Drug using teens would benefit from involuntary care: Kelowna doctor

[Castanet News]

As a pediatrician dealing with teens immersed in Kelowna’s drug culture, Dr. Tom Warshawski hasn’t found much cause for optimism as of late. "I have had two...

[Phoenix2971]

Involuntary care is what is needed in this world. The only reason the drugs are being sold is there is a market for them. Take away the market & the ability to sell the crap is gone! Done properly involuntary care can’t do worse than the way it is now. When you are on drugs (or drinking) there is no reasoning thoughts.

[CJ44]

As extreme as some may think it is....it's the only way to get most of these people off the streets and the help they need. The majority of homeless either have extreme mental health issues or substance abuse issues....they usually come as a package deal. Most won't willingly get help, as people who aren't in their right mind don't think that way.

[theluds]

This mess was created by NDP failed policies. Fire Eby, Dix and Henry. B.C needs a fresh start.

[chrislo]

Thats what will continue to happen when drug dealers and cartel have more rights than victims, when enforcer officers are scared of the cartels, when drug lords are smarter than police and when no change in legislations against drug lord n dealers. Maybe time to make death penalty for drug dealers as theyre killing the future of society??

[AuDiO_JacK]

As extreme as some may think it is....it's the only way to get most of these people off the streets and the help they need. The majority of homeless either have extreme mental health issues or substance abuse issues....they usually come as a package deal. Most won't willingly get help, as people who aren't in their right mind don't think that way.

The government feeds kids amphetamines while in school, and wonder why kids use drugs that aren't prescription?
In grade 8, i was given dexadryne. I used to sit in class and watch the whiteboard melt and morph in to odd shapes. The white on the walls and white board would glow pearlescent colors, like blue, pink, green, etc. Teachers faces would morph. Walking from class to class was extremely difficult, as the hallways would pulse.
What happened when i told my pediatrician? Nobody believed me.
After 2 years of that drug, i was given effexor. It was brand new. Never been used on kids before.
Effexor is now used as a "weight loss" drug for bed ridden people who are gaining excess weight.
I was given twice the NOW adult prescription. Just imagine a kid hopped up on prescription meth.
To this day, those 2 drugs destroyed my life, and every night i needed to smoke pot to be able to sleep before 3am. Oh, and at 36, I've never gained a single pound after those 2 drugs. I weigh as much as i did in middle school. Whats odd is that I am the only person in my entire family, plus extended family, with this body type.


Before we force treatment, we need to change how the system approaches these issues.
As of now, they require you to accept god to enter treatment. Did you know? If you don't, you are removed from the waiting lists. They won't state it in the main adverts, but as soon as you enter the facilities, talk to a worker, you'll soon find out.

For 25 years, the BC governments have done nothing but force treatment on kids who didn't need it. You NEVER give an autistic kid ADD medications. It's a known thing. What did they do to a tonne of us for over a decade? Forced parents to make their kids take drugs or the kids wouldn't be allowed in school. The teachers will say the kids were/are unmanageable. If you witness the actions the teachers speak of, you'll see it's AVERAGE rowdiness of a child. They just want the easy way out, and it DESTROYED a generation.

So, forced treatment has already been done by the government, and it led to even more rampant drug use due to the effects OF said mandatory prescriptions on children.

[wasuup]

I agree with involuntary care. Give them a chance to clean and sober up. Then allow them to go back into the community with mandatory check-ins to see how it's going. If they don't fail they go back into involuntary care for a second time. Again, then back in the community if they fail again then 'permanent' involuntary care with the possibility being on their drug of choice for life. I don't know. It's a very complex problem. But having them out on society, homeless and addicted, Is not a compassionate option.

[the truth]

Well if these parents can not do there jobs, guess involuntary care it is.

[George+]

Absolutely not. Only with strong parental/relative support. Then..voluntary…

[GonnaMissThis]

As extreme as some may think it is....it's the only way to get most of these people off the streets and the help they need. The majority of homeless either have extreme mental health issues or substance abuse issues....they usually come as a package deal. Most won't willingly get help, as people who aren't in their right mind don't think that way.

The government feeds kids amphetamines while in school, and wonder why kids use drugs that aren't prescription?
In grade 8, i was given dexadryne. I used to sit in class and watch the whiteboard melt and morph in to odd shapes. The white on the walls and white board would glow pearlescent colors, like blue, pink, green, etc. Teachers faces would morph. Walking from class to class was extremely difficult, as the hallways would pulse.
What happened when i told my pediatrician? Nobody believed me.
After 2 years of that drug, i was given effexor. It was brand new. Never been used on kids before.
Effexor is now used as a "weight loss" drug for bed ridden people who are gaining excess weight.
I was given twice the NOW adult prescription. Just imagine a kid hopped up on prescription meth.
To this day, those 2 drugs destroyed my life, and every night i needed to smoke pot to be able to sleep before 3am. Oh, and at 36, I've never gained a single pound after those 2 drugs. I weigh as much as i did in middle school. Whats odd is that I am the only person in my entire family, plus extended family, with this body type.


