Pubdate: Wed, 20 Nov 2002
Source: Hub, The (CN NT)
Copyright: 2002 The Hub
Contact:  http://www.hayriverhub.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2349

HEADS IN THE SAND

Does Hay River have a drug problem?

Absolutely.  And the worst drug of all is alcohol - mostly because it is so 
accepted.

When police bust people for pot possession, it's news all over town, and 
the RCMP issue a press release.

When they catch a bootlegger or arrest someone for driving while 
intoxicated, it doesn't get a mention.  That's not to say the police are at 
fault.  Our justice system is a reflection of our society - one that is 
not, as the frightening alcoholism and social services statistics show, 
doing enough to addressing the problem of alcohol abuse.

As addictions counselor Anne Marie McGuire-Smith argues in our special 
section on National Addictions Awareness Week, the community's denial of 
the impacts of addictions mean we'll keep suffering the effects until we 
commit adequate resources to the fight.

See more on pages 15-19.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom