Governments have thrown tens of millions at First Nations drug treatment. People are still dying – National Post

Oct 06, 2025

High rate of opioid deaths among First Nations points to need for better solutions, report from Chiefs of Ontario finds

The treatment meant to save Niibin Pahpeguish’s life began to feel like a prison.

After almost a decade battling an addiction that began with prescribed painkillers and later escalated to street opioids, she entered a treatment program in 2009. There, at a facility in Brantford, Ont., she was put on methadone, a drug prescribed to ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.

Part of a drug class called Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT), methadone is a critical and life-saving way to address addiction for many. Pahpeguish says doctors told her she could be on it for the rest of her life.

Read More: https://nationalpost.com/news/opioid-deaths-first-nations-ontario