Ontario Government Invests $15 Million in Helping Pregnant Women Fight Drug Addiction

The epidemic of prescription drug addiction is not just a problem in the United States; the Canadian government is also struggling with helping its citizens overcome the issue – especially its smallest citizens. The Ontario government recently pledged $15 million to the fight against prescription drug dependence, and the bulk of the funds are allocated for programs designed to detect pregnant women who are living with an active addiction and provide them with the prenatal and postnatal care they need to prioritize their health and the health of their babies. In fact, $12 million is for pregnant women who are also opiate addicts and will provide treatment specifically for these mothers.

Health Minister Deb Matthews said: “That was an area that the expert working group said we had some very important work to do.”

Unfortunately, Ontario has some of the highest rates of prescription opiate abuse in the country – in fact, the rates are two to four times higher than any other province. Perhaps because of this, the number of babies born addicted to drugs is higher here than anywhere else in the country as well. Matthews calls these “troubling trends.”

Other Methods of Prescription Drug Addiction Abatement

The Canadian government isn’t just throwing money at the problem. A number of other measures have been put into place in order to help stem the tide of addiction. Electronic databases, much like the prescription drug databases instituted in most states in the US, are already in place in Ontario and helping to identify areas of specific need when it comes to prescription drug abuse and dependence. Additionally, Canada has removed OxyContin – one of the most commonly abused prescription drugs and also one of the most addictive – from the Ontario Drug Benefit program and replaced it with OxyNEO, which is a new version of the drug that is resistant to crushing, making it less likely to be abused.

Identifying the Need for Opiate Addiction Treatment in Your Loved One

Are you concerned that someone you care about is struggling with prescription drug addiction? Many family members find it difficult to identify the signs because they are unsure whether or not what they are seeing is just a side effect of the medication or symptoms of addiction. In general, if your loved one is lying about their drug use, getting duplicate prescriptions or committing other fraud in order to get more pills, crushing their medication before ingesting it or combining their pills with other substances, then addiction is a likely issue.

Call now to learn more about how we can help the woman in your life get the help she needs to beat prescription drug dependence.