Reggie J E CaversonWith thirty years in the addictions field, Reggie Caverson (M.Ed.) was at ground zero when OxyContin was first marketed as a "miracle drug" in 1996. Beginning as a health promotion consultant with the Addiction Research Foundation (ARF), she later woked in various senior program and policy roles with ARF and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Caverson worked closely with law enforcement for years before the crisis was even recognized by health officials and the wider public. Although she desperately tried to expose it for what it was, she was constantly dismissed by doctors and health organizations citing her lack of medical credentials. This, despite the fact that she led the development of a Drug Strategy for Ontario, was the provincial lead on national projects to address drugs with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and co-led the development of the Municipal Drug Strategy Coordinators Network of Ontario. This culminated in her unceremonious dismissal from her job, despite her expertise, knowledge and the numerous accolades she had received. To this day, Caverson believes she may have been silenced for shining a light on what others refused to acknowledge. Though she has since moved into a completely different career, she continues to be deeply affected by the lack of attention to this crisis, the number of people who continue to die (intentionally or unintentionally) and the effort to whitewash the truth of how we got to where are today with the ongoing opioid crisis-and not all of it is from drugs on the street.

Caverson lives in northern Ontario, where she has lived most of her life. She is the proud mother to two adult children. Interested in getting in touch? You can find her on LinkedIn. Read More Read Less