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INSIDE COVER STORY ______________ In August 2012, 17-yearold Tyler Campbell died at home from overdosing on Fentanyl, an extremely powerful drug typically used in medical anesthesia and to control severe pain. Campbell’s death garnered a lot of media attention; in part because it was a tragic situation from a relatively unknown drug, but also because the teen lived in Manotick, an upscale, Ottawa suburb where some residents had been reluctant to admit that Fentanyl abuse and its drug related crime had become a problem in their community.
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When Drug Dealers Move In
Vulnerable home owners targeted by drug gang ‘cuckoos’
39 The Door Youth Centre
Crucial to our community
13 The Very Dangerous Trend...
40 Enhancing Crime Prevention Program Delivery
16 Fingerprints Becoming Mainstream
46 The Choking Game...
Of railway wedding photography In the digital era
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design A deadly game
21 Idle No More
A Balancing Act For Anishinabek Police Service
PG. 39
27 Signature Driving School
Helping you stay a confident and safe driver
35 C.I.S.O.C.
Celbrating 20 years of partnership with the Ottawa community
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FROM THE EDITOR EDITOR & PUBLISHER Jacques Beauchamp Former Regional Police Office
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EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Christine Panasuk CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jonathan Beauchamp PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jonathan Beauchamp GRAPHICS & ART www.DESIGNit.CA PRINTED IN ONTARIO, CANADA Dollco, a division of The Lowe-Martin Group CONTRIBUTORS Nicole d’Entremont
to the cask e t r te n ou c e th om fr
f you haven’t heard of it before, you’re not alone. It is a potent narcotic that was designed as a medication for people experiencing severe pain and usually comes in skin patch or pill form. I call for a health advisory regarding the safe use of Fentanyl, as it has become much more than just a medication; It has hit the streets and become a problem in Ontario and throughout Canada amongst teenagers. Due to an increase in accessibility, and having a more powerful effect than Heroin, Fentanyl has become more popular than ever. There’s also been an increase in Fentanyl related deaths throughout Canada.
Barb Avon Tony Palermo ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Don Holt
Ryan Berube
Thomas Easton
Daniel Cole
Crimesense is published by Vantage Publishing Group Corp. and distributed free, all rights reserved. Contents and photographs may not be reprinted without written permission. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors and publication shall not be deemed to mean they are necessarily those of Vantage Publishing Group Corp. or other affiliated organizations. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials. Publications Mail Agreement No. 41927547 ISSN 1927-3142 Crimesense Magazine (Print) ISSN 1927-3150 Crimesense Magazine (Online) Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 40 Colonnade Road Nor th Ottawa, Ontario K2E 7J6 Telephone: 1-888-724-9907 info@vantagepublishing.ca www.vantagepublishing.ca
However, little to no thought is being given to the effects of fentanyl abuse (until it’s too late). Some of the harmful effects can include, but are not limited to: - trouble breathing - extreme sleepiness - inability to think, talk or walk normally - dizzy spells
Fentanyl powder to their drugs to increase the potency. I don’t wish to scare people with this information, but rather to inform on the dangers of this drug and provide awareness to parents who may not know about it and teenagers who have either tried it or struggle with the idea of trying it. Fentanyl is a highly addictive drug that can have fatal results when abused; it’s quite serious. With that, how it is dealt with should be taken seriously as well. An expert on the national drug panel believes the Ontario government may reduce access to Fentanyl through dosing limits and by removing the drug from the list of those available under the provincial plan. Whether this happens or not, being educated about the drug and making the choice not to use it is what’s important. The ‘high’ of Fentanyl lasts only a short time, but the knowledge about the harmful effects of it can last much longer than that once we spread the word.
Another reason for the increase in popularity of Fentanyl is that fact that it’s cheaper than many other narcotics that are out there. In 2006, those who were illegally manufacturing non-pharmaceutical Fentanyl often mixed it with cocaine and heroin which caused a spike in overdoses and death. Conversely, drug dealers of heroin and other less powerful drugs were adding
- est 1990 -
Jacques Beauchamp Editor-in-Chief
SAY HELLO Share your comments or suggestions with Jacques by sending him an email at: jacques@vantagepublishing.ca
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t may seem like a scene from a Hollywood movie, but for some, it’s all too real: drug dealers taking over homes to conduct
illegal drug activity. The practice, known as a home takeover, happens when a drug dealer befriends a vulnerable person. The drug dealer rarely takes possession of a home by force. Instead, he feeds on the victim’s vulnerabilities by offering free drugs in exchange for using the home or apartment as an operations base.
Home
takeovers
are
also
termed
©copyright iStockphoto.com | DSNR
“cuckooing”—a nod to the cuckoo bird’s habit of invading other birds’ nests. Once in the home, the drug dealer brings in other gang members to help with the drug business. They take over the telephone line. 9
Once they’ve established residency, the drug dealers then have a discreet location from which to conduct their business out of sight of the police. At first, they exert and maintain control over the victim through quiet tactics such as pacifying victims using drugs. Once the high wears off, the victim often wants the gang members to leave, craving sleep or privacy. At this point, intimidation levels often escalate. Threats and violence become the norm. Some incidents can take place over long periods of time and the intimidation can intensify to forcible confinement and forced sexual acts. Not in Canada, you say? According to research recently published by Crime Prevention Ottawa, it does indeed happen here. The report, Cuckooing: Home Takeovers of Vulnerable Tenants, notes, “In Ottawa, it is the experience of the police that drug gangs usually target crack cocaine addicts or recovering addicts (usually their own clients). Other groups that are vulnerable to cuckooing include those with mental health problems, the developmentally disabled, isolated elderly people, young people, and ex-homeless individuals.” Author Johny Angel-Butera goes on to explain that these particular groups are especially vulnerable because they lack support systems and tend to feel of lonely and isolated.
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What’s worse, the victims of cuckooing are reluctant to talk to others about their situation. They often fear that police involvement will end the supply of drugs feeding their addiction, leading to withdrawal. Sometimes, the victims fear being evicted from their homes. There is also the violence. With gang members in the home, the victim is usually prevented from going to the police or testifying against them.
