Sudbury drug strategy to start Fentanyl patch-for-patch program

The statistics behind a new Community Drug Strategy for the city of Sudbury show paramedics responded to 400 drug overdose calls in 2013.

Deputy Police Chief Al Lekun said the idea for a strategy arose a few years ago when a string of pharmacies were robbed by prescription drug addicts.

• Fentanyl abuse an increasing threat for drug addicts

Police worked with community partners to resolve the crimes.

The group approach proved successful and from it a strategy with goals and a vision was formed.

Lekun said the first project will be a patch-for-patch program.

People prescribed the painkiller Fentanyl will have to return their used pain patch to the pharmacy to get a new one.

It's an effort to prevent Fentanyl from being abused on the streets.

And Fentanyl is a very volatile substance and it does cause unfortunate outcomes, one of which is death, he said.

We see and we know that very often, Fentanyl patches that are prescribed can often be easily diverted for illicit purposes out on the streets.

Public health nurse Brenda Stankiewizc says drug abuse is not just a police issue.

She said the Sudbury District Health Unit will play a big part in education and health promotion, particularly considering 87 per cent of youth say they got their medications for the purpose of getting high, their opioids, from home.

In the four years between 2008 and 2012, the coroner reports 87 people in Sudbury died because of drug use.