Pubdate: Tue, 15 Apr 2014
Source: Guardian, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2014 The Guardian, Charlottetown Guardian Group Incorporated
Contact:  http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/174
Author: Teresa Wright

GRIEVING MOTHER TO PROTEST FOR MORE SERVICES TO HELP ADDICTED ISLANDERS

The mother of a man believed to have taken his own life as a result 
of drug addiction will stage a protest Tuesday in the hopes of 
getting government to provide more services for addicted Islanders.

Dianne Young's son Lennon Waterman would have turned 30 on Monday. He 
has been missing since early November.

Young believes he took his own life by leaping into the cold North 
River. RCMP found his clothes on the North River causeway after 
receiving reports of a man on the causeway the night of Nov. 8, 2013.

On Monday, a tearful Young and her daughter placed flowers on the 
causeway, to mark Lennon's 30th birthday.

"I can't let his death be in vain," she said in an interview Monday.

"He was a sweet little boy, he was a kind and gentle soul... I feel 
like his spirit is still alive and I feel like he's with me and he 
wants me to do this because he wasn't able to get help, but other 
people might be able to get it from his story."

Young says her son spent the last decade tormented by mental illness, 
hooked on highly potent and addictive prescription drugs.

She says he went to detox several times, but always relapsed due to a 
lack of follow up care or long-term rehabilitation programs for adults.

Young's protest on Tuesday evening will call on the provincial 
government to provide more treatment options and services for 
Islanders who become trapped in the disease of addiction.

She said she was greatly disappointed to see no new spending included 
in last week's provincial budget dedicated to addictions.

"There's not one penny in the budget for addictions, but there's 
money in the budget for parties," Young said, referencing spending on 
celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown 
Conference this year.

"Where are Premier Ghiz's priorities? He said in an interview in 
December that mental health was his priority. What happened with 
that? You're only as good as your word," Young said.

She said she hopes her protest will bring the conversation to the 
legislature and make government strongly consider offering more 
mental health and addictions services.

The protest will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Province House.
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