In Ottawa, cuckooing tends to occur most often in high-rise buildings, both public and private housing complexes. For residents and neighbours, this means dealing with a general sense of insecurity and intimidation. The effects are magnified in close settings such as these. There’s frequently an increase in property crime, such as break and enters. Noise nuisances such as loud partying are often accompanied by large numbers of people coming and going at all hours, and drug paraphernalia littering hallways. The Ottawa Police Service’s Direct Action Response Team (DART) works with the Guns and Gangs Unit to use community-based policing methods to deter and prevent cuckooing. However, it’s not easy and it requires collaboration between different groups and partners in order to identify victims and get them the help they need quickly. Often, landlords or superintendents help to notify police early.
addictions or other issues that can benefit from support services offered by community groups or agencies. Without support, these tenants are easily targeted by dealers and often end up on the street again. Cuckooing is a complex problem, which extends beyond drug dealing to other scenarios. In Ottawa, this includes situations where a family member takes over the home of a senior or a person with a developmental disability—often threatening the vulnerable person and taking control of finances. Crime Prevention Ottawa is continuing to explore the issue and to work with community partners to identify local solutions. CS To
l e a r n m o r e a b o u t c u c ko o i n g ,
h o w i t ta k e s p l ac e a n d h o w to p r e v e n t i t , v i s i t w w w . c r i m e p r e v e n t i o n ot tawa . c a .
T h e f u l l C u c ko o i n g : H o m e T a k e ov e r s o f V u l n e r a b l e T e n a n t s r e p o rt i s ava i l a b l e u n d e r “ p u b l i c at i o n s ” o n t h e w e b s i t e .
DART’s proactive policing approach to the problem of cuckooing includes: conducting foot patrols by walking stairwells and halls, monitoring people with judicial release conditions, checking up on vulnerable tenants such as the elderly and recovering addicts, and encouraging law-abiding tenants to help identify problem areas and suspicious activity. Clearly, prevention is crucial. Another approach involves conducting in-depth interviews at the time that vulnerable tenants, such as those with mental health issues or the ex-homeless, are placed in housing. This can help identify their needs, particularly if they have drug
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K
athy and Bill met in the 9th grade. Like most fledgling romances at that age, the relationship ended and they went their separate ways throughout their college years. By the time each of them had obtained their degree, they had met again through social media, started dating, fell in love and gotten engaged in the course of a year. Kathy was over the moon and started planning her wedding right away. June was the perfect month to set the date. It was warm but not stifling and it also happened to be the month that she and Bill found each other again. When they met with their wedding photographer, they were quite pleased with her portfolio. Everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly. Kathy always knew that the most important aspect of her wedding day would be the photography. After the planning, the party and the honeymoon, the pictures would remain forever. Kathy and Bill decided they also wanted something different and not stay within the norm when it came to the types of pictures they captured. Their photographer suggested that they might be interested in a new trend in wedding photography: railway wedding photography. 13
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Kathy was beyond excited and when the big day finally arrived, she and her new husband, along with their wedding party made their way to the local railway at sunset. The pictures, her photographer promised, would be breathtaking. Indeed they were because just as the camera lens focused for the last of the shots, a speeding train approached, unable to stop in time. Kathy’s wedding dress was too long and heavy and she could not move out of the way. Her last breath would be taken on the day that was supposed to be the start of her new life. She could not even see the look of terror in the locomotive engineer’s eyes. Nothing he could do could stop his train in time; not even the harrowing look on Kathy’s husband’s face. In many photographers’ portfolios, there are images shot with the models posing on railway tracks or on or beside trains. To a new bride and her groom, there is an allure to shooting on the tracks. The symmetry of the lines of the tracks provides a metaphor on life for a newly married couple about the journey they are about to embark on together. The reality is that shooting along railway tracks is a danger that you don’t always hear or feel coming. Even in an emergency, a freight train travelling at 100 km/h could take up to 2 km to come to a stop. That’s the length of 18 football fields. The facts are, railway property is private property and trespassing is not only dangerous, it’s illegal. At any time, images captured in railway wedding photography can be used as evidence by law enforcement agencies allowing them to charge everyone involved, at any time. Many people mistakenly believe that railway property is public property. It is important to note that railway tracks, trestles, yards and equipment are private property. Walking, playing or taking photos on them is illegal. Trespassers are subject to arrest and fines. Consider also, that anyone who sees your photos may consider the idea themselves. People, young and old, will associate a beautiful event, a wedding, with a dangerous backdrop: train tracks. Mimicry in this case, can turn fatal. Remember that children or younger adults are especially susceptible to the dangers associated with trespassing on railway property. Often, this is because of peer pressure,
because they are acting on a dare or even because they have a feeling of “invincibility”. The impact on the survivors of someone killed in an incident stays with them for the rest of their lives. Train Engineers will often go through long term counseling to be able to deal with the after effects of the trauma. Once they are able to see someone on their tracks, they have no control over the inevitable impact and this, sadly, most people fail to remember. By requesting rail related wedding photos from your photographer, you are condoning something that is virtually life threatening. This “wedding trend” is deadly and disturbing. Every year in Canada alone, there are 337 collisions involving trespassers and trains. Annually, there are close to 89 fatalities and 69 serious injuries. Every one of those deaths are preventable with proper awareness and education. The tragedy lies in that Railway incidents are totally avoidable. Pictures on railway tracks are romanticized in error. Please do your part and refuse to take part in wedding railway photography. The images are potentially harmful in the message they portray. A bride and groom’s new life together shouldn’t stop before it even begins. CS For
m o r e i n f o r m at i o n o n r a i l s a f e t y a n d
to l e a r n h o w yo u c a n b e c o m e a vo l u n t e e r , p l e a s e v i s i t w w w . o p e r at i o n l i f e s av e r . c a
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f at one time there was a stigma attached to getting fingerprints taken, attitudes are more likely to shift when we begin to ask: Who am I hiring? Who has access to my confidential information? Who can I trust to enter my home? Who is looking after my children?
Fingerprinting offers protection In recent years, fingerprinting for noncriminal purposes has been on the rise, with many fingerprints now captured electronically by accredited agencies. Demand has grown so much that last year alone, Commissionaires Ottawa processed over 38,000 civil fingerprint submissions. Paul Guindon, CEO of Commissionaires Ottawa, explains: “One of the reasons for this surge in demand is that fingerprints don’t lie. They are powerful allies in crime prevention because they alert us about individuals who might pose a threat to us personally or professionally. Just as importantly, fingerprints protect us by securing our personal identity and confirming our law-abiding integrity.”
Digital fingerprints are faster Since 2006, Commissionaires Ottawa has been offering digital fingerprinting services using state-of-the-art scanning technology, submitting fingerprints and application details through a secure and direct link to the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real Time Information System. If no criminal record is present, the RCMP will issue a certificate indicating a clear record within 72 hours. Compare this turnaround time to traditional ink-and-roll fingerprints, which can take several weeks or even months to obtain results.
Fingerprinting, as well as background screening services which are also offered by Commissionaires Ottawa, appeal most to businesses with special personnel needs and organizations wanting security checks. The current standard, CPIC (police clearance certificate, also known as criminal record check), verifies whether the name and date of birth provided is associated with a criminal record. For greater assurance that job applicants are exactly who they say they are and do not have a criminal record, the public and private sectors are already moving towards adopting fingerprints as the new standard for pre-employment screening.
Reasons you might need fingerprinting Mr. Guindon says, “Fingerprints aren’t only for career professionals; they are also requirements for certain kinds of volunteer, part-time and co-op jobs. For example, more and more students at colleges and universities are requiring criminal background checks to meet the pre-employment screening requirements of employers and field placement agents.” Fingerprinting and background screening services also appeal to everyday citizens who need to obtain identification documents for personal reasons, including: • Foreign Travel, Passports, Work Permits, Visas and US Waivers—If you want to visit or work in other countries, you may be required to provide a police clearance. While some countries accept police clearances done with only your name and date of birth, others require that the process be done through fingerprinting. N.B. Obtaining an I-192 waiver to travel to the United States does require fingerprints.
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Fingerprinting is easily accessible and affordable Commissionaires Ottawa has three offices that offer fingerprinting and identification services in the National Capital Region—one in the heart of downtown Ottawa, one in Nepean near Colonnade and Merivale, and one in Gatineau on St-Joseph Boulevard. The service is conducted in a confidential setting where individual rights and privacy are assured. Knowledgeable security professionals are on hand who will help guide the process, answer questions, and assist you with completing or double-checking the application.
• International Adoptions—If you wish to adopt a child from a foreign country, you will be required to provide a police clearance certificate with fingerprints prior to completing the adoption proceedings. • Immigration, Citizenship or Permanent Residence—If you wish to immigrate to Canada or apply for Canadian citizenship, you may be required to provide a police clearance certificate with fingerprints. The same applies if you are requesting permanent residence in Canada, although you may also be required to provide police clearance certificates from every country you have lived in for six months or longer.
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For group or VIP processing, the private security company has mobile units that can come to YOUR location. Commissionaires Ottawa is even authorized to scan ink and roll fingerprints and submit them to the RCMP as an electronic package—a service that is ideal for outof-town requests in regions where digital fingerprinting is not available.
All-in-one convenience-and more In addition to digital, mobile and electronic conversion fingerprinting services, Commissionaires Ottawa provides the all-in-one convenience of related services such as criminal record check (CPIC), record suspension (pardon) applications,
and pre-employment screening which includes employment, education, credit and reference checks. “What sets us apart is that we offer a one-stop-shop for related services, which saves our customers time and money,” says Mr. Guindon. “Another convenience that’s great news for schools and businesses is our mobile solutions for group processing. Here in Ottawa, we have processed as many as 80 students in one day by setting up a mobile unit at a central location on their campus. That makes a lot more sense than asking 80 students to book appointments, arrange for transportation and find their way over to one of our locations.”
employs trusted, security-focused individuals of all ages and all walks of life—including students, people looking for parttime work and individuals wanting to broaden their skills or gain more experience in a security-related profession. “Commissionaires Ottawa is an every-generation company that invests in its people with industry-leading training, wages and benefits. Our services are trusted because our people are trusted. We look forward to doing our part to evolve and expand our services in order to meet demand and help keep our communities safe.” CS c o m m i s s i o n a i r e s - o t tawa . o n . c a
Modern-day commissionaires: Did you know? Commissionaires Ottawa is among the largest private sector employers in the National Capital Region—with nearly 4,000 commissionaires reporting to about 500 client sites in Ottawa, Gatineau, the Ottawa Valley, throughout Northern Ontario and also in parts of Southwestern Ontario and Northwestern Quebec. The private security company offers a comprehensive range of digital fingerprinting and background screening services, enforcement and non-core police services, security and security-related training, and a full suite of security solutions. Although Commissionaires Ottawa is best known for hiring veterans of the Canadian Forces and RCMP, the company
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he relationship between First Nation peoples’ and the federal government has been described by former Canadian Prime
Minister Paul Martin as colonial, “fixated on assimilation of Aboriginal peoples’ into a culture that is not theirs” (Postmedia News, Past PM Interviews on Current Affairs). The decrepit living conditions and standard of treatment of many Anishinabek people by the federal government has produced negative attention from the outside community; albeit a treaty was negotiated and signed to co-exist and share lands and resources. In addition, inaction with regard to the recommendations from the 1996 RCAP, Ipperwash Inquiry, numerous health, housing, environmental studies and reports; and retired Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci Jury Report findings, clearly indicate and confirm the disconnect between Anishinabek people and the government.
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rail slowdowns occurred, and individual fasts all intended to bring awareness of the struggle of Anishinabek people and the consequences Bill C-45 will have on everyone.
Ottawa Demonstration
A few weeks following Harper’s introduction to parliament of C-45 in October 2012, four Indigenous women from Saskatchewan, coordinated a teach in on the impacts Bill C-45 would have on First Nations. More teach ins followed and in an act of solidarity (using facebook/twitter), interest and lobby groups experiencing similar inequality and treatment from around the globe joined the grassroots movement - gathering in public and waving signs donning the catchphrase: Idle No More. In Ontario, flash mobs and round dances sprung up in shopping malls, Aboriginal peoples’ occupied parliament hill grounds in Ottawa, protests occurred in a number of cities, numerous traffic/
Ottawa Demonstration
The Anishinabek Police Service mandate is to provide for the safety and well-being of First Nation communities, respect our traditional and cultural values, support victims of crime and protect Anishinabek inherent rights and freedoms. “I support any person or group’s right to protest peacefully,” said Anishinabek Police Chief John Syrette, “our officers are members of the communities they police and have an appreciation of the views stated by the protesters.” Other factors impacting APS’s response is the type of activity, the location, if it’s an individual or a number of demonstrators, duration and of course human resource limitations. “Public safety is paramount,” said Chief Syrette. “ The last thing APS wants is anyone hurt.” “It’s a balancing act, APS must balance the Constitutional rights of all people which includes the Anishinabek peoples’ right to peacefully assemble and express themselves with respect to the abrogation of the treaties.” From Anishinabek Police Service’s perspective, the demonstrations in APS territory policed have been relatively peaceful in nature; aside from the characteristic hand gesture, curse and thumbs up illustrating both opposition and support. In preparation of Idle No More, Anishinabek Police Service developed “Operation Safe Idle” which blend the Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations and other pre-existing standard operating procedures. Operation Safe Idle included response strategies that allowed flexibility based on the degree of difficulty or threat. Ever mindful of the principle to use the minimum police intervention required to restore the situation to a peaceful state. Chief Syrette encourages Idle No More, or any group demonstrating, to continue peaceful assembly and protest reduceing the risk of violence and justification of violence. One Garden River First Nation member was not as fortunate. A female member and primary Idle No More organizer received a letter, cut from newspaper lettering that read “Stay away from the Sault. Your a
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dead piece of shi#. A good Indian is a dead Indian.� Threatening correspondence was also sent to other businesses and people in the area. Chief Syrette cautions Idle No More protestors that even though preventative measures are taken (e.g. positive public interaction) bad behaviour can still occur. To some of the public the reasons for protest is clear and for others: murky. Is it to right past wrongs, to have meaningful consultation (and accommodation) with First Nations on issues directly affecting their people and their lands; Treaty rights; to assist in reintroducing and preserving Anishinabek culture & language; or rally against Bill C-45, a Bill that amends 60+ laws, more specifically that remove the structures intended to protect waterways, the environment and opens the door for First Nations to lease land by majority vote of members at meetings (no quorum required). Idle No More emanates from an accumulation of all of these and more. Although Idle No More appears to be less noticeable, Chief Syrette says it is not over; since the 15th century Anishinabek people have resisted everything from European encroachment of Anishinabek land to taking their children to residential
schools. If there is no satisfactory resolution, these issues will re-emerge to haunt everyone. One thing for certain in moving forward, the Anishinabek Police Service will continue to stay on top of the Idle No More movement, paying particular attention to the transitions in dynamics and adjusting when and where necessary. CS w w w. a p s co p s . o rg
Ottawa Demonstration
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Our goal at Signature Driving School is to educate drivers both new and experienced about rules of the road and how to remain a safe driver in different situations. We are determined to update a driver’s knowledge and skills in hopes of reducing traffic violations, collisions and any possible resulting injuries. Signature Driving School is proud to offer 3 different levels of drivers training; Beginner Driver Training- this program is geared towards a new driver with only G1 experience. 55 Alive- a mature in class course to renew your driving skills for today’s traffic. Defensive Driving Course- provides you with a standard of driving excellence you can use to evaluate and improve your own driving skills. Serving Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Counties (and surrounding areas) with our 4 classroom locations. Helping you stay a confident and safe driver. CS
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In August 2012, 17-year-old Tyler Campbell died at home from overdosing on Fentanyl, an extremely powerful drug typically used in medical anesthesia and to control severe pain. Campbell’s death garnered a lot of media attention; in part because it was a tragic situation from a relatively unknown drug, but also because the teen lived in Manotick, an upscale, Ottawa suburb where some residents had been reluctant to admit that Fentanyl abuse and its drug related crime had become a problem in their community.
F
entanyl was relatively unknown to Ottawa police as well and it was only a short time before that the drug had showed up on their radar as a result of a different criminal investigation. That previous fall, police had noticed several similarities between residential break-ins occurring throughout the Manotick area. A few months later in January 2012, police arrested and charged a young offender with 12 of the break-ins. During questioning, the youth revealed that he was hooked on Fentanyl and that his addiction had reached a point where he had to commit these break-ins to feed his habit.
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The youth also revealed that several of his friends were hooked on the drug too. “These were kids who had never been involved with the police before,” says Staff Sgt. Kal Ghadban with the Ottawa Police Service’s Street Crime Unit and Break and Enter Team. “They came from middle-to-upperclass families. Unfortunately, this particular kid was breaking into places where he knew the occupants because he also knew what property the occupants had inside.”
NOT MY KID
Around the same time, School Resource Officer Const. Monique Paquette was approached by someone at the Manotick high school she was assigned to. The person told Paquette they were concerned about how much Fentanyl a few of the students were using and feared these students would overdose. Paquette was noticing odd behaviour in a few of these students too, and as she says, in some cases she felt as though she was watching little zombies roam the halls. After meeting with school officials and other stakeholders, she began her own investigation and identified approximately 12 students who she believed were addicted to Fentanyl, though her information also revealed many more had sampled the powerful drug. Paquette began contacting the families of the students she suspected of being addicted to Fentanyl or who she knew were frequently sampling the drug. Together with the school, she had put together an education plan and some information to help support the families and their addicted child. As Paquette tells it, hearing their child may have a drug problem is difficult for any family to hear but, in general, most of the families were cooperative.
Staff Sgt. Ghadban is more direct in his assessment of their initial contact with the families, noting that there was a lot of denial in the beginning from the parents who didn’t want to believe their child had a drug problem. “Const. Paquette faced a real uphill battle with some of these parents,” says Ghadban. “A lot of parents downplayed it because it was a prescription drug saying things like ‘well, it’s not like my kid is doing cocaine’ or ‘at least my kid isn’t buying crack off the streets of downtown Ottawa.’ Some of these parents really didn’t want to admit there was a problem.” But as Ghadban explains, the Fentanyl abuse occurring in Manotick was potentially worse than any of the other street drugs typically associated with teenage experimenting. “These parents really needed to understand that abusing a prescription drug like Fentanyl was bad: it was extremely dangerous, was still illegal, and that yes, it was happening with their kid right here in rural Manotick.”
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dangerous practice because when the Fentanyl is diverted this way, there’s no telling how much Fentanyl each piece contains. And with a powerful narcotic like Fentanyl that comes in various strengths, this can, and has, proved deadly.
New service to combat rise in opioid addiction
Chasing a deadly high
In response to a growing opioid addiction problem and requests for medical detox services, The Royal Hospital launched the Regional Opioid Intervention Service in January 2013. A first of its kind in Ontario, the unique service combines a new outpatient opioid intervention clinic at The Royal with a network of community and other hospital service providers to offer patients a full spectrum of care. Specifically, the new program provides early intervention for opioid addiction while also treating the patient’s mental health disorders.
Fentanyl is an extremely addictive prescription narcotic that is approximately 100 times more powerful than morphine and produces biological effects similar to heroin. It is marketed under several brand names including Sublimaze, Actiq and Duragesic, and is often prescribed as a time-released patch which is worn on the skin. When taken illegally, the Fentanyl is diverted from the patch where it can then be injected, smoked or taken orally.
“Most patients have mental health disorders, especially anxiety related disorders, that also need to be treated, say Dr. Melanie Willows, Clinical Director of the Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders Program at The Royal. “By identifying and treating the underlying mental health problems along with problematic drug use, we can help to prevent the likelihood of relapse.”
With illegal patches on the street going for $150 - $300 each, this isn’t a cheap drug. To afford it, police discovered that several of the Manotick teens were pooling their money together, buying a patch, and then cutting the patch up into little pieces. The pieces of the Fentanyl patch would then be shared amongst the group and taken orally – an extremely
The new program is meant for individuals who are under 30 years of age, or for those who have been using opioids for less than five years. Willows estimates that of the patients they’ve provided services to so far, at least half of them are much younger than 30 years of age, with a good part being between 17-to-22-years-old. “Many of the people we see go to work or school,” says Willows. “They have an addiction problem but their life hasn’t completely fallen apart. Each person is an individual so their treatment program is designed for them. We want to make sure people get the help they need.”
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Youth and parental involvement key to effective treatment
Another centre providing addiction and mental health treatment services is the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre (DSYTC). The DSYTC helps young people between the ages of 13 and 21 overcome substance abuse by providing a six month program combination of in-house residential treatment with an intensive aftercare program. Glenn Barnes is president and CEO of the DSYTC. Barnes says he distinctly remembers one patient who told him that after trying several opiates, Fentanyl was definitely his preferred drug. “He said that when he found Fentanyl, it was the best high he had ever had,” says Barnes. Barnes says that one of the things he is opposed to is the old adage that someone has to hit rock bottom before seeking treatment. But if someone hasn’t hit rock bottom, how motivated can they possibly be to change their behaviour? “Let’s not kid ourselves,” says Barnes. “These kids aren’t always motivated to get help. In fact, coercion exists in some degree in almost all of the cases and in different ways.”
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FENTANYL ABUSE The main symptoms of Fentanyl abuse will be euphoria, drowsiness, lethargy and mellowness. Others include: Dizziness and lightheadedness Dry mouth • Retention of urine Suppression of breathing Severe constipation • Itching or hives Nausea and vomiting Loss of appetite • Weight loss Headache • Difficulty seeing Depression • Hallucinations Bad dreams • Difficulty sleeping Sweating • Shaking Swollen extremities
Parental involvement is extremely important, and the DSYTC actively engages parents in the treatment of their children. Barnes says that in many of the cases, parents and their children need to relearn how to discuss things and get the communication flowing again. As he explains, parents and their children might not always agree, but that’s OK. The first step is to be able to communicate and get out of the whole ‘I’ll push your buttons and you’ll push mine’ type of communication. Barnes says all of their programs have been demonstrated in clinical trials to be extremely effective. And, with the exception of a little spending money for weekend outings, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) covers all of the costs for treatment.
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“It was like the elephant in the room,” says Paquette. “Most of the kids had heard about Fentanyl and what was going on, but they didn’t think they could talk about it. After the presentation, it was like a huge weight was lifted off of their shoulders. It was huge.” As Ghadban says, it’s important to remember Manotick’s Fentanyl problem all started with a few kids experimenting. “We all know youth will experiment,” explains Ghadban. “But everyone, parents included, needs to understand that experimenting with Fentanyl is a dangerous and deadly experiment to do.”
Small steps making a difference
Education is key to preventing Fentanyl abuse
When the Fentanyl problem first become known to Ottawa Police, they realized that there was a huge education component that needed to take place. A town hall session was held where Manotick residents heard from several organizations and community partners about the dangers of Fentanyl and how to recognize the signs of abuse. Const. Paquette created a presentation for all of the students through Grades 7 to 12 which she says was specifically designed to not be preachy, but to simply present the information and educate the students so they could feel empowered to make their own decisions. The presentation was extremely well received.
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Prescription drug abuse, including Fentanyl abuse, is still a significant problem affecting communities across Canada. Less than a month ago in May 2013, British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall issued a warning about a sudden spike in fatal fentanyl overdoses. According to Kendall, the B.C. Coroners Service had recorded 23 deaths associated with Fentanyl in the first four months of 2013. By comparison, in 2012 there were 20 deaths for the entire year, and in 2011 only eight. According to a recent Ottawa Police news release, recent studies indicate 24 per cent of teens reported misusing prescription medications at least once within the previous year. Most of the teens took the medication from their family home. Common prescription drugs being misused are opioid pain relievers (such as oxycodone and Fentanyl), antidepressants, and stimulants. As part of a province-wide public safety initiative, Ottawa Police recently hosted a free, anonymous Prescription Drug Drop Off Day for citizens wishing to dispose of outdated, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Disposing of prescription drugs safely is extremely important, especially in the case of Fentanyl. Fentanyl patches are typically worn on the skin for two-to-three days, but actually contain about five days worth of medication. This has led to used Fentanyl patches having been cut up or sold, either knowingly or not by the person who was prescribed the patch. WHERE Westboro Pharmasave is an independent, community-focussed pharmacy located in Ottawa’s Westboro district. Pharmacist Don Johnstone says that Westboro Pharmasave actively participates to treat addiction and has leading-edge policies in place to help prevent prescription drug abuse. “We (Westboro Pharmasave) require that patients who are prescribed Fentanyl bring back their used patches before we reissue new ones,” says Johnstone. “This helps prevent the used patches from being sold or diverted.”
TO GET HELP
THE ROYAL HOSPITAL LAUNCHED THE REGIONAL OPIOID INTERVENTION SERVICE
One of the goals of The Royal’s new program is to make it as accessible as possible. Orientation sessions are held monthly at The Royal and people can register to attend a session by calling 613-722-6521 ext: 6105. People can also access the program by a referral from one of their partner agencies, or by attending The Royal in person at 1145 Carling Avenue in Ottawa.
DAVE SMITH YOUTH TREATMENT CENTRE
The Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre (DSYTC) is a non-profit, residential, and community-based agency that is dedicated to helping youth between the ages of 13 and 21 overcome substance abuse and related issues. Admission related questions can be answered by calling 613-594-8333 ext: 2206 or by emailing admissions@davesmithcentre.org.
