not to become another statistic, Connie turned to Peterborough's methadone clinic for a second time. In her early days in Peterborough she reached out to the clinic but found it uncomfortable, like she had a huge neon sign on her forehead saying she was a low-life addict. In between her first and second visit to the clinic, she tried detox four different times and seeked counselling at Fourcast. "At Fourcast you would meet up with other people that were using and after counselling we'd go out and get high. So it was sort of like the blind meeting the blind," explains Connie. Fourcast's Ms Sones-Barnes does not disagree. "This does occur with a group," she says, specifically about Fopurcast's Option Program, which sees criminals fulfill their probation in a three educational sessions, intended to assist them in making more informed decisions. "What they need to know is that any client that would like further individual counselling is encouraged to set up an appointment immediately," adds Ms Sones-Barnes. Like her previous six attempts at becoming clean, Connie's second go at the methadone clinic was a failure. She continued to use opiates and relapsed after six months in the program. "It wasn't well supervised and you could get away with a lot. However, it's really useful for people following the program," explains Connie. By now it was clear that it would take her hitting rock bottom if she had any hope of changing her life. Rock bottom ended up being jail time for possession of drugs. After finishing what was her third stint behind bars, she left town to live with relatives. "I went cold turkey at a relative's house and went in the fetal position. I was sweating and having uncontrollable bowel movements. You shit yourself, you puke and think you are dying," says Connie. "I think I felt degraded. When I looked at myself in the mirror it was awakening. People were dying around me here in Peterborough and three girls I know in Toronto died from overdoses. Connie has been clean for almost three years. She is living back in Peteborough and working part time. "It's going really good. The sky is the limit and I am looking into getting remarried. I had to lose everything in my life -- my marriage, family, house, my life -- through overdoses and jail for me to finally see the light. It's nice to have my own little place and to be able to keep housing," says Connie, adding that she can now talk with her ex-husband and children. "I am getting my credibility and respect back from family and feel good about myself for the first time in 17 years." Counselling has helped her to use drugs to alienate and numb the pain from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse as a child. According to her more intervention, prevention, and educational programs are needed in the schools. "I would have known better and never have gone there," she says, offering an important piece of advice. "If anything, if you're living in a world of abuse do something about it now. Turning to drugs is like playing Russian roulette, like holding a gun to your head. It could be fun one time but you could be laying on the floor doing the funky chicken the next," says Connie. - -------------------------------------------------------- [sidebar] Interesting facts - - In 2006 there was more than $27,000 dollars in cocaine seized in Peterborough and more than $2,000 in prescription opiates seized. There were 125 persons charged with drug related offences. In 2007 there was more than $220,000 dollars in cocaine seized and more than $19,000 dollars in prescription opiates seized in the city. There were 291 persons charged with drug-related offences in 2007. In 2008 there was more than $640,000 dollars in cocaine seized and over $24,000 dollars in prescription opiates seized. There were 209 persons charged with drug-related offences. There has been a dramatic rise in the seizures of the "hard" drugs over the past three years in the City. - - Until recently, Peterborough has had one officer assigned to the Drug Unit. The following are Drug Unit staffing of other police services dealing with similar population: Belleville Police Service: 2 Constables and 1 Sergeant Barrie Police Service: 3 Constables and 1 Sergeant Cornwall Police Service: 3 Constables and 1 Sergeant Guelph Police Service: 4 Constables and 1 Sergeant Kingston Police Service: 5 Constables and 1 Sergeant - - The only heroine seizure in 2008 was from a subject not arrested for a drug offence but found in possession of 1.5 grams. This a proof that heroine hasn't been a major problem in the City for the last 15 years according to Insp. Farquharson. However, bigger centres are seeing heroine make a comeback, and it's just a matter of time before it filter into smaller communities like Peterborough. - - Drugs seizures and street value. 2008 First Quarter Drug seizures Cocaine: 4990.87 grams Crack: 60.60 grams Marijuana: 7764.48 grams Marihuana plants: 177 Hash: 6 grams Ketamine: 0 grams Mushrooms: 12 grams Ecstasy pills: 138 Dilaudid pills: 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone pills: 150 Percocet pills: 92 Miscellaneous pills: 239 Total number of persons charged 51 Value Cocaine seizures: $548,995.70 Crack seizures: $6,060 Marijuana $116, 467.20 value Marijuana plants: $177,000 Hash: $120 Ketamine: 0 Mushrooms: $180 Ecstasy: $3,450 Dilaudid: 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone: $6,000 Percocet: $1,840 Miscellaneous: $1,912 Variety of weapons seized by officers in relation to the drug seizures included: knives, guns and rifles. - - 2008 Second Quarter Drug seizures Cocaine: 520.24 grams Crack: 28.2 grams Marijuana: 1033.49 grams Marihuana plants: 310 Hash: 23.40 grams Ketamine: 0 grams Mushrooms: 0 grams Ecstasy pills: 0 Dilaudid pills: 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone pills: 63 Percocet pills: 27 Miscellaneous pills: 2 Total number of persons charged 55 Value Cocaine seizures: $57,226.40 Crack seizures: $2,802.00 Marijuana: $15,502.35 Marijuana plants: $310,000.00 Hash: $468 Ketamine: 0 Mushrooms: 0 Ecstasy: 0 Dilaudid: 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone: $2,520 Percocet: $540 Miscellaneous: $16 Variety of weapons seized by officers in relation to the drug seizures included: knives, sword, bat and a pipe. - - 2008 Third Quarter Drug seizures Cocaine 70.18 grams Crack 0 grams Marihuana 6690.32 grams Marihuana Plants 1 Hash 47.37 grams Ketamine 0 grams Mushrooms 2268.50 grams Ecstasy pills 40 Dilaudid pills 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone pills 114 Percocet pills 0 Miscellaneous pills 145 Total number of persons charged 61 Cocaine seizures $7,719.00 value Crack seizures 0 value Marihuana $100,354.80 value Marihuana Plants $1,000.00 value Hash $947.40 value Ketamine 0 Mushrooms $34,012.50 value Ecstasy $1,000.00 value Dilaudid 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone $560.00 value Percocet 0 value Miscellaneous $1,160.00 value Variety of weapons seized by officers in relation to the drug seizures included: knives, pellet guns and brass knuckles. 2008 Fourth Quarter Drug seizures Cocaine 24.42 grams Crack 83.33 grams Marihuana 384.54 grams Marihuana Plants 0 Hash 68.75 grams Ketamine 0 grams Mushrooms 0 grams Ecstasy pills 26 Dilaudid pills 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone pills 128 Percocet pills 14 Miscellaneous pills 190 Total number of persons charged 42 Cocaine seizures $2,686.20 value Crack seizures $8,333.00 value Marihuana $5,768.00 value Marihuana Plants 0 value Hash $1,375.00 value Ketamine 0 Mushrooms 0 value Ecstasy $650.00 value Dilaudid 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone $5,120.00 value Percocet $280.00 value Miscellaneous $1,520.00 value Variety of weapons seized by officers in relation to the drug seizures included: wooden rail/post and cross bow. 2009 First Quarter Drug seizures Cocaine 107.80 grams Crack 7.00 grams Marihuana 1844.54 grams Marihuana Plants 519 Hash 1557.10 grams Ketamine 0 grams Mushrooms 2 grams Ecstasy pills 37 Dilaudid pills 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone pills 31 Percocet pills 0 Miscellaneous pills 83 Total number of persons charged 57 Cocaine seizures $11,858.00 value Crack seizures $700.00 value Marihuana $27,668.10 value Marihuana Plants $519,000.000 value Hash $31,142.00 value Ketamine 0 Mushrooms $30.00 value Ecstasy $925.00 value Dilaudid 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone $1,240.00 value Percocet 0 value Miscellaneous $664.00 value Variety of weapons seized by officers in relation to the drug seizures included: Knives, ammunition, guns and a rifle. 2009 Second Quarter Drug seizures Cocaine 1.20 grams Crack 55.40 grams Marihuana 2594.00 grams Marihuana Plants 214 Hash 3.60 grams Ketamine 0 grams Mushrooms 4.70 grams Ecstasy pills 182 Dilaudid pills 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone pills 17 Percocet pills 40 Miscellaneous pills 228 Total number of persons charged 39 Cocaine seizures $132.00 value Crack seizures $5,540.00 value Marihuana $38,910.00 value Marihuana Plants $214,000.00 value Hash $72.00 value Ketamine 0 Mushrooms 0 value Ecstasy $4,625.00 value Dilaudid 0 Oxycontin/oxycodone $680.00 value Percocet $800.00 value Miscellaneous $1,824.00 value Variety of weapons seized by officers in relation to the drug seizures included: Knives, ammunition, bats, brass knuckles and a gun - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart