Pubdate: Sun, 05 Nov 2006 Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Morning Star Contact: http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352 Author: Jennifer Dyck CENTRE CHALLENGES YOUTH Editor's note: First names only are used for Vernon Treatment Centre clients, and in youth cases names are changed to protect identity. Busted at school for drinking, smoking marijuana and even doing cocaine or ecstasy, five high school students were turned over to a treatment program to hopefully turn over a new leaf. Some came willingly on their own, others hesitated and another was dragged in full of resentment and denial. "I thought it was just a bunch of BS. I didn't want to be here at all," said 'Nathan,' who denied he had a problem from the start and held an adverse attitude towards the program facilitator. Through referrals from their schools, Nathan and the others, who each have a drug and alcohol problem, spent five days in the Vernon Treatment Centre's intensive outpatient program, operated by the Shuswap Okanagan Treatment Centre Society. Using videos, lectures, discussions, questionnaires and an educational model based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon, the centre strived to turn these young men off of drugs and alcohol. Although the 15- to 17-year-old's parents, teachers and schools hope the program, which they graduated from recently, will leave a lasting impact on the boys, no one knows for sure what the outcome will be. The young men could leave with only a reminder never to drink or do drugs at school again, yet continue to do so on their own time until substance abuse ruins or perhaps kills them. Program facilitator, Sharon, who herself is a former alcoholic celebrating 28.5 years of sobriety, admits that she can't stop them from using. "With the teens, the best I say is I ruin their using," said the firm yet approachable woman who says she doesn't mind that clients refer to her as Hitler in a dress. Through her lectures and education, Sharon helps all of her clients see the other side to drinking and doing drugs - the debilitating, life-ruining and often deadly side. She shows them what their life could look like if they continue down these paths. And as Sharon and the teens explain, each of her words are burned into their minds. "It's not much fun going out getting high or drunk as a skunk with me chattering in their head." 'Evan,' who came to the centre on his own, attests that a lot of what is taught in the confines of the centre sticks with you. "Sharon's in the back of my mind, eating away at me." The centre also allows the clients to hear the experiences of former alcoholics/addicts, by matching people they can relate to. Like Doug, who hit home with the youth by sharing his teenage experiences with alcohol. "I had my first real big drunk when I was about 14, I was stealing cars at 16." Doug continued his habit of drinking and theft and a life where his wife and children were frightened of him, until one day at the age of 30, he walked through the doors of an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting. "I've got my life today," said Doug, guaranteeing that if he continued his drinking he wouldn't be alive to share his experiences now. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine