Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 2007
Source: Journal-Pioneer, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2007 Journal-Pioneer
Contact:  http://www.journalpioneer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2789
Author: Nancy MacPhee
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

PROVINCE TARGETS DRUG PROBLEMS

Addiction Treatment Facility, Beefed-Up Policing And Methadone Program

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Province is pumping almost $1.4  million to get 
illegal drugs off the streets and help  those battling drug addictions.

In the budget Tuesday, Provincial Treasurer Mitch  Murphy allocated 
$1 million to establish a youth  addiction treatment facility and 
develop a youth  addictions strategy.

An additional $150,000 is going to the methadone  maintenance 
treatment program and $212,000 will aid the  RCMP's street-level crime unit.

"It is a total program," said Health Minister Chester  Gillan of the 
concerted effort by his and the Attorney  General's department to 
address addictions from the  ground up.

No decision has been made where the new youth  addictions treatment 
facility will go. The P.E.I. Youth  Centre in Summerside had been 
bandied about as a  possible location, which Murphy or Gillan 
wouldn't rule  out.

The closest treatment facility is Sussex, N.B.

Before a location is decided the Province wants to  ensure support 
programs are in place.

"We have to be able to have the support for the rest of  those 
individuals who do not need that particular  treatment facility but 
still have some substance  abuse," said the Health minister. "We 
don't just want  to open the facility and start that without 
the  community base."

He said the facility would likely accommodate 10 to 15  clients at a time.

More money for methadone treatment programs is also  aimed at helping 
those battling addictions.

Public defender Trish Cheverie applauds the move.

She said, "$150,000 is not a lot of money but it's  something. I 
think that is important - at least in  terms of an acknowledgement 
that we have to go in that  direction in terms of how we're going to 
deal with those serious narcotic addictions."

Getting drugs off the street is the first step in  fighting 
addictions, said Attorney General Mildred  Dover.

Her department is getting $212,000 to add two officers  to the RCMP's 
street-level drug unit.

Since it was established, the unit has made strides in  getting drugs 
off the streets, said Dover.

"All you have to do recently is look at all the drug  busts the RCMP 
has successfully accomplished."

But, she admitted, more has to be done.

"We do have an issue here. There is no question about  that," said 
Dover. "What we're trying to do is  emphasize in this budget a family 
component that will  help people that have addictions but also get 
some of  these drugs off the streets."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman