International Overdose Awareness Day: 'The system robbed my son'

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31 August is International Overdose Awareness Day

This time last week, Aaron Short was young, in love, hanging out with his girlfriend, enjoying the winter sun and talking about their future.

But in a tragedy that repeats more often in Australia than road deaths, the blond 26-year-old died of a drug overdose in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

To mark International Overdose Awareness Day, on Monday Aaron's deeply grieving family invited The Age into their home  to dispel this myth.

They want to share why their "gentle, kind and brave" son turned to drugs, and express their frustrations at a health system they believe let him down.
 
For underneath the smiles and sweet words to his girlfriend Kayla Caccaviello, Aaron was in a world of torment brought on by a childhood trauma.

"He was just purely for the moment wanting to take the pain away," his mother, Cherie Short, said. "He wasn't having fun."   

Read more, this CONTINUES at: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/international-overdose-awareness-day-the-system-robbed-my-son-20150830-gjb3ie.html#ixzz3kQwL0TWi

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