An inquest in Ontario is expected to expose the high rates of prescription painkiller-related deaths in Canada.
prescription drug abuse
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Prescription opiate abuse now a public health crisis in Ontario
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Canada's prescription drug problem
An Ontario coroner's inquest into the prescription painkiller related deaths of a 19-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman that begins later this week is expected to draw much needed attention to rising death rates associated with this class of drugs.
These pharmaceuticals, especially when mixed with alcohol, anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines) and anti-depressants, are proving lethal for more and more Canadians.
One of the latest high-profile victims was 28-year-old NHL player Derek Boogaard of Regina, who had been playing with the New York Rangers. His death earlier this month from a combination of oxycodone and alcohol was ruled accidental by a Minnesota medical examiner.
