Drug epidemic needs support: medical director

The prescription drug abuse epidemic ravaging northern Ontario First Nations has placed an additional burden on health care providers in the North.
Claudette Chase, medical director at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA), says prescription drug addiction has become an “ever increasing” part of practicing medicine.
“There’s no question it’s an epidemic,” Chase says. “It’s added a new layer of sadness watching people struggle with these addictions.”
She notes it is now common for a health care practitioner to ask a patient how many oxys has been taken that day.
\Cat Lake First Nation’s declaration of a state of emergency on Jan. 23, due to an estimated 70 per cent of residents being addicted to prescription drugs, is only the latest hot spot in an increasingly pan-northern problem.
In 2010 Eabametoong called on the federal government for help to deal with a spate of drug-fueled violence. Estimates at the time said 80 per cent of adults in the community were addicted to prescription drugs.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) also issued a NAN-wide state of emergency over prescription drug addiction in 2009. NAN Deputy Grand Chief Mike Matawabin says the result has been little to no action by either the federal or provincial governments.
“The response from government has been slow, or not at all,” Metawabin says.
Chase agrees that the governments must do more. She sees the issue as a public health epidemic, at least on the level of the H1N1 pandemic of 2009. But the response has not been at an “epidemic-level,” Chase says.
“If it was an epidemic of influenza or Tuberculosis, there would be huge resources pouring in from a public health perspective,” she says. “I don’t see a response on the level of an epidemic.”
Adding to her frustration is the lack of resources being provided to communities that have plans to deal with the issue on a local level.
She cites Eabametoong, where leaders are calling for funds to implement a 21-day on-the-land treatment program. Not a lot of money is required, Chase says, but at the end of the day someone has to pay for gas to get clients to the site and food while they are there.
Cat Lake has stated it wants to establish a similar land-based treatment program. It too is waiting for funding.
“I’d love to see communities listened to when they say ‘this is what we need’,” Chase says.
She also points to the issues of intergenerational trauma, and the fact that most drug users in the community are using drugs to self-medicate.
In the long run, Chase says, there needs to be funding and support for healing those kinds of trauma if the cycle of substance abuse and addiction is ever to be broken.
“Most of the people using drugs are trying to get away from painful memories,” Chase says. “I don’t see the support for communities to heal from intergenerational trauma.”