Health Committee on Feb. 11th, 2014

[Carol Hopkins]

That's what I'm saying. In the national native alcohol and drug abuse program, we know that there are four top substances of use, alcohol being one, but also marijuana, cocaine, and opiates. But the way the question is asked, it doesn't distinguish between oxycodone and heroin, for example.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Okay. Thank you.

You talked about access to high schools and links to elders, which sound very positive. I know there are high schools, for example in Ontario, in which parents are more involved in the school and sometimes even sing in the same choir as the students. That happens in our schools here in southern Ontario as well.

With this new first nations education act, there is $1.9 billion in new funding available in the coming years, with a 4.5% increase per year. Is there an opportunity there for life skills development? You talked about that. It occurred to me that this would mean bringing together youth with elders—life skills development, building self-esteem. Does this new first nations education act present an opportunity to do that? Could it?

[Peter Dinsdale]

In fact there is no new first nations education act. There is a rejection of the previous first nation education act and a commitment to introduce a first nations control of first nations education act. That agreement was based upon the Prime Minister and the national chief outlining five conditions for moving forward. So we don't currently have an act, per se. That's the first thing.

Certainly the previous act talked about parents being involved, much like a school board, where they would help guide the culture and language programming that would take place in the schools.

Yes, I think there would be opportunities, if that flows forward to the new act.

What's really important about this new process is how much regions are going to be able to help drive some of this development. The previous criticism was that it was unilateral—“one size fits all” everywhere. This new approach really will be allowing regions to develop those systems—within a framework; I think that's important.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

We heard that young people become addicted to oxycodone or OxyContin in, for instance, my community when they go to the dentist to get their wisdom teeth out.

I want to ask you how young people get addicted to prescription drugs, opioids, amongst first nations.

[Carol Hopkins]

It's through illicit use. Some of the young people going into the national youth solvent addiction program have gained access to prescription drugs through illegal access. Some of them actually have been in treatment at age 15 and have had a mouthful of decay. They have never had access to a dentist or seen a dentist, so are using prescription drugs to self-medicate because their mouth is full of decaying teeth and they are having their teeth removed at 15 years of age because they're all rotten.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Are there any programs now that are working by way of prevention? What is working now, if anything?

[Carol Hopkins]

The one program that I'm most familiar with, as I said earlier, is a school-based early intervention program that was developed for grades 7 and 8. It's actually being used by some first nation communities for early high school—grades 9 and 10—as well.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

So what might work better by way of front-line programming? Do you have any ideas of things you would like to implement as soon as possible?

[Carol Hopkins]

Yes. It's hard to say any one thing. As Peter said earlier, there is no magic bullet: a systems approach, coordinated services, collaboration across jurisdictions, more inclusion of culture.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

I heard those things, but those are big subjects.

[Carol Hopkins]

They are. It's a big issue.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

You could write a chapter on each one. I'm just trying to think of how you can turn those concepts that are so important into practical programs to help young people avoid recreational use, or if they already have a problem, to get off drugs and build their own self-esteem, etc.

[Carol Hopkins]

The community wellness development programs show promising results as well. They are community development initiatives that are designed specifically to the needs of first nation communities. They are multiprofessional teams going into first nation communities, in collaboration with the cultural supports and resources that are there, to identify strategies that address where the community places its priorities.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Are there any roadblocks to that happening right now?

[Carol Hopkins]

It's funding, ongoing funding.

[Peter Dinsdale]

On that as well, I think there have been some examples, more in urban areas, of programs like the cultural connections for aboriginal youth, which has recently merged with the urban aboriginal strategy, which really provides youth with an opportunity to develop culture, recreation, and physical activity programs. We don't have comparable programs on reserve. I think gym and recreation programs, those kinds of things, would really provide alternative venues for youth to do more positive things and certainly be engaged in things kids everywhere like to do.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

We have that problem in Halton as well.

[Peter Dinsdale]

Absolutely.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

The schools have stopped teaching phys. ed., basically, so young people aren't getting exercise. That leads to other health issues as well.

Maybe I could ask you on the big picture—

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Mr. Young, I'm sorry.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Am I out of time already?

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Yes, sir, sorry about that.

We're now entering into our five-minute rounds.

Next up, Mr. Morin. Go ahead, please, sir.

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ben Lobb]

Oh, sorry, pardon me, I'll reset the clock there. Just for the sake of the time, I'd ask you to put on your headpiece and we'll just do a quick run-through to make sure everything is working

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Can our witnesses hear the English interpretation?