Amos Winter says if a program to battle prescription drug abuse in his community can continue, more resources are needed.
Winter, the health director for Kingfisher Lake First Nation, said he has seen success since September when his community started a detoxification and treatment program for oxycodone abuse. The program uses Suboxone, a drug used to help with withdrawal symptoms for opiate addiction.
Kingfisher’s program is one of several community-driven projects throughout First Nations communities looking to curb what Winter calls a devastating prescription drug abuse problem.
“We just started because it’s a need. It’s an urgent matter we needed to face right away,” Winter said.
But the community has spent more than $80,000 since September, which is taking money away from other community program funding. If the community hopes to continue running the detoxification and treatment program, it will need resources from the provincial and federal governments.
“We’re almost at the end now. If our First Nation, the chief and council, isn’t able to secure funding then our program is at risk of being terminated.
“It’s going to devastate the clients and our community.”
Kingfisher Lake, which lies 350 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout, has a prescription problem in about 10 per cent of its 500 residents. That number is somewhat low relative to other First Nations communities, Winter said.
Still, the program has 17 people in it right now with more than 20 waiting for treatment. And the program is only in what Winter calls the maintenance phase, which is a first step in a long road to recovery.
“That’s only the start of the healing journey,” he said.
“These individuals have underlying issues, past hurts, past unresolved issues that have triggered them to start with oxycodone to cover their pain.”
Winter was one of 30 people who met with Health Canada in Thunder Bay Thursday for a closed door meeting at the Valhalla Inn.
Susan Russell, Health Canada’s acting regional director for First Nations and Inuit branch in Ontario, said the purpose of the meeting is to get communities like Kingfisher together to discuss their challenges and successes with community-based programs. The government has also committed $700,000 to help fund the initiatives.
Winter said he hasn’t seen anything on paper about the funding but hopes that it will come. He said the meeting so far has been productive.
“I just heard from the regional director that there is money for our program so I’ll take her word,” he said. “There is some light now at the end of the tunnel so hopefully funding will come out of this meeting.”
If money and resources aren’t found, the problem will be affecting people physically, mentally and financially for years to come Winter said.
“10 years down the road we will not have our communities together.”
