The OxyContin and Other Prescription Opioids task force has teamed with TVCogeco to produce the two-part series which debuts on the community broadcast channel next Monday.

The series was announced Monday at the city's Eastern Ontario Health Unit office as another way of alerting the community to the dangers of Oxy-Contin abuse

"Since last year the number has tripled in charges related to OxyContin," said Bob Burnie, an inspector with the Cornwall Community Police Service.

The city police is one of several partners on the task force, which was formed about one and half years ago, to come up with a unified crackdown on the use as well as bolster addiction services.

Burnie said OxyContin -- an opium-based pain reliever normally prescribed by a physician -- is becoming the drug of choice.

In recent times, about 90% of drug warrant searches in houses results in the discovery of Oxy-Contin.

"It has far-reaching repercussions, not only to the people who become the victim, but also to the people around them (including family and general society)," said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, the EOHU medical officer of health.

The English version of episode one, 'The Risks of Prescription Opioids: Addiction Services' airs at 7 p.m., followed at 7:30 p.m. by episode two, 'The Risks of Prescription Opioids: Enforcement.

French-language versions will air immediately after with episode one at 8 p.m. and episode two at 8:30 p.m.

Encore versions of the series can be downloaded from Cogeco's video on demand service.

In one clip, a parent who appears in a shadowed outline and with her voice altered, speaks about how her daughter's life was drastically altered by her OxyContin addiction.

Roumeliotis said it appears the legal availability of OxyContin in the home casts a wide net of possible users.

"If your grandmother has (a prescription) (potential abusers) think it must be harmless," he said.

Problem is, the opiate ingredient can lead to addiction after one or two pills.

OxyContin pills are ground up and then snorted as 'hillbilly heroin' which produces a high which lasts for hours.

Criminals behind the obtainment and sale Oxycontin also like to deal in it because there's no preparation involved.

Until this year, much of the supply has originated by obtaining fraudulent prescriptions with "patients faking symptoms" in order to gain multiple prescriptions from more than one physician.

A new health ministry database has since been set-up to "red flag" occurrences of more than one prescription.

But in recent months, suppliers and addicts have gone to greater lengths, including robbing pharmacies in broad daylight and specifically asking for OxyContin.

Burnie said the city's four-officer street crime squad has been taxed and has resulted in other officers responding to OxyContin related activity.

Addiction services are also in need of more resources to deal with the expanding number of clients.