Psychology behind addiction may explain Alberta teen’s suspected overdose death

The decease of a Lethbridge teen whose assemblage was recovered connected a metropolis street connected Boxing Day, and his mother’s consequent transgression charges, is putting a spotlight connected addiction.

On Dec. 26, 2024 Lethbridge constabulary arrived connected the country of a dormant 13-year-old boy.

While rumours swirled for weeks successful the confederate Alberta city, authoritative accusation was scarce until Wednesday day erstwhile constabulary charged a 38-year-old pistillate with transgression negligence causing decease and failing to supply the necessaries of life.

The pistillate was the parent of the dormant teen and Lethbridge constabulary said the 2 had been utilizing drugs unneurotic astatine a southside location connected Christmas Day. However, constabulary said the lad took excessively much.

“Life-saving measures did instrumentality place, but arsenic you each know, unfortunately, with clip — it cost,” said Pete Christos, unit sergeant with the Lethbridge Police Service.

At the clip of the suspected overdose, 911 was called, but the enactment was rapidly dropped.

“When radical bent up, we respond conscionable to marque definite due to the fact that we don’t cognize if they’re nether duress oregon what the circumstances are.”

According to police, erstwhile officers arrived to the home, the boy’s parent hid her lad and lied astir his whereabouts due to the fact that she feared helium would beryllium taken away.

“He was missing from a section country wherever we support youth, truthful we were looking retired for him, trying to find him and bring him backmost to wherever helium belongs,” said Christos.

Sometime aboriginal successful the evening connected Christmas, constabulary said the parent and lad near the location and walked to a adjacent business. During this time, the lad was inactive successful aesculapian distress.

The lad was reported dormant by his parent astatine 2 p.m. the adjacent day.

Video surveillance showed the brace spent the nighttime connected the thoroughfare and the lad ne'er moved from the ground, constabulary said, adding astatine nary clip were paramedics called.

Two radical who enactment astatine a concern adjacent wherever the lad was recovered told Global News they saw exigency responders region the assemblage from a spot successful beforehand of Foothills Cleaners.

Police judge the lad died from a overdosing but toxicology results to confirming it are inactive being processed. (Such tests tin instrumentality weeks oregon months to complete.)

“It’s retired there,” Christos said of amerciable drugs.

Addictions adept Darren Christensen, who is an subordinate prof astatine the University of Lethbridge, said an disfigured broadside to addiction was shown successful this case.

“If we’re reasoning of the mother, I ideate it was thing she wanted to bash with different radical and possibly the kid was the lone idiosyncratic successful her life. From her perspective, (it’s) astir apt little unsafe than what different radical would perceive. But, obviously, it was highly unsafe and fatal.”

Christensen says the destiny of the lad tin besides beryllium evidenced of the concern helium was raised in.

“(Drug use) volition go much hard to flight from. (Drugs) would beryllium seen arsenic thing that is mean and that everyone would do.”

The rhythm of cause usage is an abyss, according to Christensen, that galore conflict to ascent retired of.

Still, Christos says getting assistance is possible.

“We person assemblage partners successful our metropolis wherever those who are struggling with addiction tin question retired the assistance that they need. Never consciousness that we justice by it — they’re retired there, you conscionable person to scope out,” said Christos.

However, to forestall tragedies similar this one, which was described arsenic a first-of-its-kind, helium says constabulary won’t rest.

“We’re doing a batch of antithetic things. With the opioid situation happening, we’re trying to bash antithetic projects passim the metropolis and ore connected apprehending those that are progressive successful the cause commercialized and trying to amended the nationalist arsenic well.”

Blanche Isobel Irene Fick, 38, of Lethbridge, has been charged with transgression negligence causing decease and failing to supply the necessaries of life.

Fick remains successful custody and is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected Friday, Feb. 7.