Johnstone reports that out of those his pharmacy has prescribed Fentanyl to, only one person has made an issue of this policy. With very few effective government regulations in place, leading-edge pharmacies like the Westboro Pharmasave are taking important steps to help protect their community. Johnstone reports that several doctors are now issuing their own directives on prescriptions ordering that the old patches be returned before new ones are issued. Help keep everyone safe by returning your unused prescription medication. It’s often as simple as returning the unused medication to your local pharmacy. CS
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ultural Interpretation Services for Our Communities (CISOC) is thrilled to announce 20 successful years working with the members of our community. Established in July 1993, CISOC is a nonprofit, charitable organization that strives to provide the highest quality interpretation and translation services in order to facilitate equitable access to health, legal, social, educational, community and other services to non-English and non-French speaking clients. CISOC offers services in over 60 languages, 24 hours per day, seven days a week (including holidays). On any given day or night, CISOC interpreters can be found in hospital emergency rooms in the region helping patients and their families overcome language and cultural barriers, working with the Ottawa Police Service, or assisting the Children’s Aid Society and a variety of other community organizations. As a social enterprise, CISOC is dedicated to using its surplus revenue to help organizations and individuals in the community with their interpretation and translation needs at a subsidized or probono rate. CISOC currently responds to approximately 1,100 calls for interpretation and translation each month. Our loyal and varied clientele are largely within the public services realm, and need the help of an interpreter or translator when working with an individual who does not speak English or French. These service providers
range from hospitals and community health centres to government institutions, legal aid, employment programs, and schools. Service providers understand, the importance of having their patient or client be able to communicate in their own language and comprehend the full circumstance of their situation. The role of an interpreter is extremely important as they are facilitating communication between two parties who speak different languages - they are a conduit for communication. An interpreter abides by a code of professional ethics and is committed to certain standards of practice. They will remain professional, courteous, and accurate at all times and everything that is said in an interpreted session remains confidential. An interpreter should also be seen as an impartial and objective individual who is there to communicate the exact meaning of what is being said without addition, omission, or deletion. The concern with using staff members on an ad-hoc basis to help with interpretation is that although they may be able to speak the language, they are 1) being taken away from their regular duties to help interpret which can be disruptive and 2) not trained in interpretation. The concern with using family members to help interpret, in a medical scenario for example, is that they may not have the knowledge or capabilities of interpreting accurately and are emotionally involved with the patient. In addition, family members are not always objective, especially if bad news is being conveyed. 35 s u p p o rt i n g o u r a dv e rt i s e r s s u p p o rt s c r i m e s e n s e
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OUR DEVELOPMENT
OUR SERVICES
Throughout the past 20 years, CISOC has recognized the need for testing and training services in the community. In 1994, at the request of Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation, CISOC developed the Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tool (CILISAT). The tool evaluates the language and interpretation proficiencies of people applying for certification as community interpreters in any of 44 high-demand languages. CISOC manages and administers CILISAT certification in these 44 languages throughout Ontario, as well as in two centres in Alberta, two in British Colombia, and one centre each in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.
At CISOC we provide a wide range of services for a diverse set of clientele, including: • Interpretation into-and-from 60+ world languages and dialects (In person, by phone, and over the internet) • Translation into-and-from 30+ world languages and dialects • Conference interpretation • Training • Online Community Interpreter Training • Online Medical Knowledge and Terminology Training • Testing • Language proficiency testing (CILISAT)
In 2010, CISOC developed the Online Community Interpreter Certification Program. This program responds to the need for flexibility and accessibility for bilingual and multilingual newcomers and Canadians who wish to pursue careers as community interpreters but who cannot certify through regular in-house training programs. Community interpretation is a complex and demanding profession. Interpreters act as a bridge between peoples and cultures, and, like a bridge, they require a solid foundation. For the Community Interpreter, that foundation is a thorough understanding of the theory and practice of interpretation. The Community Interpreter Certification Program offers a complete course of study designed to provide this foundation. Through a mix of academic content, audio recordings and exercises, students will learn the skills necessary to become successful Community Interpreters.
OUR COMMITMENT Since 1993, CISOC has been committed to building strength and unity in the community through the provision of language services. Our aim is to work with the members of our community to provide equitable access to all services, and to promote and celebrate inclusion and cultural diversity. We have dedicated the past 20 years to perfecting our interpretation and translation services and to continue to diversify our service offerings to meet the needs of our community members. CS F o r m o r e i n f o r m at i o n : C u lt u r a l I n t e r p r e tat i o n S e r v i c e s f o r O u r C o m m u n i t i e s www.cisoc.net
Responding to demand, CISOC launched its Online Medical Knowledge and Terminology Certification Training in 2013 for those wishing to improve their interpretation skills in the medical field. It provides learners with extensive training in both the theoretical knowledge applied in medical settings, as well as the key terms used during medical interpretations. The training has since been made available to a wide variety of industries, including (but not limited to): interpreters; translators; non-medical hospital and community health centre staff; medical insurance providers; and individuals who work as a liaison between medical professionals and the general public.
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outh have diverse skills and attributes that enrich the fabric of our communities. Yet all youth are potentially at risk of engaging in harmful behaviours, regardless of family structure or socioeconomic status. An effective way to contribute to the healthy development of young people and to ensure that they choose appropriate pathways is to keep them active and challenged, focusing their attention and energies on positive activities and away from negative ones. As many teens are strongly influenced by peer pressure, it is also critical that youth live, learn and interact within positive and safe environments. Many parents and families are able to provide these critical supports by enrolling their youth in sports activities, art, dance and music lessons, and/or recreational endeavours. As well, they provide them with a caring and nurturing home environment.Â
But many households within our community, and especially single parent and lower income families, are often unable to provide important supports for their children: this is what The Door Youth Centre is all about. At The Door we provide youth and their families with opportunities to engage in positive, healthy activities in a respectful, safe environment. Our services are open to all and are provided at no cost. This levels the playing field and allows everyone, regardless of their background and socio-economic status, to access critical programs and resources. Further, being accessible to all youth, The Door promotes understanding, tolerance and inclusion among diverse ethnic, social and cultural groups of young people across the city. CS
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Šcopyright iStockphoto.com | AndrewJohnson
C.P.T.E.D.
(crime prevention through environmental design) is a proactive crime prevention strategy which may be defined as “the proper design and effective use of the built environment which can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime and an improvement of the quality of life1”- National Crime Prevention Institute. C.P.T.E.D. principles aim to reduce opportunities, increase the likelihood of criminals being apprehended and minimize the benefits of crime. Using these principles, recommendations can be made to alter the built environment. Sharing recommendations with residents can empower them to implement changes to their homes and community in the effort to reduce crime and proactively mitigate future opportunities. Safe City Mississauga began incorporating C.PT.E.D audits within the Neighbourhood Watch Program in 2012 and as a result the number of Active Watches increased by 63%. C.P.T.E.D. is an attractive crime prevention method as it can be related and shared with the community in practical and easily implementable ways to encourage pro-social behaviour.2 Offering the audit as a key component of the Program enabled enhanced community mobilization by increased participation rates. Over a twelve month period, 25 neighbourhood C.P.T.E.D. audits were conducted. Common recommendations which anyone can easily implement include but are not limited to:
LIMITING OPPORTUNITIES / ACCESS CONTROL • Remove large decorative rocks from garden beds & bricks that can be picked up and thrown. In the crime prevention world they are known as “keys” for gaining access into homes.
