Pubdate: Wed, 16 Nov 2005
Source: St. Albert Gazette (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 St. Albert Gazette
Contact:  http://www.stalbertgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2919
Author: Cory Hare
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

MORE HELP FOR ADDICTED YOUTH

Allie was 13 when she tried crystal meth. Around that time she was also 
sampling marijuana, mushrooms, Ecstasy, cocaine, crack and LSD. Now a 
recovering addict, she hopes increased treatment options will help other 
teens like her.

"I was just experimenting with all sorts of drugs and from experience I can 
say that crystal meth is the most addictive drug out there," says the St. 
Albert teen, who didn't want her real name used. "It's scary how addictive 
it is."

By the time she was 14, Allie had a very serious addiction. She was 15 
before she realized how bad. When she turned 17 earlier this year, she 
decided to get clean.

"I tried many, many a time to do it on my own and it never worked."

What worked was AADAC's Action Program in Calgary. While staying with a 
host family, Allie attended counselling sessions and kept up her schooling. 
She was also reintegrated into the community and given increasing amounts 
of freedom.

That program is similar to a new initiative AADAC announced last week that 
includes a total of 24 new beds for youth aged 12 to 17. These are split 
evenly between Calgary and Edmonton AADAC facilities. In Edmonton, the new 
beds include four for detox and eight for treatment.

"I just think it is so important that they have a voluntary centre there, 
where you can go if you need to for as long as you need to," Allie said. 
"That would have been so crucial in my recovery if that would have been 
open while I was trying to clean up."

Allie was able to stay clean while living with a host family during her 
treatment. Not all addicts can, which is why the new eight-bed treatment 
centre is so important, said Marilyn Mitchell, director of AADAC youth 
services for northern Alberta.

The new beds are good news to other St. Albert residents as well.

"This is one of the most awesome bits of news we can get," said Aline, 
whose granddaughter got into crystal meth two years ago. "I really feel we 
need that plus more, but that's a start."

Chris agrees. Her 17-year-old daughter has been battling crystal meth for 
three years and has been trying to get into a treatment facility for the 
last year.

"This is a very, very good day for parents as a tool to help their kids put 
their lives back together." She also agreed that more beds are needed, as 
there are already waiting lists for the new programs, which had been 
operating for several weeks before they were officially unveiled last week.

Mitchell said the new programs are full but that doesn't necessarily mean 
there's a waiting list. "From her perspective I can see that being a 
waiting list. Are we full in some of our other programs? No."

Wait times can be very hard on addicts. They can set their minds to staying 
clean for a couple weeks, but if the waiting period stretches beyond that, 
"they may backslide to the point where they no longer want the treatment 
and you've lost them," Chris said.

"I used while I was waiting," Allie says. "I couldn't help it. I don't 
know, it was like the cravings got the best of me."

St. Albert has a large community of drug users -- at least 500, Allie says. 
While she applauds the new facilities in Edmonton, she feels St. Albert 
needs something of its own -- a treatment centre or at least another 
counsellor to help the overworked AADAC satellite office.

"It boggles the mind how big the problem is in St. Albert," she says.

Randy Krick, drug counsellor with St. Albert's AADAC office, said he 
doesn't know how many users there are in the city. That would require a 
study and he's too busy to do one. The new treatment options are welcome, 
he said.

"I do have kids that are in withdrawal and to be able to access a service 
like that, it just works very well."

Addicts aged under 18 require a specialized program, he said. "Now that's 
in place so it's very, very helpful."

Allie said the best part of the new programs is that they're voluntary.

"You have to come to the conclusion on your own that it is wrecking your 
life," she said. "One thing with a crystal meth user, if you turn around 
and say, 'You can't do this,' they're damn well gonna."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom