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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, December 16, 2011 · 12 Oakville dad hopes do you knOw will spread By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF An Oakville father who lost his son to an OxyContin overdose took part in a special presentation recently in Georgetown, to warn parents about the dangers of opiate addiction. On May 15, 2010, Bill Robinson found his son, James, dead on the floor of his room. He was only 24 years old. "I don't know if I can describe the horror of finding my son dead on the floor of his room that Saturday morning... already cold... already stiff," said Robinson. "Or the anguish of knowing that I could no longer help him." James, a former T.A. Blakelock High School student, battled an OxyContin addiction for about two years before his death. The journey that would eventually lead to the end of James' life began in 2007 when he began taking some painkillers he found in the family medicine cabinet to help relieve the pain of a recent sports injury. Some time after that, someone introduced James to OxyContin, an opiate designed for long-term pain relief. Robinson said OxyContin is a wonderful drug when prescribed and administered properly, stating it helped his brother as he was dying of cancer. The problem, which is growing across North America, is when the drug is sold illegally to people who don't need it and abused. In the presentation entitled `do you knOw', Opiate Awareness for Parents, which was held at the Georgetown District High School, Robinson joined Halton police, doctors and other parents in explaining to the audience the devastating trap James and so many others like him fell into. "Opiate addiction is probably the strongest addiction that there is out there," said Robinson. "When people take this, they take it to feel good. So when you have it, you feel good and you want to keep on taking it and you get addicted. But, opiates are a bit different. When you have it, you feel good, but when you don't have it, you feel bad. So it gets to the point where you are taking it not only to feel good, but to keep from feeling bad. It's a very powerful addiction and the percentage of people able to fully overcome this addiction is very, very low." As the drug use progresses, it is necessary to take more and more of the drug to get to that high the addict is looking for and this is where the addiction can turn fatal. Once a person stops taking OxyContin, Robinson said, their tolerance for the high level of the drug they were taking rapidly disappears. This means if the person relapses and takes that same high level there is a good chance they will overdose and die. v"c Bill Robinson Robinson said this was what happened to his son. Tragically, James is not alone, with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reporting 460 Ontario deaths attributed to opioids, like OxyContin, in 2009. Staff at Oakville's Speers Road methadone clinic also pointed out in February 2011 that around 80-90 per cent of the people they see have addictions to OxyContin and other prescription drugs as opposed to street drugs like heroin. A year and a half has passed since James' death and Robinson is now taking his grief and using it to try and stop other parents from going through the same nightmare he still endures. The Georgetown presentation was the first `do you knOw' has conducted. Robinson is hopeful this presentation, which featured three speakers (including Robinson) and a panel discussion, will lead to others in Halton, so his message of caution can spread. "If we want to get into the schools and talk to the students and make some awareness of this drug, the way to do it is through the parents," said Robinson. "If we can convince the parents that what we are talking about is something their kids should hear, they will make it happen. They will go to the school principals and the trustees and they will say, `These people should come in to speak.'" WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21st at 6:00 PM River Oa Ri O ks Community Centre 2400 Sixth Line, OAKVIL LLE River 2400 Sixth Line, OAKVILL RSVP info@JewishOakville.com y Phone: 905.268.4432 Event is Free of Charge Bring a non perishable canned food item to be added to the CANorah. All cans will be donated to the local food bank. Giant 8 ft. Menorah Lighting Entertainment CANorah-menorah built out of cans of food Chanukah Crafts Oaks Community yBuffet Centre Clown Light Dinner Much, Much More! TorShow.com TicketMaster.ca T 416-248-1168 1-855-872-7669 JAN 12-15 SONY CENTRE JAN 19-22 LIVING ARTS CENTRE TorShow.com T 416-248-1168 LivingArtsCentre.ca 905-306-6000