1. Injury Centre: Violence Prevention. 2009. Youth Violence: Using Envioronmental Design to Prevent School Violence. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. 25 March 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/youthviolence/cpted.html 2. Criminal Justice Reform: Community Crime Prevention Guide. Promising and Effective Practices. 22 March 2013. http://www.criminaljusticereform.gov.bc.ca/en/what_you_can_do/effective_practices/index.html
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• Remove objects beside the house that can be used as a climbing device for easy access to window and door entries (ex. Ladders, stacked items) • Close garage doors even when working in the house or back yard; potential offenders can gain access to the home or valuables found in the garage
ESTABLISHING OWNERSHIP/ TERRITORIAL REINFORCEMENT
• Evidence of loitering is often found on pathways behind or leading to a street (glass, alcoholic bottles or cans, litter). Attention should be paid if you live close enough to witness behaviours which may be conducive to criminal behaviour
• Graffiti found within the community should be removed immediately (within 24-48 hours of tagging) to ensure that it doesn’t attract further vandalism or illegal activities.3 Removing it within this timeframe results in a limited occurrence rate and residents should be made aware of the various reporting methods
NATURAL SURVEILLANCE
Landscaping maintenance is a significant element of controlling crime. Thick shrubbery and trees placed in front of doors and windows creates areas of concealment and prevents natural surveillance from within the home. It can create an illusion that an offender cannot be seen and therefore their level of comfort for finding entry to the home is increased. Limb up shrubbery so that windows and doors are visible to and from the home. An example from the Peel Regional Police’s audit before and after recommendations which would exemplify similar results of NW recommendations if properly implemented can be seen in the following two photographs.4 3. Graffiti Hurts. 2013. What is the best way to prevent graffiti? 25 March 2013. http://www.graffitihurts.org/getfacts/faq.jsp 4.
Source: Graffiti Free City Calgary. 2013. Graffiti Removal. 22 March 2013. http://www.graffitifreecalgary.ca/graffiti-removal.php
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Peel Regional Police. 2012. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. 26 March2013. http://www.peelpolice.on.ca/en/ crimepreventcrimepreventionthroughenvironmentaldesign.asp
Source: Peel Regional Police. 2012. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. 26 March2013. http://www.peelpolice.on.ca/en/ • crimepreventcrimepreventionthroughenvironmentaldesign.asp
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING
Strategically Placed Crime Prevention Safe City Mississauga strives to accomplish innovative methods of delivering service to priority areas. Communities, which lack programming and have statistically higher crime rates are identified as priority and could particularly benefit from strategically placed crime prevention programming. To accomplish this, inter-agency evidence based work is an effective holistic approach to action planning. The approach must be sustainable and provide support for the community. NW offers inter-agency partnership between residents of Mississauga, Safe City Mississauga and Peel Regional Police.
EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Nearby commercial space displayed factors, which may have been contributing to delinquent behaviours that were being displaced to a nearby complex.
Neighbourhood Improvement Initiatives Neighbourhood improvement initiatives often requires collaboration among various agencies such as City forestry, city planning, Councillors, bylaw, Corporate Security, Police agencies, community groups and not-for-profit organizations offering support services to fill gaps in service delivery. For one agency to attempt to provide every support service would be imprudent—agencies must work collaboratively to lend support based on their strengths.
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Safe City Mississauga worked with the mall manager to provide recommendations and a list of responsibilities to enhance safety and security on their property, following up to ensure they had been completed. Reporting increased as a result of awareness of various reporting avenues delivered at the NW setup meeting. The result was an 8.3% decrease in reported crime for that area in the first year of NW program inception.
Reporting Crime
According to the 2009 GSS Victimization Survey, only 31% of all incidents were reported to police in 2009. This number has dropped since 2004, where the proportion of all incidents
reported to the police was 34%.5 Frequently, residents simply do not know when it is appropriate to report, which may be a contributing factor to high under reporting rates. Reporting crime is an integral component to ensure C.P.T.E.D. principles are implemented in susceptible areas and residents should be aware of various agencies (online graffiti reporting forms, police lines (emergency & non emergency), parks watch, corporate security, and crime stoppers) to name a few. Knowing when and what to report in conjunction with implementing C.P.T.E.D. principles is proving to be a successful method of program effectiveness. CS C o n tac t S a f e C i t y M i s s i s s au g a
to r e c e i v e yo u r i n c i d e n t r e p o rt m ag n e t to h e l p yo u r e m e m b e r w h at to r e p o rt to P o l i c e .
INCIDENT REPORT
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Report crime online at www.peelpolice.ca Police Non-emergency:905-453-3311 Emergency:9-1-1
T e l : 905-615-4155 5. GSS Victimization Survey. 2009. Criminal Victimization in Canada, 2009. Statistics Canada. 26 March 2013. http://www. statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010002/article/11340-eng.htm
Date: Incident Time: Information Location Of Incident: Type Of Crime
£ Theft from Vehicle £ Auto Theft £ Mischief £ Robbery
License Plate Number: Vehicle Model: Vehicle Colour: Vehicle Type:
Vehicle Information Suspect Information
£ Suspicious Activity £ Other £ Loitering £ Assault £ Break And Enter
£ Male £ Female £ Unknown Approximate Age:
Complexion
£ Fair £ Medium £ Olive £ Dark
£ Short £ Medium £ Long £ Curly £ Straight £ Bald £ Balding
Hairstyle
B r i t ta n y W a k e f i e l d , H o n s . BA
Height Weight
£ Tall £ Average £ Short
Tattoos
£ Yes £ No Description:
Facial Hair
£ Yes £ No Description:
Other Descriptors
Estimated Height:
• Ears Nose • Mouth/Lips • Scars/Marks
P r o g r a m C o o r d i n at o r a n d R e s e a r c h e r ; R e s i d e n t C r i m i n o l o g i s t at S a f e C i t y M i s s i s s a u g a C . P.T. E . D.
Build:
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Sharron Grant had no idea her 12-year-old son was choking himself to get high. She found out in the worst way possible. Now she’s determined to prevent other parents from suffering the same grief.
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n Saturday, April 23, 2005, Sharron Grant returned home and made her way through the house saying hello to each of her three children. She found her youngest son, Joshua, playing upstairs with his cousin. Not seeing his older brother, Jesse, Sharron when to his bedroom. When she opened the door, her world came crashing down. “My 12-year-old son — my pride and joy — was strangled from the computer cord he had put around his neck,” says Sharron from the small town of Penetanguishene, Ont.
Jesse, a sociable, happy kid who was an A-level student in school. Jesse, who was extremely active, loved crosscountry running and playing baseball, hockey and soccer. Jesse, who didn’t smoke or do drugs. Jesse’s death was ruled an accidental asphyxiation. He didn’t intend to kill himself. Jesse died while playing the Choking Game.
