WATCH ABOVE: Watch Jordan’s story of dependence on pain medication, courtesy of a YouTube series posted by the Canadian government.
CALGARY – Canada’s Health Minister has unveiled a series of new videos aimed at increasing awareness around the effects of prescription drug abuse. Each video profiles the story of a Canadian directly affected by prescription drug abuse, a problem Rona Ambrose says is becoming more and more prevalent across the country.
“In 2012, a national survey showed that approximately 410,000 Canadians reported abusing prescription drugs,” said Ambrose. “In that same survey and in that same year, it indicated that over a million youth were using prescription drugs.”
Ambrose rolled out the campaign following a meeting with members of the Calgary Police Service where she discussed opportunities for intervention, prevention and education relating to prescription drug abuse amongst youth.
“We’re very encouraged the federal government recognizes this isn’t a problem that can be solved by any single discipline,” said deputy chief Trevor Daroux. “We know this is a deep-rooted problem, we can only solve it–we can only have influence–by really working together.”
Watch below: Karlee’s story about prescription drug addiction, its negative effects on her life and how she recovered, courtesy of the Canadian government’s new video series
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