Pubdate: Wed, 07 Feb 2018 Source: Peterborough Examiner, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2018 Peterborough Examiner Contact: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/letters Website: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2616 Author: Jason Bain Page: A1 DRUG AWARENESS WEEK OFFERS A CHANCE TO TALK After three years of addressing substance abuse issues while patrolling local high schools, city police community services officer Const. Andy Hatton said he has learned more about how important the lines of communication are between parents and their children. Drug Awareness Week continues until Friday and city police and health care and public health partners point out it's a ideal time to have serious conversations about the topic. "Don't be afraid to ask those difficult questions. Don't be afraid to have those sometimes difficult conversations. It's important to know what's going on," the officer said during a Tuesday morning launch for the week at Westmount Pharmacy. The 170 overdoses that resulted in 19 deaths last year is more than double the totals from the year before, city police Insp. Larry Charmley said, pointing out that many more incidents go unreported because people don't call 911. "That's only the tip of the iceberg, of what we know about," he said. Charmley is also chairman of the Peterborough Drug Strategy, a collaborative effort that addresses complex issues like addiction from a multi-sector approach with prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement strategies. When it comes to addictions, Charmley said the community must work together to erase the stigma attached to the issue. "They need a lot of supports to pull themselves out." The more education the community can provide means more lives can be saved until we get to the root of the crisis, he added. According to the Ontario Drug Use and Health Survey, an estimated one in 10 (or 97,100) school-aged children (Grades 7 to 12) reported using a prescription opioid pain reliever for recreational purposes in the last year, Peterborough Public Health health promoter Deanna Leahy said. More than half of those surveyed reported getting the drugs from a parent or sibling, she said, encouraging everyone to do their part to prevent misuse. Leahy also highlighted that the same survey showed an 11 per cent increase in the use of over-thecounter cough and cold medications to get high, mostly by male students. Drug Awareness Week is an ideal time to highlight the important of medication safety. "Parents and grandparents play a huge role in preventing youth access to prescription medications by locking them away securely, keeping track of quantities and taking them back to the pharmacy for proper disposal," she stated. The Medication Take Back campaign follows three principles to help reduce potential harm of prescriptions medication in the community. They include securing your medication, keeping track of quantities and taking back unused or expired medication, Leahy said. Medication Take Back is supported by the Peterborough Family Health Team, Peter borough Regional Health Centre and the Peterborough and District Pharmacists Association. The campaign is an easy way to reduce the possibility of overdoses, Charmley said, pointing out how unused and expired medication is regularly found at overdose scenes and is not always prescribed to the person who overdosed. "You never know when a mental health or physical issue may arise in your life or someone else who lives under your roof," he stated. "In those moments of struggle, a poor decision to consume that medication for relief can result in serious repercussions and sometimes death." Pharmacies such as Westmount are doing as much as they can, pharmacist and owner Murad Younis told those gathered near the front of the picturesque Clonsilla Ave. business. Misuse of narcotics have become "so common," he said. "It is a daily practice .... We stress with everyone to returns narcotics because know family members can misuse them." This year's Drug Awareness Week is also a good opportunity to speak to youth as Canada prepares for marijuana legalization later this year, officials said. "A great resource for parents is the Cannabis Talk Kit available from the Drug Free Kids Canada website," Leahy stated. The week also overlaps with a week-long public health campaign encouraging residents to "Rethink your Drinking," emphasizing the association between alcohol use and developing cancer. For information related to addictions and stigma, visit www.questionofcare.com - an awareness and training initiative sponsored by the Peterborough Drug Strategy. NOTES: For more information on the Peterborough Drug Strategy, visit www.peterboroughstrategy.com .... For more resources for parents and guardians, visit www.parentactionondrugs.org .... To follow Drug Awareness Week activities, search #DAW and #MedicationTakeBack on Twitter. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt