By Trelle Kolojay

Saskatoon mom hopes fake OxyContin seizures prevent further deaths

Jan 15, 2015 | 4:59 PM

The emotions are still raw for Marie Agioritis, less than two weeks after her 19-year-old son, Kelly Best, took a fake OxyContin pill and died.

“He was a great kid who made a really stupid mistake,” Agioritis said, holding back tears.

Best is one of three Saskatoon people who have died in the past six months after taking fentanyl-laced OxyContin tablets.

On Thursday, Saskatoon police and RCMP announced as part of massive raids across Saskatchewan and Alberta, 3,358 counterfeit OxyContin pills were seized along with two pill presses in B.C.

Police said the fake OxyContin they seized has the same chemical composition as the ones responsible for the deaths in Saskatoon. 

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

22h ago

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

23h ago

Election 2024

Birch Hills staff won't share election decision

23h ago

Agioritis said the drugs seizures and arrests don’t bring her son back, but she does have some hope.

“I’m happy that potentially we’ve got a bunch of this stuff off the street for a while to maybe give some of these kids some breathing room that are using and maybe get some thinking going on for them and their parents and loving friends around them to help these kids stop from doing it.”

With the pain of losing her son so real, Agioritis hopes some good can come from the tragedy her family has experience.

“Maybe somebody else might not die,” she said.

Agioritis said she knows fake OxyContin pills will surface again, so she said it’s important to address addictions.

“If we can choke the demand, we’ll choke the supply,” she said.

Agioritis also wants to see harsher penalties for drug dealers and more beds available in Saskatchewan for addicts trying to recover.

news@panow.com 

On Twitter: @princealbertnow