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While parents may never have heard of it, kids across North America know it by many names: Airplaning, American Dream, Blackout, California High, Fainting Game, Flat liner, GASP, Pass out, Space Monkey and Suffocation Roulette. It involves choking yourself to cut off the flow of blood to the brain, which produces a light-headed feeling. Then, as the pressure is released, blood rushes back to the brain, resulting in a short-lived, euphoric high. These feelings are actually caused by brain cells dying from a lack of oxygen.
Five percent of Ontario’s high school students reported participating in the Choking Game; that’s approximately one out of every 20 students throughout grades seven to 12. Usually played by adolescents between the ages of nine and 16, it is often referred to as a good kid’s high because it is typically performed by kids who are generally high-achieving, sociable and who shun alcohol and drugs. “Unfortunately, it’s considered by these kids as harmless fun,” says Sharron. “There is nothing harmless about playing the Choking Game. The dangers are very real.” Although it’s typically first played in a group setting with one person choking another, the dangers really increase when kids try to find the high on their own. If they lose consciousness,
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they are unable to loosen whatever is choking them. Death occurs between four and five minutes; permanent brain damage in even less time. “Everyone else was home when Jesse did this,” says Sharron. “He was alone for no more than 15 minutes.” It is estimated that up to 1,000 young people in the United States die each year from playing the Choking Game, though accurate statistics — whether they be for the US, Canada or elsewhere — are hard to come by as many deaths are either classified simply as asphyxiation or are mislabelled as suicides. However, a 2009 survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reveals that approximately five percent of Ontario’s high school students reported participating in the Choking Game; that’s approximately one out of every 20 students throughout grades seven to 12.
“Parents really need to understand that not only is it dangerous, but there’s a good chance their kids have tried it or know of someone who has,” says Sharron. John Westland, a social worker with The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, has counselled teens who have acknowledged playing it. “Most of the kids I talk to are surprised to learn how dangerous the Choking Game really is.” Sharron believes that if Jesse really understood the dangers of playing the Choking Game, he would never have put himself in harm’s way. “We need to ensure that our children hear all of the hard, deadly facts that are out there. We don’t want them hearing from friends how much fun the game is. They need to understand that it’s not a game, that it’s more like tempting death.”
Sharron says that there were warning signs, but she missed them. “Jesse was 11-years-old and he was telling me about some fun games he learned at camp. What he called Blackout was one of them.” Sharron says that like most parents, she read her son the riot act, discussed the dangers with him, and then thought nothing more of it. The following year, Jesse was talking about returning to camp and he brought up Blackout again. He told his mom that she didn’t know what she was talking about – that a teacher had told him that he wouldn’t lose brain cells if he played the game. “I told him I didn’t believe that a teacher would say something like that,” says Sharron. “I didn’t recognize the sign. He was talking about it because he was trying to see if he’d be safe if he played it.” (For more on warning signs, see “Are they playing the choking game?” on p. 53)
“Avoidance is the wrong approach,” she says. “When we educate our children about sex and drugs, does it make them run out and do drugs or have unprotected sex? No, it doesn’t. This isn’t any different. If we give our children the information to make educated and informed decisions, their chances of making the right ones increase.”
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“After Jessie died,” says Sharron, “we found out that he was playing it with his younger brother, Josh, who was 10 at the time. Josh got hurt once, not enough to tell me but enough that it scared him and he didn’t want to play anymore. Unfortunately, I didn’t find about that incident until three or four months after Jessie’s death.”
“We lost so much that day – too much to even imagine in any parent’s worst nightmare. What has helped us is being there for other families when they reach out for help and educating against this deadly activity. Talk to your kids. Sharron says that if she could go back, she would make Jesse speak with a knowledgeable doctor or police officer about the dangers of the Choking Game. After Jesse’s death, Sharron and her then 24-year-old daughter, Kristen, realized that there was no information warning about
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the dangers of the Choking Game. “We only saw ‘funny’ videos on sites like YouTube that showed kids passing out with everyone else around them laughing,” says Kristen. “So, we decided to create a website to educate about the dangers, and also to be a source of support to families who had lost a loved one the same way we had.” A year later, Sharron and Kristen formed Games Adolescents Shouldn’t Play (GASP), a non-profit global support group and education service that teaches people about the dangers of the Choking Game. “Our goal is to raise awareness while also giving children enough information and facts to allow them to make the right choice about this game,” says Kristen. “Right now, what they’re hearing from their friends is ‘Try this, its fun!’ and they have no idea of the associated dangers.” Sharron says that most schools stay away from talking about this game because they are afraid of teaching children something they don’t already know. “Avoidance is the wrong approach,” she says. “When we educate our children about sex and drugs, does it make them run out and do drugs or have unprotected sex? No, it doesn’t. This isn’t any different. If we give our children the information to make educated and informed decisions, their chances of making the right ones increase.”
Miriam Kaufman, an adolescent health specialist with The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, agrees. “Kids have heard about the Choking Game,” she says. “Some people worry that if they talk to kids about it, they’ll put ideas into their heads. I don’t think it’s unsafe to be asking your kid if they’ve heard about the Choking Game and if it’s something they’re doing.” Kaufman notes that she has had some kids respond that they would never play the game, but that they know of others who do. “You’ll never know if that is accurate or not,” says Kaufman. “But it does give you the chance to educate them and follow up with something like ‘that’s great that you don’t do it, and here’s why.’ Then you can point out the dangers – things like how this activity deprives the brain of oxygen and that a number of young people have died while playing it.” Losing a child under any circumstance is a horrible experience for parents to face, but it becomes even more tragic when the child dies from something that could have been prevented. “My grief is a daily ordeal that has softened over the past six years but will never be fully healed,” says Sharron. “We lost so much that day – too much to even imagine in any parent’s worst nightmare. What has helped us is being there for other families when they reach out for help and educating against this deadly activity. Talk to your kids. Show them the information that’s out there. We need to educate all of our children.” CS GASP
i s ava i l a b l e f o r p r e s e n tat i o n s to a n y
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Are they playing the choking game? There are some clear signs that your child may be playing the Choking Game, but remember that every child is different. Some children may exhibit several of these signs while others only a few or none at all. Bloodshot eyes or any other noticeable signs of eye stress. Any suspicious mark on the side of the neck, sometimes hidden by a turtleneck, scarf or permanently turned-up collar. Note: Some participants may not have marks to the neck. Do not assume that an unmarked neck means your child is not playing this game.) Changes in personality such as agitation or aggressiveness. Headaches, loss of concentration, flushed face. Any questions about the effects, sensations or dangers of strangulation. Any kind of strap, rope or belt lying near the child for no clear reason, and attempts to elude questions about such objects. A thud in the bedroom or against a wall – may indicate a fall in cases of solitary practice.
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