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Letter: Opioid deaths

This letter is an idea of why there are so many opioid deaths
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Penticton Western News letters to the editor.

Opioid deaths

This letter is an idea of why there are so many opioid deaths.

Myself, being an opioid user since 2005, when I had a workplace accident. I was prescribed oxycontin until I was at a huge dose of 240 mg a day.

I was forced to change doctors, by means of who can prescribe and who can’t, finally ending up with a pediatrician doctor who eventually tapered me off my medication in 12 months. Well, this was too sudden for myself to totally have no pain medication that had the affects of oxycontin and I started heroin use from the streets.

Flooding the street gates were the opioid prescribed users as well as the people who saw the extreme jump for opioids (many alcoholics decided to see what the big deal was). Claiming all those people’s lives who drink and used.

I feel that this is a lot to do with the doctors and surgeons board of directors fault for not having an alternate drug available for oxycontin users. This epidemic has also claimed five of my closest friends and two family members. Deaths I’m surprised at, considering that I’m still alive. I’m not a drinker and never was on my medication. Now for the last year I’ve carried Narcan everywhere I go. I’ve saved 15 people and one person who had a heart failure. I had to try my CPR knowledge. I’ve never had to save so many lives in one year.

I’m disgusted with the way that went down and how there’s no one being held accountable for it. It definitely is not the users’ fault. This depopulation agenda was staged by our government.

Alain Decottignies

Oliver