Tina Olivero experienced the heart-wrenching loss of her son, Ben Olivero, who battled addiction and tragically lost his life to a suspected opiate overdose in St. John's. Described as a "gentle giant," Ben had recently been revived with naloxone at the hospital, only to succumb to another fatal overdose hours later.
His mother tearfully expressed her devastation, emphasizing that he died alone, leaving her questioning how he could have left this world without support. Ben's death is part of a disturbing trend in Newfoundland and Labrador, where at least 11 individuals have lost their lives to drug overdoses within the last month.
Harm reduction advocates suspect that fentanyl contamination, particularly in drugs like cocaine, may be responsible for some of these deaths. Speaking out with the intention of preventing further tragedy, Tina Olivero believes that her son's demise can be attributed to such contamination.
In her relentless pursuit to help Ben, Tina Olivero spent six years attempting to secure treatment for him. However, despite periods of sobriety, Ben continually succumbed to his addiction, unable to resist its grip. Starting with marijuana, he progressed to pills and eventually turned to needles. Tina describes it as a looming freight train, explaining that Ben's brain was hijacked and he was no longer capable of making sound decisions.
Comparing addiction to dementia, she emphasizes that it robs individuals of their ability to choose. Tina's plea comes shortly after the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary warned about the presence of fentanyl in the province, cautioning that its prevalence might increase. Frontline workers have reported encounters with the synthetic opioid, according to harm reduction workers interviewed by CBC News.
While the Department of Health has distributed hundreds of naloxone kits and ordered additional supplies, Tina Olivero believes more needs to be done. She advocates for legislative changes to privacy laws that would grant family members greater control over their loved one's treatment, proposing a law similar to the Mental Health Act named after her son—Ben's Law. The legislation would aim to prevent individuals with addictions from causing harm to themselves.
Ben's tragic death has opened Tina's eyes to the hidden world of suffering, as she has received an overwhelming number of messages—around 600—from parents facing the same heartbreak and struggling to find lasting solutions for their children battling addiction. Tina emphasizes the urgency and magnitude of the drug epidemic, comparing it to the attention given to the COVID-19 pandemic. She believes society cannot turn a blind eye to this crisis that affects countless families.
As she speaks, a young couple approaches the memorial dedicated to Ben, offering condolences and sharing fond memories of him as a kind and generous person. Tina asserts that it is a basic human right not to cast judgment on those grappling with addiction and calls for a concerted effort to fight for the rights and well-being of individuals affected by addiction, just as society has begun to do for mental illness.
Source: CBC
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