Mother of teen sniffing gas in Natuashish cannot 'force' treatment
The mother of a young woman pictured sleeping in a bathtub in an abandoned home in Natuashish says she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her daughter's picture on the news.
Justine Noah's 18 year-old daughter was one of a group of young people found sniffing gasoline inside a house by Innu Nation Deputy Chief Simeon Tshakapesh last week.
Tshakapesh said there were about six or seven young people in the house, between the ages of 11 and 26.
Photos Tshakapesh said he took at the house were obtained by CBC News.
Noah said her daughter didn't know the photo had been taken or published until she told her, and they're both upset her personal issues are being aired in the public.
"She doesn't go out every night and sniff gas. She doesn't do that," Noah said.
"She comes home sometimes, and spends time here at home. She's still looking for help," said Noah. "I've tried everything to help her."
Noah said her daughter has accompanied her to Border Beacon, an outpost where youth have a safe space to fight their addictions.
According to Noah, her daughter is home and safe, but admits it's difficult to help her.
"I'm still trying to help her, even though she just turned 18," she said.
"It's very difficult for me as a parent — as a single parent — to help her listen to me, but sometimes she doesn't want to talk about it and it all depends on her to tell me what her problems are. I cannot force her."
Solvent abuse persisting problem
In 2013 Tshakapesh claimed the gas sniffing problem in his community was getting progressively worse and called on government to do more to help.
Both Tshakapesh and Natuashish Chief Gregory Rich said there's a lot of work to be done.
"We need to target the families, we need to target the parents — the father, the mother, they need to sober up, they need to be clean," said Rich.
"They need to be more open up to their children and be more responsible."
Provincial politicians have said they're working together to come up with a solution to gas sniffing in Natuashish, but the problem has persisted for decades.
Child, Youth and Family Services Minister Sandy Collins said a mental health counsellor was dispatched to the community late last week to help address the issue.
In the meantime, Noah said she continues to plead with her daughter to get help.
"I always told her, 'It's never too late to do what you want to do with your life, and get a job out there, or go back to school.'"
