Lanark County Municipal Drug Strategy

Jeff Green | Mar 21, 2013

A couple of years ago members of Lanark County Council decided that in light of a number of high profile incidents in the local community and in the high schools, the County needed to take on more of a role in combating alcohol and drug problems in their communities. Since the county is geographically diverse, they split the area into smaller chunks, one of them being the townships of Drummond/North Elmsley and Tay Valley, and the Town of Perth.

A committee that includes members of Council, as well as representatives from the OPP, Perth Police, the local high schools, the Youth Action Kommittee (YAK) and members of the public, has been meeting 10 times a year to learn about the issues and work towards a drug-free community.

“We use a four-pillar strategy,” said Susan Freeman, a co-chair of the Municipal Drug Strategy (MDS) Committee for the three townships, “which looks at the continuum of prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement/criminal justice.”

Prevention initiatives can include the promotion of healthy families and communities, preventing or delaying the onset of substance use, strengthening resiliency in families, children and youth, and reducing harm associated with substance use.

Treatment options are limited in rural areas but they can be accessed. They may include outpatient and peer-based counselling, methadone programs, daytime and residential treatment and ongoing medical care.

Harm reduction focuses on reducing the spread of communicable diseases, preventing overdose deaths, increasing a substance user’s contact with health care services or treatment programs and reducing consumption of drugs on the street. 

Excessive alcohol consumption and drug use can pose a threat to public order and safety, and enforcement of federal and provincial laws is a function of police forces in the community. Given that police often have a significant degree of contact with individuals who misuse substances, enforcement also serves to improve coordination with health services and agencies that link drug users to the help and support that they may need.

Among the initiatives undertaken by the MDS committee, a series of articles have been prepared on different drugs and their impacts in local communities. The article by Christine Campbell, CYW, PDCI on prescription drug use by youth is excerpted below:

In a 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey put out by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, it was found that about 1 in 6 students reported using at least one prescription drug non-medically (without a doctor’s prescription). About 14% of those students reported taking a prescription pain reliever such as; Percocet, Percodan, Morphine, Tylenol #3, Demerol, OxyContin, Dilaudid non-medically, in other words for recreational use. 67% of those students reported obtaining these drugs from someone at home or from the home or a relative, mainly grandparents.

Of further concern is the non-medical use of drugs prescribed to help control the symptoms of ADHD and ADD such as: Concerta, Ritalin and Adderall. Ritalin tablets sometimes sell for $5.00 to $10.00.

The reasons these drugs are used other than for their prescribed purpose are many and varied. Prescription pain relievers can cause a relaxed or euphoric feeling, but are especially dangerous when they are taken with other depressant drugs (e.g. alcohol). Drugs used to treat ADHD are also taken for various purposes including appetite suppression, wakefulness, increased focus and euphoria. Youth who are abusing these prescription drugs are looking for a high. They also may be self-medicating themselves to cover up a possible mental health difficulty such as depression, anxiety or suicidal ideation.

Addiction services in Lanark County are available though Tri-County Addictions – 1-800-6948 and for youth in Frontenac County though KAIROS 613-542-6559. Other services are available through Frontenac County Mental Health and Addictions Services, which can be reached in Kingston at 613-544-1356 or in Sharbot Lake at 613-279-3151 (Northern Frontenac Community Services)