Data Writeup
I found my data at http://ottawa.ca/sites/ottawa.ca/files/oph_substance_misuse_2013_en.pdf
The data that I choose to use in my story was two graphs that I made. I made these graphs after reviewing the data from my source. The title of my first graph is HIV Cases who Injected Drugs. The reason I made this graph was because it was extremely relevant to my story. The HIV cases in Ottawa is important to my story because I talk in length about the effects of injecting drugs and the consequences of sharing needles (HIV).
The second graph that I made is titled The Top 10 Causes of Hospitalization Attributed to Drug Use, Ottawa. This information is important and relevant to my story because it identifies the various drugs that cause hospitalization in Ottawa. Opioids are at the top of the list. These graphs help tell my story and allow for visual confirmation.
A big problem with small solutions
Ottawa’s opioid dependency and methadone clinics
A growing problem in North America is substance abuse. Over the last decade hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by opioid addiction. This problem effects both health and crime in Ottawa. In order to help control this epidemic methadone clinics have opened their doors to people who want to get help.
In Ottawa, opioids are a growing problem. On average each year, opioids such as heroin and fentanyl are the leading cause of overdoses in the city. At least thirty six people died from overdosing in Ottawa last year. Drug dependency is the second largest reason people in Ottawa are hospitalized from drug use, following unintentional injuries.
Opioids are a family of drug that stem from opium, they are used to treat severe pain. Heroin is the most commonly known illegal opioid and has been around since the early 20th century. Heroin can be abused in a variety of ways; it can be injected, inhaled and ingested. Other opioids include; oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, hydromorphone and meperidine.
Doctors often prescribe these powerful painkillers to people suffering from chronic pain, arthritis, severe back pain and other types of pain. Although these drugs can be used as effective painkillers, they are often abused for feelings of intense pleasure. These feelings of pleasure can lead to excessive use therefore resulting in addiction.
When an individual becomes addicted to an opioid the consequences can be extreme and severe. These people begin to steal and commit crimes in order to feed their addiction. Many people lose their jobs, family, friends and even homes due to their drug addiction. These people become disconnected from society and enter a world where only one thing matters, the need to get high. Everyday these people struggle to get money then find their substance in order to avoid becoming sick. When an addict does not do any drugs for a short period of time, even 24 hours, their bodies start going through a process called withdrawal.
When an addict begins going through withdrawal many symptoms occur. The early symptoms of opioid withdrawal are agitation, muscle aches, anxiety, insomnia, increased tearing of the eyes, sweating, runny nose, yawning and mood swings. If the addict continues to not consume any opioids the withdrawal continues and gets worse. The latter symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, goose bumps, nausea, dilated pupils, vomiting and hot cold sweats.
These withdrawal symptoms are the main reason addicts do not quit. The withdrawal process is very painful and strenuous and most people never make the transition to become clean and sober. This is a major problem because it causes addicts to become very desperate and when someone is desperate they will do anything to obtain their fix, including crime.
Crime and substance abuse are closely tied together. The correlation is evident in a variety of ways but most commonly in theft. Addicts are known criminals, especially thieves. An average heroin addict spends anywhere from one hundred to five hundred dollars a day. In order to obtain this money these people steal and commit crimes to make illegal money. Although prescription pill addicts spend significantly less than heroin addicts the outcome are still the same, crime funds their addiction.
One solution to this problem has been increased law enforcement. Increased police cracking down on crime catching those responsible for crimes such as theft and illegal drug trafficking, but this does not fix the problem. Police arrest and prosecute addicts but ignore the real problem, their dependency to opioids. If opioids are on the street then the problem will continue reducing the long-term effects of increased law enforcement. The best solution to this problem is treating those dependent on drugs and reducing the amount of people who will become addicted in the future. If the addicts have alternate relief then they will no longer need to commit crimes to feed their addiction.
A recently new method and solution to the problem of drug addiction and crime is methadone.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid used by specialty doctors to treat opioid addiction. Because methadone is a synthetic opioid it acts on the same receptors of opioid drugs such as heroin and morphine. Methadone allows addicts to avoid the severe pains of withdrawal while also avoiding illegal drug activity. This alternative offers a longer duration of relief while being professionally monitored by physicians.
In Ottawa methadone clinics have received thousands of clients. These people are addicts who voluntarily participate in the methadone program in order to improve their lives. These individuals attend the clinic daily to receive their methadone orally in a drink and once a week to check in with the doctor. Currently there are four clinics in Ottawa.
The Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres have two methadone clinics in Ottawa. These clinics are located on Carling Avenue and Somerset Street West. These clinics are provincially owned and operated. Another clinic is located on Nelson Street. This clinic is part of the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre and hosts a variety of programs to help the community. The newest addition to the clinic scene of Ottawa is located at 11 Selkirk Street. This clinic called Recovery Ottawa was recently opened in order to bring a new positive outlook on methadone clinics.
Dr. Mark Ujjainwalla is in charge of the new clinic and truly wants to make a difference in Ottawa. This clinic aims to help patients by using a more approachable method to its audience. Patients are able to walk in and be seen by a doctor the same day unlike other clinics that often have long waiting lists.
“It is a much needed clinic and program in Ottawa,” said Dr. Ujjainwalla. “Our clinic tries to reduce the stigma associated with addiction.”
Recovery Ottawa is the first clinic to use modern technology such as the fingerprint scanner in order to maintain a more successful facility. The staff at the clinic produces a positive atmosphere in order to eliminate any embarrassment the clients may have. The clinic also helps their patients with other services such as nutrition, transportation, housing and legal issues. This is very important because it not only helps individual’s get clean and sober but stay clean and sober as well.
Health issues are amongst the most important issues when it comes to people who suffer from addiction. People who inject drugs are very vulnerable to becoming infected by HIV and HCV. These people share needles and therefore share their diseases. In a study conducted in 2011, 12.6% of needle users had HIV and 72.6% had HCV in Ottawa. These diseases also affect people who inhale drugs as well. The spread of these deadly diseases is a major problem that has been acted upon by various groups and programs in Ottawa.
Safer Consumption Services in Canada (SCS) has been integrated into drug treatment and harm reduction programs in Canada. SCS objectives include; preventing transmitted infections such as HIV and HCV, improving addicts access to health care services, contributing to the overall safety and quality of communities, and reducing the impact of open drug scenes.
Another group is the Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites in Ottawa (CSCS). This group is made up of community members who promote safe consumption sites in Ottawa. They believe in harm reduction, the expansion of social and health care services, preventative measure and evidence based drug policies. This group is extremely important and encourages a solution to safer drug use in the city.
The Sandy Hill Community Health Centre is an excellent source of promoting and reducing drug addiction in Ottawa. Rob Scobie is one of many individuals at the Health Centre who helps make the city a safer place. Scobie works in the Harm Reduction part of the Health Centre and personally works with addicts. Every Friday Scobie hosts The Five Pack program and works with voluntary addicts making safe injection packs. These packs are filled with five syringes, five waters, five cookers, five alcohol swabs and five prevention cards.
“The program exists in order to provide users with safer, cleaner alternatives,” said Scobie. The volunteers who work with Scobie receive a gift card in exchange for their work. Programs like these reduce blood-born transmitted diseases and help Ottawa remain safe.
Drug addiction can affect anyone who is exposed to the substance. Although the majority of addicts obtain their drugs illegally, some of them were prescribed these narcotics. People who suffer from chronic pain and other server conditions receive opioids for pain relief from their doctors. These painkillers are affective in terms of pain reduction but consequently leave the users addicted and further their problems.
When most people think of drug addicts they think of people who are unemployed and do not contribute to society. Opioids have changed this stereotype. People of various ages, ethnicities and professions have become addicted to painkillers. Even doctors have been reported as abusing these drugs, making the argument that the problem is the drug not the person.
University graduate Ashley who refused to give her last name in a CBC interview admitted to using opioids while in school. “I started for recreational reasons…” she said. But after using the painkillers she eventually became addicted to them and felt controlled by the drug. Many people share the same story, they use painkillers recreationally to overcome stress and everyday problems but because of the nature of the drug they become addicted and feel isolated from society. After years of abusing oxycodone Ashley is seeking help at Recovery Ottawa. She turned to methadone as a last resort to help herself.
Methadone clinics offer addicts the chance to live an ordinary life. Although they are substituting one opioid for another, methadone is a controlled alternative towards living as an addict. People who receive methadone and avoid using other drugs can maintain a job, restore their health, avoid crime and eventually become completely sober. Methadone is very cheap in comparison to the price of illegal drugs and allows patients to manage their finances while fighting addiction.
Currently the only solution to opioid dependency is weaning yourself down and quitting, stopping cold turkey, or using methadone. The problem presents numerous outcomes most commonly resulting in continuing to abuse drugs and or relapsing. Ottawa is one of the many cities around the world that has been affected by opioid dependency. Prescription painkillers are a major problem and produce more problems in society than solutions.
The correlation between drug abuse and crime is very strong and will continue to rise unless the appropriate measures to reduce the distribution of these drugs are taken. Drug addicts are people who cannot deal with everyday problems on their own. Their addiction has taken over their lives and in turn creates a greater problem for the society they reside in. More solutions need to be implemented and help needs to be given to those affected by opioid dependency.