Before we force treatment, we need to change how the system approaches these issues.
As of now, they require you to accept god to enter treatment. Did you know? If you don't, you are removed from the waiting lists. They won't state it in the main adverts, but as soon as you enter the facilities, talk to a worker, you'll soon find out.

For 25 years, the BC governments have done nothing but force treatment on kids who didn't need it. You NEVER give an autistic kid ADD medications. It's a known thing. What did they do to a tonne of us for over a decade? Forced parents to make their kids take drugs or the kids wouldn't be allowed in school. The teachers will say the kids were/are unmanageable. If you witness the actions the teachers speak of, you'll see it's AVERAGE rowdiness of a child. They just want the easy way out, and it DESTROYED a generation.

So, forced treatment has already been done by the government, and it led to even more rampant drug use due to the effects OF said mandatory prescriptions on children.

I’m sorry you didn’t have an advocate in school to help you. When my son was having trouble in elementary school his doctor put him on medication. He would blank out. Wasn’t able to participate. Would curl up and go to sleep. After a couple weeks we tried to cut his meds but still he wasn’t participating so the teachers asked me to please take him off. They would rather try to settle him down than try to work with him medicated. They sent his behaviour file with him to his next years teacher and he never went on medication again.
Involuntarily care will be a great tool for parents who tried everything and nothing has worked so far. I think with that though, there needs to be an education program for the parents or guardians who will be the support when the kids get visitation or get out so they know what to do to ensure success for the kid.

[DonDrissell]

Let’s send over to George’s place he has it figured out

[tawny_lee]

As extreme as some may think it is....it's the only way to get most of these people off the streets and the help they need. The majority of homeless either have extreme mental health issues or substance abuse issues....they usually come as a package deal. Most won't willingly get help, as people who aren't in their right mind don't think that way.

The government feeds kids amphetamines while in school, and wonder why kids use drugs that aren't prescription?

*bleep*. I wish I were diagnosed in school, rather than making impulsive decisions like starting smoking, smoking weed, underage drinking, and having sex with people I probably wouldn't have had I known what my "issue" was.

You sound like someone who thinks you can therapize a chemical balance away. Those kids are the ones that turn to drugs and the streets when they don't have the help and support at home they need.

From someone who is currently on Concerta for their Inattentive ADHD and whose life is better because of it, I firmly disagree.

[Juggernaut801]

I'm sorry but Canada is not Norway! Canadians talk a good game but that's about the extent of it.

[AuDiO_JacK]

Let’s send over to George’s place he has it figured out

Beats mandating the government to do it. The past 25 years have been nothing but reducing care, and forcing people on medications.
It's widely known and discussed that the liberals created and sponsored the opioid epidemic in BC.

[AuDiO_JacK]

The government feeds kids amphetamines while in school, and wonder why kids use drugs that aren't prescription?

*bleep*. I wish I were diagnosed in school, rather than making impulsive decisions like starting smoking, smoking weed, underage drinking, and having sex with people I probably wouldn't have had I known what my "issue" was.

You sound like someone who thinks you can therapize a chemical balance away. Those kids are the ones that turn to drugs and the streets when they don't have the help and support at home they need.

From someone who is currently on Concerta for their Inattentive ADHD and whose life is better because of it, I firmly disagree.

and? "You sound like", followed by putting words in my mouth.
I didn't say medications don't work. I stated the approach they take is not proper. I'm glad you found medications. Where's my thanks for being test subjects to your medications? I've been placed on 5 medications, 4 forcefully. One on my own, and it went downhill fast.
They looked at my autism and decided to give medication. It's known that you do not give medication to autistic kids. They don't have a chemical imbalance.
Be sure to read WHAT I said, and not take things out of context.
It's much better to seek other means BEFORE jumping to altering ones chemical balance STRUCTURE when it's being created, like in middle school.
When you train a childs body to NOT eat, and to gain energy off their muscles and sugar intake, your body will not gain weight. Some of us grew up in extremely bad situations, made worse by trying to fix it through the MCFSD.
I KNOW that most people don't need chemicals to get off drugs. Why is it that medication is needed for someone who tried mushrooms? I'm glad you didn't have tehe "impulse" to smoke, or smoke pot, or drink. I went to Boucherie during the merger with pringle. I was in drafting, computer science, medieval armory, etc. 40-50 kid classrooms, no staff to watch anything. Gave out snacks at the smoke pit. Smoke pit was ON school property, in the back by the gym. I'm glad you didn't have the same circumstances i did. Perhaps you should take the advice of someone who's lived the experience? Who overcame the problems? Who now helps others with their own?
It's easy for someone who's never had the experience to say "I would have done better" or "I made better choices". Ever had your uncle offer you crack at 14? Ever been forced to drink booze or get the crap beaten out of you? Ever found yourself soothing the bruise on your face from your own grandmother? Peoples circumstances are different, and the choices made were that of a CHILD. I'm glad you had better options. Lots of us didn't.