Pubdate: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Copyright: 2005 The StarPhoenix Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400 Author: Darren Bernhardt Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) SASK. OFFERS ABUSE HOPE Premier Pledges $30M To Combat Substance Abuse A $30-million plan to combat substance abuse will give Saskatchewan one of the most comprehensive treatment and prevention programs on the continent, Premier Lorne Calvert announced Thursday. Project Hope will be one of the "lasting legacies" of the province's centennial year, he told a large gathering of political and community leaders in Saskatoon. Many people wore yellow buttons with black lettering, reading "Uniting to Heal." But the Saskatchewan Party called the plan "extremely disappointing." "I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach because for two years we've been trying to get somebody to recognize we have to deal with something right now," said Sask. Party MLA June Draude. "Everything they (NDP) are doing, they're saying they're going to basically do it next year. For a family that has somebody in trouble right now, it's not going to help them. They're not going to go to bed tonight feeling any better." "I think people have been cheated." Project Hope was launched in conjunction with the release of NDP MLA Graham Addley's long-awaited substance abuse report and recommendations. From January to June, Addley reviewed current substance abuse and treatment services in Saskatchewan, consulting with more than 50 stakeholder groups. His report was passed on to Calvert at the end of June, resulting in Project Hope. The government will commit $10 million annually over the next three years to implement the plan, based on 15 recommendations in Addley's report. It calls for initiatives involving personnel, programs and construction of brand new facilities. Several beds for treatment will be added in major centres while northern communities will be served by more counsellors and a mobile treatment service. Methadone services and outreach services will be expanded while treatment will be available to offenders in custody and those appearing before a new drug treatment court. A pilot project for the latter will begin in Regina this fall. Substance abuse services will be enhanced through expanded training for professionals in the substance abuse and mental health fields as well as the development of a provincial database containing up-to-date information on treatment options. The government will also host an annual clinical conference for those in the addictions fields. "Substance abuse is a terrible and dangerous problem. We must act quickly to take greater control," said Addley, noting four per cent of the Saskatchewan population is dependent on alcohol -- the highest of any Canadian province. As well, 30 to 70 per cent of crime is associated with substance abuse. The cost to health, policing and family support due to substance abuse is $266 million each year, he added. It's not enough, however, to simply address treatment, said Calvert. Prevention is also key, which means fighting the source of the problem. "Too many of our young people are losing their futures to drugs and alcohol. I want those who destroy the hope of our young people . . . to know they are not welcome in our province." Four additional drug enforcement officers will be hired for the RCMP and two additional officers to enforce the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN). The NDP will urge the federal government to strengthen penalties for drug possession and the province will build MethWatch, a coalition of retail and wholesale businesses to restrict the supply of ingredients used to manufacture crystal meth. "We are going after the source," said Calvert. "Project Hope will ensure that Saskatchewan will be home to one of the most integrated and comprehensive systems for preventing and treating substance abuse in Canada and dare I say, in North America." One thing the plan doesn't address is forced treatment of addicts who refuse help. Community Resources Minister Joanne Crofford is studying the matter and "where it would be appropriate" to require people, against their will, to enter a program, Calvert said. "We want to respect all the questions of individual freedoms and rights. But we also want to respect the fact that when a person reaches the point of an obvious need for treatment, that we can get that to them." Crofford will provide a report in the fall, he said, noting the drug court will have the power to order treatment to offenders. Program consultants will be hired immediately to introduce, develop and implement the initiatives in Project Hope. A research chair at the U of S will be in place by the fall, as will the community resource materials and officers. Many more proposals will be in place in 2006, such as transitional housing so addicts aren't sent back to the source of the problem, family respite support and an accreditation process for all substance abuse programs. A provincial alcohol and drug survey will also be conducted in early 2006. Construction of a family treatment centre will begin in spring 2006 but it won't be accepting clients until fall 2007. Other treatment centres will be operational by spring 2008. That's not soon enough, said Sask. Party MLA Ted Merriman. "It is extremely disappointing that we're not starting immediately (with the treatment). We've recognized that there are children dying in our city and other cities in the province. Why do we have to wait until 2008?" He suggested the NDP might be saving it to use as election leverage. "There are facilities today that are capable of being used as treatment centres. There's an empty hospital in Davidson," he said. "It's great we're going to have a database and it's great we're going to have studies and it's great we're going to have administration. But when are we going to put the bricks and mortar on the street that are going to affect the kids at the bottom of the pile?" The Sask. Party was also looking for something to address the need for meth addicts to have 180 days of treatment, if not more. "To look at a 15-bed treatment centre in Saskatoon, using his (Calvert's) estimates of 150 people going through it annually, means we're spinning them in between 28-45 days. That's certainly not extended treatment whatsoever," said Merriman, adding a 30-40 bed facility is needed in Saskatoon to treat substance abuse. Dave Henry, RCMP drug awareness co-ordinator, called the NDP plan a step in the right direction. "I think it's a good message that they do want to crack down and do something about it." Prince Albert Mayor Jim Stiglitz said the plan provides "a lot more than what I thought (it would). "Now there's hope, and that's the greatest thing. Parents now can be relieved that if their kids get into this kind of predicament, there is hope," he said. Shan Landry, the vice-president of primary health services for the Saskatoon Health Region, said the plan implementation will be demanding. "The addition of so many resources at once will be a challenge but it is something we're up for," she said. "It is tremendous news because of the need we see all the time. To be able to respond to it with a greater capacity is a dream come true." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom