N.L. mother calling for more methadone control
A Mount Pearl mother is calling for an inquiry into the province's methadone program two years after her son died abusing the drug.
Two years ago, Michelle Mitchum's son, Colton, bought a lethal dose of methadone on the streets.
Hours later, the youth, 16, was found dead.
Police discovered the man who sold the drug to her son was in a methadone treatment program. Charges were never laid.
Health officials promised to look into the problem of methadone abuse, but Mitchum said, so far, no extra measures have been adopted to keep the drug off the streets.
“We got mothers speaking out, saying our children are dying of this drug that they're getting on the streets. Who is going to do something about it?” she asked.
Mitchum said she hopes an inquiry would lead to recommendations to better control methadone — so it doesn't reach the hands of children like her son.
Methadone is prescribed to people addicted to drugs such as heroin or prescription drugs that contain oxycodone, such as OxyContin and Percocet.
The methadone program aims to wean addicts from the substances they abuse. Many people in the program stay in it indefinitely.
