Channel: The Fifth Estate

Category: News & Politics

Tags: victoriaoverdoseopioid crisiscbcaddictiondrug addictionbritish columbiadrug addicted kidscbc newsthe fifth estatecbc fifth estateopioidsyouth and opioids

Description: Should parents be able to force their kids with addiction into care? In B.C., the laws say they can’t. Sarah Pollner tried to get help for her teen daughter, Olivia Mahaney – known as Liv to her friends and family. By the time Liv was 15, Pollner noticed her daughter began heavily drinking alcohol, which she believes led to drugs. She encouraged Liv to see a psychiatrist, then a youth counsellor. But Pollner said Liv denied needing help, and said she had her friends to talk to. Her best friend says she was using heroin and methamphetamine. Pollner had tried setting curfews and turned to local agencies for help. By September 2021, Liv had left home and was living in shelters or with friends. Pollner was left to rely on Liv’s friends, as well as texts from her daughter. “I needed someone to make my daughter go home or there'd be consequences,” Pollner said. “I needed someone to just let me put her in detox, at least to give her a chance.” But without Liv’s consent, that was almost impossible without an arrest and charges. Dr. Tom Warshawski, a pediatrician in Kelowna, B.C., has seen many teenagers like Liv. He says hospital physicians “want the clear ability and guidelines to be able to hold these youth, give them time for some cognitive clearing, offer them treatment … or harm reduction to keep kids alive.” On Nov. 17, 2021, Liv died alone, in the doorway of a building in downtown Victoria. Her family is waiting on toxicology test results and believes the 17-year-old died after smoking heroin that was likely laced with fentanyl. #OpioidCrisis #BritishColumbia #CBCFifthEstate Subscribe for more videos from The Fifth Estate: bit.ly/25W8cpn Connect with The Fifth Estate online: Website : bit.ly/1d0FBxq Facebook : bit.ly/1UO9B8S Twitter : bit.ly/237VM8P Instagram : bit.ly/25W8SLs About The Fifth Estate: For four decades The Fifth Estate has been Canada's premier investigative documentary program. Hosts Bob McKeown, Gillian Findlay and Mark Kelley continue a tradition of provocative and fearless journalism. The Fifth Estate brings in-depth investigations that matter to Canadians — delivering a dazzling parade of political leaders, controversial characters and ordinary people whose lives were touched by triumph or tragedy.