With nowhere to turn and looking for answers and support to help deal with a meth-addicted family member, Patricia Whitebear chose to take matter into her own hands.
“I’m hoping we can have some type of parent support group where parents, even addicts, can come and learn and get support,” she said.
After watching the horrendous consequences her daughter suffered during a crystal meth addiction, Whitebear decided to do something to warn people about the dangers of crystal meth, as well support other Saskatoon families.
She opened up an email account and she’s sharing the address across Saskatoon and beyond. Whitebear encourages anyone who is looking for education and support to contact crystalmethhelpsaskatoon@gmail.com.
“Time is of urgency, this is all over the city,” Whitebear said about the crystal meth crisis in Saskatoon.
Whitebear said when she saw the addiction taking over her daughter’s life, everyday events such as family birthdays and holidays fell by the wayside.
“This drug just swept her away from her family. I realized at that time she was in a different world, this was not my daughter anymore.”
Whitebear said after hearing that Montreal Lake Cree Nation had set up a detox community, she would love to see something similar in Saskatoon.
“This is a First Nation that has seen the struggle and addressed it, they did something about it and it’s so inspiring,” she said.
The Montreal Lake Child and Family Agency estimates more than 50 per cent of the band’s 1,200 members are active crystal meth users.
In 2019, six deaths have been attributed to crystal meth use. The reserve is also dealing with multiple attempted suicides and health problems associated with the addiction.
