Pubdate: Thu, 02 Feb 2006
Source: Lethbridge Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 The Lethbridge Herald
Contact:  http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/239
Author: Stacy O'brien
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

COMMUNITY GROUPS FORMING TO HELP TACKLE DRUG ISSUES

Crystal meth and other drugs are making their way into southern 
Alberta. Communities are striking at the issue head on with community 
groups focused on education and prevention.

Lethbridge and Taber have had groups that bring community members and 
service providers together for a while to tackle drugs issues in the 
community but in other places like Fort Macleod and Claresholm, 
programs are just getting underway.

"I think certainly the emergence of some of these drugs, like crystal 
meth, different agencies have come to the decision they can't do this 
alone," says Susan Canning, manager of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug 
Abuse Commission Lethbridge area office.

AADAC has begun offering funding of up to $3,000 per drug coalition 
per year for a maximum of three years to be used by the coalitions 
for community meetings, travel to relevant workshops and conferences, 
training and other things.

Canning says there are close to 50 coalitions across the province 
looking at a variety of different areas including drug prevention, 
treatment, policing, enforcement and harm reduction.

She says coalitions first started springing up in places like Camrose 
and Drayton Valley, where drugs were rampant and similar groups have 
started in other communities that want to avoid drugs becoming a problem.

Erica Rowntree, the outreach program co-ordinator of Claresholm and 
District Family and Community Support Services, sees the Claresholm 
and District Drug Coalition as a way to educate both young people and 
their parents about drugs and where they can go for help and assistance.

"Claresholm is just a great little community and we want to keep it 
that way," she says.

People from the health region, schools, law enforcement and one of 
the churches are among those on the coalition. Rowntree says she sees 
it as a circling effect; if there is someone in need, there are more 
places people can go for help that are all working together.

The Fort Macleod Crystal Meth Coalition got started in December. Val 
Campbell, who co-chairs the coalition and is the executive director 
of the Foothills Detox Centre, says they put a blurb in the paper 
during National Addictions Awareness Week in November to see if 
anyone would be interested in starting a coalition. After they were 
swamped with phone calls, they decided to move ahead with organizing.

"There is a great crystal meth problem in rural southern Alberta. 
It's everywhere really," says Angela Bourassa, co-chair of the Fort 
Macleod Crystal Meth Coalition. "Our community is starting to realize 
we need to work as a community. We need a lot of people and everyone 
on board to make something happen."

In Taber, the Taber Community Against Drugs group got started around 
two and half years ago after an influx of crack cocaine, says Insp. 
Graham Abela, with the Taber Police. Abela, who co-chairs the group, 
says they've pushed education and prevention of crystal methamphetamine.

"Something has to be working because we haven't had a case yet," 
Abela says. ". . . If it hasn't hit our radar screen I'm not saying 
it's not out there but we think it's a good indicator that it's not 
prevalent. So if we can help there that's one of the main goals of the group."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman