Pubdate: Wed, 03 Mar 2010
Source: Grand Forks Gazette (CN BC)
Page: 8
Copyright: 2010 Grand Forks Gazette
Contact:  http://www.grandforksgazette.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/525
Author: Jim Holtz
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

MAYOR STUDIES REHABILITATION PROGRAMS

Grand Forks Mayor Brian Taylor has gone to Cuba to look at a few 
different examples of addiction rehabilitation centres. "I'm working 
with a government agency in Cuba that does tours and things with 
elected officials," Taylor said.  He is combining the trip with a 
visit to his daughter and her family in Seattle.  "There are a couple 
in Cuba that are in small towns.  There are two in Holquin Province 
and then a couple more that they would like to take me to see, old 
American hotels that they have converted into drug rehab programs for 
patients from all over South America and the United States. I'm 
interested in one in particular, but they said that there are a 
couple more that are not well publicized that they would like to show 
me, so we'll see how that goes."

Taylor is aware of the negative reaction that people have whenever 
addiction rehabilitation is mentioned, but he said that the reality 
is often different than the perception.  "First of all, always put 
alcohol in the front: alcohol and drug treatment program.  There is a 
constant concern that you don't want to be importing problems or 
people with problems, but in fact now we are having a lot of trouble 
with seniors that are having trouble with medications and various 
kinds of addictions, so it is really the people around us that need 
that kind of service," Taylor said.

Taylor believes that there could be employment and other benefits to 
the community, but he wants to discuss the impact of the facilities 
with the local people in Cuba to see if in fact the benefits outweigh 
the disadvantages. "I'm hoping that I can look at these small 
communities and see the level of employment that they have been able 
to achieve in the local community and see what the NIMN (Not In My 
Neighbourhood) reaction is," he said.  I presume that the clients are 
programmed to death for the time they are there, so they're not out 
wandering around within the community; they are actually working on 
programs for that period of time.  They are paying enough money for it."

Taylor said he is paying for the trip himself. "But," he added, "I 
would like to pitch Interior Health and the hospital people on this 
as something that we should look closer at."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom