Pubdate: Wed, 04 May 2005
Source: Scarborough Mirror, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Scarborough Mirror
Contact:  http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/scarborough/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2198
Author: Vera Ovanin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

SCARBOROUGH DISCUSSES CITY'S DRUG ABUSE STRATEGY

About 25 people gathered at the Scarborough Civic Centre Monday to voice 
their opinions about why substance abuse is increasing in the city.

The evening event was the first in a series of townhall meetings to help 
the city identify causes of substance abuse, and develop a drug strategy 
based on four components: prevention, harm reduction, treatment and 
enforcement.

"It is important for the premier city of the country to effectively deal 
with drug abuse," Ward 27 Councillor Kyle Rae (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) 
told The Scaborough Mirror. Rae is one of five city councillors across 
Toronto leading the initiative.

Monday's meeting saw participants divide into smaller groups to discuss why 
they think substance abuse is increasing. The groups then presented to the 
entire audience, which was made up of residents, various professionals from 
organizations that work with substance abusers as well as those with a 
history of abuse.

According to Elizabeth Janzen, director of the Toronto Public Health 
Department, 78 per cent of Toronto adults consume alcohol, 15 per cent use 
cannabis, while one to two per cent use other drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Suggestions as to why drug use was increasing included deterioration of 
morals in society, poverty, lack of education and scarcity of affordable 
housing.

Janzen identified homeless people, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered 
people, aboriginal people, people with mental health problems who use 
drugs, sex workers and prison inmates as those most likely to be substance 
abusers. Recent immigrants are least likely to be substance abusers.

"If I woke up homeless tomorrow and with a history of sex abuse, I'd smoke 
some crack pretty quickly," said Holly Kramer, project co-ordinator from 
Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force.

Heidi Dickson, a support worker for the Warden Woods Community Centre, 
which focuses on harm reduction for drug users and former users, said 
substance abuse should be recognized and addressed as a health concern 
rather than a justice issue.

"They should be separate, although they are linked together."

Richard Coleman, who has worked in many homeless shelters where drug abuse 
is rampant, challenged the hard-line "just-say-no" approach to drugs, 
arguing the complexity of the problem requires a well co-ordinated solution.

"Shelters are jail-like institutions where people are denied their 
privacy," said Coleman, co-ordinator with the Toronto Drug Treatment Court.

"For $40 a day that it costs to provide basic shelter service per person, 
we can get these people an OK apartment, fill up their fridge and buy them 
a Metropass."

May Sirk, who said her nephew died of alcoholism at age 34, agreed saying 
the facilities that treat addicts have to change.

"Drug treatment centres are like revolving doors and substance abusers are 
released before they are fully treated," Sirk said.

Toronto has a range of programs and services aimed at combating substance 
abuse, but there is no unifying strategy to guide or co-ordinate these efforts.

"We don't have adequate tools and mechanisms to fight drug addiction and 
help families and communities affected by this problem," Rae said.

Findings from the drug strategy initiative will be submitted to Toronto 
City Council by December.

Monday's meeting was the first in a series of four across Toronto. A second 
meeting was held downtown last night. On Thursday, a meeting will be held 
at Etobicoke's Elmbank Community Centre, while a May 10 meeting will take 
place in the North York Civic Centre.

For more information, please visit www.toronto.ca/health.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman