Pubdate: Tue, 11 Aug 2015 Source: Prince Albert Daily Herald (CN SN) Copyright: 2015 Prince Albert Daily Herald Contact: http://www.paherald.sk.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1918 Page: 4 DON'T PUT OFF THAT IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ANY LONGER If there has ever been a time to have that often awkward and difficult conversation with your kids about the dangers of drugs it is right now, this very moment. People across Canada are dying right now, thanks to the availability of "recreational" street drugs that are often far more powerful than users had bargained for. Often these are young people and their search for a fun high with a little bit of experimentation is costing lives. The biggest culprit has been a nasty piece of work called fentanyl. The drug is often labeled as OxyContin (a brand name for the drug oxycodone), but is more powerful and dangerous than the powerful prescription drug that many have turned to for that illicit good time. Fentanyl has been all over the news in recent weeks, and for good reason. This chemical has been killing people across Canada, including at lest four people right here in Saskatchewan. These have often been teens/young adults, and often are only "recreational" drug users. There's that word again. Talk of "recreational" drug use kind of cleanses and glamorizes the whole experience, but this isn't the time to be focusing on the morality of drug use. Most of us would agree the risk of physiological damage and addiction and the other risks involved make the decision to use drugs stupid. But stupid is one thing that humans do well. Curiousity will get to kids, even good kids, and young adults out there. There are some who are going to choose to try drugs to see what it feels like. There are others who will do it because they are giving in to peer pressure. Some will do it to try to be cool. Some of them will die. The morality of choosing to use illegal drugs aside, the consequences of their actions shouldn't include death. But, for some, as we have seen this year, it will. If you haven't had "the talk" with your kids yet, you need to. It could save their lives. The biggest reason to discuss this with your kids (and other loved ones) is because of how widespread this fentanyl has become and how dangerous it is. It is plain and simply deadly. But, it goes beyond that. Opioids such as OxyContin are dangerous enough as it is. A study released last year in Ontario noted that one in eight deaths of young people (ages 25-34) there involved opioid overdoses. There is a perception that the use of opioids such as OxyContin is no big deal and doesn't really hurt anyone. The perception is wrong - dead wrong. To take the Ontario study even further, opioid-related deaths in Ontario increased from 21.2 deaths per million to 41.6 deaths per million in 2010, an increase of over 240 per cent. Many young people are getting these drugs through friends or family members with prescriptions and then stealing or buying them and taking them even though they have not been prescribed to them. This has to be a part of the conversation, and if you or a family member has a prescription to a drug like OxyContin, it is imperative to monitor your pills and keep them safeguarded to help avoid abuse. And although fentanyl has been getting a lot of media attention in recent weeks, this isn't a new problem. A troubling alert was issued by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse as far back as July, 2013 (the February, 2014 updated alert is available at: http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-CCENDU-Oxycontin-Fentanyl-Alert-2014-en.pdf In all likelihood, your kids aren't taking any illicit drugs and have no interest in doing so. Just as likely is that those same kids know others who are or have, and your kids have probably had it offered to them at one point or another. It is no secret that all kinds of drugs can be found in Prince Albert and area, and oxycodone is here. Hopefully it isn't just a matter of time before we see a fentanyl-related death here as well. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt