Pubdate: Fri, 01 Dec 2006
Source: Coast Reporter (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Coast Reporter
Contact:  http://www.coastreporter.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/580
Author: Christine Wood, Staff Writer

SUBSTANCE ABUSE TO BE TARGETED

A strategy to deal with substance abuse on the Sunshine Coast was 
presented to educators, RCMP members, outreach workers, health 
professionals, politicians and community members last Thursday, Nov. 
23, in the Sechelt Indian Band Longhouse.

The strategy is the culmination of six months work funded through a 
provincial crystal meth grant and overseen by the Sunshine Coast 
Community Methamphetamine Response Program advisory committee. 
However, Carol Nielsen, who formulated the report, said it was 
obvious the Sunshine Coast community wanted a strategy to deal with 
more than just crystal meth issues.

"Our goal was to develop a strategy for a co-ordinated Coast-wide 
strategy to effectively deal with substance abuse in our community," she said.

Through research it was found that "substance abuse" included 
tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription drugs on the Sunshine Coast.

Research in the report states 36 per cent of 20 to 24 year olds on 
the Sunshine Coast smoke and 80 per cent of people 15 years old and 
older have had a drink in the past year, while 35 per cent reported 
alcohol use by others had harmed them in the past year. A surprising 
52 per cent of those aged 15 and older on the Sunshine Coast admitted 
to having used cannabis in their lives, which is the highest 
percentage in Canada, while five per cent of students in grades seven 
to 12 said they may have used methamphetamine.

The most misused substances by youth on the Sunshine Coast were 
identified as being marijuana and alcohol.

The number one priority identified in the report is to develop a 
Sunshine Coast recovery house.

"Many mentioned the need to send people who were ready for treatment 
somewhere close to family, friends and a support system," said the report.

During discussion following Nielsen's presentation, Const. Bryson 
Hill noted he is currently working with Vision Quest to secure a 
house to implement a recovery program locally.

"We just need to get a place and we can be up and running," he said.

Heather Gordon of the advisory committee noted Hill's efforts would 
be taken into consideration so the task force (which will oversee the 
implementation of recommendations in the report) doesn't double up on 
work already being done in the community.

"There still may be a need for a day program as well, which is 
something the task force will look into," she said.

The number one recommendation in Nielsen's report titled "Opened 
Doors: A Co-ordinated Coast-Wide Substance Abuse Strategic 
Framework," is to set up a substance abuse task force to move the 
strategy forward. Coast Reporter recently presented a three-part 
series touching on several issues based on the Opened Doors concept.

Different organizations would participate in the task force in 
different ways. Some, such as school-based organizations, may be 
primarily involved in prevention activities such as awareness 
campaigns. Others, such as addiction services workers, may focus more 
on treatment and harm reduction activities such as the recovery day 
program, the report states.

More recommendations in the report include building awareness of the 
problems in the community and stepping up parent education, 
implementing school-based prevention programs, having the task force 
support the RCMP, particularly in the area of youth initiatives, and 
having the task force take on more research in the areas of 
addictions for seniors and ways to decrease risk factors in all age groups.

Nielsen hopes the recommendations in the report will help to make the 
vision a reality of having "people live free of harms associated with 
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and substances." More money is 
needed to implement the recommendations. "We will be seeking more 
funding from local and provincial governments to make that happen," 
Gordon said.

She said existing committees dealing with substance abuse issues will 
be invited to participate in the task force and that in January the 
task force will approve the steps suggested in the report, make any 
changes necessary and adopt a terms of reference to proceed with 
their mandate to move the strategy forward.

"Then we will find ways to undertake the actions suggested once they 
are approved by the task force. It will probably involve the creation 
of some sub-committees to work on specific action items, for example, 
the recovery house," Gordon said. For more information about the 
strategy, go to www.sunshinecoastsubstanceabusestrategy.ca where a 
copy of the strategy in its entirety was uploaded this week.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine