Dr. Don Ling Tells Mlas 60 Per Cent of Those on Program End Up Leading Productive Lives The medical director of the methadone program says the program should be expanded due to high levels of success among patients struggling with opiate addictions. Dr. Don Ling told the Standing Committee on Health and Social Development Tuesday 60 per cent of those on the methadone program end up drug-free and back in the workforce, leading productive lives. "Lives that are in the dumpster all of a sudden are back in a productive way, kids back in mother's care, people back to work or school, it's just powerful stuff," Ling told the MLAs on the committee. "It's very encouraging." Ling appeared before the committee as part of its ongoing consultations regarding the alarming number of Islanders becoming addicted to prescription pills. [continues 495 words]
Panellists Say Island Youths Can Be Better Protected by Everyone Working Together MONTAGUE - Provincial court judges need to get tough on drug dealers and doctors and dentists need to reel in the prescriptions if youth drug use is going to be curtailed, an addiction forum was advised here recently. Drug use will never go away, but a panel of facilitators insisted Island youth could be better protected against the cornucopia of insidious offerings causing even greater addictions. "There was a time when marijuana and alcohol were the greatest concern, and then it grew to cocaine and opiates, and now I'm dealing with students using needles," said Tyler Larter, guidance counsellor at Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown. [continues 578 words]
Three Colonel Gray students came forward to tell their own stories of drug addiction and recovery to a crowd of concerned parents during a presentation panel at the high school Thursday night. The students had experienced addiction issues first-hand, assiting with the goal of the "Making the Connection" panel to provide information to help facilitate parents' discussions with their own children about drug use and the risks associated with it. Although each of three stories were different, they all shared aspects that are common among high school students using drugs. For all of them, using drugs had started as a fun hobby with peers before turning into an addiction that led to dropping out, or being kicked out, of the high school. [continues 496 words]
Federal Liberal Leadership Candidate Speaks About Drugs With Colonel Gray High School Students The student didn't even have to finish his question for Justin Trudeau to know he was about to be asked about decriminalization of marijuana. During a session Tuesday morning with Colonel Gray High School students in Charlottetown, the candidate for the federal Liberal Party leadership came out in support of decriminalizing marijuana and even discussed the possibility of legalization. Trudeau's opinion on the touchy subject was the first thing the Papineau MP was asked during a question-and-answer session with English-speaking students at the school. [continues 432 words]
Many Islanders Interested in Using Drug for Relief of Medical Conditions Calling it the Freedom Tour, a group of more than 20 Islanders gathered in Charlottetown recently to call for the legalization of marijuana. Many were interested in using the drug for relief of medical conditions, a process that is permitted in Canada provided the user complies with a daunting application and usage protocol, the meeting was told. Trevor Leclerc, candidate for the leadership of the NDP on P.E.I., is HIV-positive and takes pharmaceutical, prescribed drugs to stave off AIDS. [continues 850 words]
Work must be done to help addicts before crimes are committed: Richardson Editor's note: This is Part IV in a series by the Journal Pioneer examining drug abuse in western Prince Edward Island. Part V will appear in tomorrow's edition. SUMMERSIDE - There is no easy fix to the underlying problem behind property crime - that of escalating drug use. It's a message touted by police and reiterated by Rev. Andrew Richardson, chair of Summerside's Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee. [continues 1212 words]
Property is being stolen, homes are being broken in to and brazen crimes, including armed robberies, are taking place not only Summerside but across P.E.I. The crimes, said Summerside Police Service Chief David Poirier, are the direct result of increased drug use and desperation by those addicted to get money for their fix. This week, Ryan Wendell Cornish, of Summerside, was sentenced to six months behind bars for breaking into two city homes and stealing more than $10,000 worth of items, from rolled coins and a bicycle to a flat screen television. [continues 773 words]
Chief Health Officer Believes Fewer Cases Of Hepatitis May Be Result SUMMERSIDE - An expansion of the Province's needle exchange program has contributed, in part, to fewer cases of hepatitis C, health officials say. In addition to its Charlottetown location, the Province has expanded the needle exchange program into three more areas since 2009 - Summerside, Alberton and Montague. Although numbers for 2011 will only be compiled in January, P.E.I.'s chief health officer said early indications are encouraging. "In 2011 to date, we've seen a bit of a decrease in the number of cases of hepatitis C. That's due to many things, but we hope partly due to the needle exchange program," said Dr. Heather Morrison. [continues 332 words]
On the same day Charlottetown police arrested people for dealing drugs at city high schools, Jag Khalsa was at a conference talking about the consequences of drug use. Khalsa is a pharmacologist with the U.S.-based National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NISA) and was at the Delta Prince Edward last week as a speaker for the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine's (CSAM) annual meeting. There are more than 200 million drug addicts worldwide and addictions cost the U.S. billions of dollars every year, he said. [continues 313 words]
Video surveillance operations carried out by city police in and around Col. Gray and Charlottetown Rural High Schools between the end of September and early October have identified over 30 people who were using and/or supplying drugs. Deputy Police Chief Gary McGuigan said earlier today that as a result of that operation eight persons are facing charges under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act. Two of those eight are not students. The remaining persons will be charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. [continues 128 words]
A Charlottetown store is hoping to cash in on what police are calling the pothead's version of St. Patrick's Day. Wild Impulse is advertising what it calls a "4:20 special," which promises a rolling competition, discounts and, of course, cake. Popular among tokers as a time to 'burn one down,' 4:20 has become a cultural symbol among marijuana users. One quick search on the Internet and you will find thousands of pages about its origin and the different ways people celebrate. [continues 149 words]
Addict wants help but can't get into methadone program When Jennica Warren went into a local store a few months ago, her only purpose was to steal a pair of sneakers. The 21-year-old Summerside resident will soon appear in court to answer to a theft charge, but says she needs help. Warren has been addicted to the prescription medication hydromorphone, better known as dilaudid, for the past four years. "Everybody's ashamed of their addiction but the shame is over now for me, I don't care," she said. "If everyone in Summerside has to hate me for me to get better, so be it. It can't get any worse." [continues 495 words]
If you follow the Summerside court stories in the news at all, you know many people are charged and convicted under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act each week. Most in the justice system would agree that many other offences - ranging from theft to assault - occur as a result of drug use or the need to feed an addiction. Some likely read the stories with a certain detachment or even derision of the person accused. Many may even have a notion that the drug problem in Summerside, and Prince County in general, will eventually be solved through the court system. [continues 263 words]
Did Mr. Jaffer receive special treatment or did he get a break that others before the court sometimes get? Ontario justice officials should explain to Canadians why Rahim Jaffer got what many Canadians are calling a 'slap on the wrist' after cocaine possession and drunk driving charges against him were withdrawn and he was convicted of a lesser offence of careless driving. Such an explanation would benefit not only Canadians, but Mr. Jaffer himself. Until Canadians are told why Mr. Jaffer got what even the judge himself called "a break", many will conclude the former MP and husband of a current cabinet minister simply got special treatment. That impression, in the court of public opinion, would dog Mr. Jaffer indefinitely, and left unchallenged, would only confirm suspicions that he and others with connections get a better deal when they find themselves before a judge. [continues 304 words]
BEDEQUE - It's not common to want to be elected Opposition leader in the P.E.I. legislature. But even though Bedeque's Caitlin Kimmet isn't a political figure, that's exactly what she asked for last weekend. The 17-year-old Kinkora Regional High School student participated in the 22nd Rotary Youth Parliament last Friday and Saturday at Province House. "I like to keep up on the news and politics but I'm by no means an expert," Kimmet said. "I wanted to be with the Opposition because they get to hold government accountable for everything they do." [continues 264 words]
Attorney General Doug Currie says many of the issues that were foremost in his mind as minister of Health continue to be primary issues for him in his new post. Speaking to the annual general meeting of P.E.I. Crime Stoppers Wednesday, Currie noted, for example, that in his former portfolio he was closely involved with the development of the P.E.I. Youth Substance Use and Addiction Strategy. "In developing that strategy we were acutely aware that for approximately 60 to 70 per cent of youth who come into conflict with the law, substance abuse is either a direct or indirect factor in their offending behaviours," Currie said. "By that I mean that these offenders are either under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they commit their offence or they commit the offence to gain access to money for alcohol or drugs." [continues 322 words]
Losing Community Policing Officer Contrary to Message of Police Chiefs Conference Some delegates attending the 104th annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in Charlottetown this week must be scratching their heads as they grapple with the essential role of community policing in fighting crime. The theme of the conference is 'Creating Safe and Healthy Communities through Social Development,' meaning that today's policing executives need to focus on finding new ways of integrating police services with the communities they serve. Key sessions of the conference are focusing on proven community safety strategies. [continues 511 words]
Law Enforcement Report Cites Illicit Drugs A Primary Criminal Market Spreading Across P.E.I., Canada The 'Gentle Island' may be its theme, but Prince Edward Island is not immune to organized crime, says the commanding officer of the RCMP in the province. Randy Robar made the comments on Friday as law enforcement agencies from the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada released the 2009 Report on Organized Crime in Canada during a news conference in Charlottetown. The illegal drug trade continues to be the primary concern for law enforcement agencies across P.E.I. [continues 668 words]
I will remember a terrifying sound forever. It was a wretched scream. The scream of a girl just before her boyfriend's car collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer. This girl was soon to be the victim of impaired driving. Her boyfriend had gotten in his car with her while under the influence and lost control of the vehicle. His life was spared. Unfortunately, the girl died immediately upon impact. This was only a sound clip I heard during a presentation a few months ago at school. Norbert Georget a former paramedic from Saskatchewan gave the presentation on impaired driving and drug and alcohol abuse. [continues 589 words]
Sleepy Hollow Jail Faces Overcrowding, Especially On Weekends CHARLOTTETOWN - Sleepy Hollow isn't so sleepy these days, it would seem. The Charlottetown jail has been seeing steady increases of inmates over the past several years, which has been causing overcrowding and security concerns. That's why tenders are about to close on a 100-square-foot unit soon to be constructed adjacent to the current jail facility, with an adjoining pedway to connect the two units. This new unit will create an additional 48 beds and will create a separate space for lower-risk inmates who only serve intermittent sentences -- known as 'weekenders.' [continues 291 words]
Will P.E.I. get a long-term residential treatment facility for young people struggling with addiction? The Island's youth substance use and addiction project co-ordinator says it's too soon to say. "We are not able to answer that... because we need better programming in the province to indicate that need," said Rod Stanley. Government identified two main priorities for its youth addiction strategy with input from public consultations, an advisory committee and several working groups. Stanley explained two main gaps were found: the need to beef up prevention, education and early intervention in communities and a day-treatment program. [continues 252 words]
On April 1, a program that for five years literally helped save lives of injection drug users on the Island will cease to exist. AIDS P.E.I. is getting out of the needle exchange program. It's not by choice; the non-profit organization can't afford to keep it going. AIDS P.E.I. approached the Province for $40,000 to defray program costs and to hire a full-time administrator. The request was denied. Now, the few remaining syringe kits are being handed out and officials at AIDS P.E.I. are left with the task of informing clients they'll have to go elsewhere for clean, safe needles. [continues 312 words]
The Province's decision to start its own needle exchange program, rather than fund one operated by AIDS P.E.I., deeply concerns Mark Hanlon. The AIDS P.E.I. executive director fears injection drug users that rely now on the "harm reduction" program for sterile syringes will be intimidated, even fearful of using a government-run service. "They trust us but they may not trust the government," said Hanlon. "Now what happens with those people? Is the government honestly prepared to handle an influx of people with HIV or hepatitis C? [continues 386 words]
The New Criminal Intelligence Service Bureau Should Foster Better Information Sharing Among Police Agencies. P.E.I. police agencies have fired a warning shot across the bows of organized and major crime elements on the Island. The warning is clear: take your sleazy business elsewhere. Otherwise you will be tracked down and prosecuted. There is nowhere to hide anymore. Provincial police agencies launched P.E.I.'s Criminal Intelligence Service Bureau on Wednesday, described as the final link in a national law enforcement network committed to combating organized crime. We are the last province to connect into this link, which co-ordinates a provincial bureau with a national organization dedicated to fighting major and organized crime. Criminals are getting a lot smarter on how to avoid detection and police have to respond accordingly. [continues 438 words]
The Province has announced plans in its recent capital budget to invest $2.5 million in a facility for youth at risk, earmarking $500,000 in 2009-2010 and $2 million in 2010-2011 for such a facility. One official says the money be used to establish a 30-bed facility to provide a host of services for youth. Services could include psychology, psychiatry, mental-health services, addictions and education. But just what exactly the project will include has yet to be determined. Planning is said to be in the initial stages and decisions yet to be made. [continues 312 words]
Potatoes are not the only things growing on Prince Edward Island, according to an article in a Boston alternative newspaper. The weekly Boston Phoenix says in a feature article that what it calls "Pot Edward Island" is a haven for marijuana growers, fuelled by inexpensive electricity from Quebec. Writer Alan Earls says that beneath the island's bucolic image of golf courses, white sand beaches and red clay roads, there is a gritty rural backwoods full of hopped-up criminals. The province is "the fertile centre of an underground marijuana explosion," opines one headline. Mr. Earls cites a 2008 government survey that nearly half of the province's high school and middle school students use drugs and notes that so far in 2008 the RCMP have seized 2,608 grams of marijuana, almost double the amount in 2007. [end]
Prince Edward Island's Anne isn't the only thing that's green, according to an article in a Boston alternative newspaper. Writer Alan Earls charges that "Pot Edward Island" is a haven for dope growers and that inexpensive electricity from Quebec fuels its grow-ops. "Canada's most picturesque province is surprisingly also the fertile center of an underground marijuana explosion," opines the sub-head for the feature-length piece. In the weekly Boston Phoenix, Earls writes that beyond the "Pollyanna disposition" of Anne of Green Gables, "islanders have discovered another way to smile through the summer and avoid the blues during the bleak local winters." [continues 151 words]
Prince Edward Island's Anne isn't the only thing that's green, according to a new article in a Boston alternative newspaper. Writer Alan Earls claims "Pot Edward Island" is a haven for dope growers and inexpensive electricity from Quebec fuels the island's grow-ops. Instead of the bucolic island of golf courses, white beaches and red clay roads, Earl seemingly uncovers a rural backwoods full of hopped-up criminals. "Canada's most picturesque province is surprisingly also the fertile center of an underground marijuana explosion," the article states. [continues 286 words]
Canada's Most Picturesque Province Is Surprisingly Also The Fertile Center Of An Underground Marijuana Explosion In 2004, a newspaper report appeared in the Guardian - the biggest daily newspaper on Prince Edward Island (PEI) - that was at odds with the outside world's image of the idyllic Canadian province. Two bullets had hit local resident Kenneth Rae MacFarlane while he was home alone in the midst of a blizzard. With the help of snow-plow operators, an ambulance and a police team eventually reached him. He survived the attack, but ended up in court with some explaining to do. It seems in the course of investigating the shooting - so rare on the island that emergency-room physicians are routinely sent for training to Baltimore, where such injuries are a dime a dozen - police made an unexpected discovery. MacFarlane's home housed an elaborate indoor pot-growing operation, with two rooms dedicated to cannabis cultivation and a third undergoing conversion. [continues 1179 words]
SUMMERSIDE - The government of Canada has made a major investment in addiction programs for P.E.I.'s youth. Federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Rob Nicholson and the Island's Attorney General Gerard Greenan were at the Summerside Youth Centre, Tuesday, to announce over $300,000 in funding will be provided over the next three years to improve addiction support programs and services for youth in conflict with the law. The federal minister said, "We remain committed to the goals of making our communities safer, protecting our youth from a life of drugs and crime, and showing compassion for those who fall victim to illicit drugs." [continues 257 words]
It's a step in the right direction, but is it really enough? Tuesday, federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Rob Nicholson announced more than $300,000 over three years would be allocated to improve addiction support programs and services for youth in conflict with the law. The funding will be go to the Community and Correctional Services division of the Office of the Attorney General and used to implement the P.E.I. Youth Substance Use and Addiction Strategy. Referral and assessment procedures, as well as post-treatment relapse prevention programs, will be developed for the addicted who are in trouble with the law. [continues 270 words]
ELMSDALE - As he signs autographs for students following his presentation at Westisle composite high, George Chuvalo asks questions: How are you doing in school? Do you get along with your Mom? Here is this tough-as-nails former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion who has just poured out his life story to more than 700 students, chatting with teenagers as if they are close relatives. There's George Chuvalo who was never knocked off his feet in the ring. It's told by video. [continues 319 words]
Former Canadian Heavyweight Boxing Champion Lost Three Sons, Wife, As A Result Of Substance Abuse It still tears George Chuvalo up to talk about the tragedy that his filled his life. The former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion - he carried that title from 1958 to 1979 - was at Bluefield High School Tuesday to talk to students. Since 1996, Chuvalo speaks to students, parents and other groups about drugs and how they have impacted his life. He lost three sons and a wife as a result of substance abuse. [continues 383 words]
Three evenings of public consultation are scheduled across P.E.I. this week to discuss the draft P.E.I. Youth Substance Use and Addictions Strategy. The P.E.I. Department of Health has been working closely with a number of government agencies and the public over the past year to research and prepare the report. The draft strategy is now available online for Islanders to review. This week's meetings begin tonight and continue Tuesday and Wednesday. Health Minister Doug Currie says finding a long-term solution for Island youth struggling with addictions is a top priority for government. [continues 117 words]
A 42-year-old Charlottetown man described by police as a key figure in an operation that imported large quantities of cocaine and other drugs into P.E.I. from Nova Scotia for sale by a network of street-level dealers has been sentenced to over five years in a federal correctional facility. Derreck Dean Huggan was sentenced Tuesday in provincial court to serve 6 1/2 years behind bars for conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Provincial Court Judge Nancy Orr sentenced Huggan to a further 6 1/2 years for conspiracy to traffic in the painkiller Hydromorphone. [continues 306 words]
SUMMERSIDE -- Drug raids are up considerably this year in Prince County thanks to the addition of a new officer to the Prince County Joint Forces Operation drug unit. That extra position was funded by the provincial government, said East Prince RCMP Cst. Scott Lundrigan and a member of the JFO. The unit has expanded from two officers, to three, and so have searches. The number of drug raids more than doubled from 11 as of July 2, 2006 to 26 by July 2 of this year, said Lundrigan. [continues 278 words]
Crime Stoppers provincial co-ordinator Paul Stetson says anonymous calls could also help turn around lives of wayward peers in junior and senior high schools. Prince Edward Island students are being urged to pick up the phone to help curb crime in their schools. Paul Stetson, provincial co-ordinator for P.E.I. Crime Stoppers, wants to see this tipster vehicle have a strong presence in Island high schools and junior highs. "What we want to see from those (schools) is they keep the programs out and running in front of the new students as they come in,'' he said of active Crime Stoppers school chapters. [continues 461 words]
Editor, Your May 6 editorial made the common mistake of confusing drug-related crime with prohibition-related crime. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. The good news is that Canada has already adopted many of the common sense harm reduction interventions first pioneered in Europe. The bad news is that Canada's southern neighbour continues to use its superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe. The United States provides tragic examples of anti-drug strategies that are best avoided. [continues 94 words]
First the good news: Police are continuing their crackdown on illegal drugs. Police conducted more raids last week, seized drugs and laid charges. The charges, of course, still have to go before the court and the persons charged may or may not be found guilty. Now the bad news: Even if those charged are found guilty and sentenced to prison, there will be new dealers taking up the trade. And why? Because of greed or desperation. Greed -- they want money and they don't care where it comes from as long as it makes it into their pockets. [continues 300 words]
Editor, I applaud the Provincial Government for the announcement of a youth treatment facility here on P.E.I., but how is it going to be structured for recovering for addicts? Is it going to be staffed with a phycologics, counccelors, addictions specialist and all the people than can tell the addict what wrong with them or are they going to get addicts that are clean, getting on with their life to show them that there is light at the end of that awful tunnel of addiction. [continues 430 words]
Are pot dealers more compassionate than the federal government? Judge for yourself. According to recent media reports Ottawa is charging people approved for medical marijuana 15 times more than what it pays its own supplier, a company that grows the crop at the bottom of an abandoned Flin Flon, Man., underground mine. Guess who is getting the shaft? You have to wonder how your average neighbourhood dealer, facing much thinner margins, can still earn enough from bulk sales to stay on good terms with the local Mercedes or BMW dealership. [continues 312 words]
Funding Also Going To Methadone Treatment, RCMP Street-Level Crime Unit The province is putting almost $1.4 million into getting illegal drugs off the streets and helping those battling drug addictions. In his 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 to 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 departments to address addictions from the ground up. [continues 315 words]
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. [continues 320 words]
Three years ago the P.E.I. liquor commission initiated funding for a new initiative that targeted the date rape drug. The Posters and Coasters campaign was the result of many prominent local organizations collaborating to create a new and informative campaign that directly targeted young people. The operation's primary goal was to raise awareness about date rape drugs, as well as to promote responsible drinking habits. Wendy Adams, a police officer at UPEI, has been involved with the project since its conception. "We are pleased to be part of it here at UPEI. Anytime that our department has the opportunity to go out and speak we always promote this campaign." [continues 519 words]
Editor, The huge number of break-and-enters in and around Summerside, and everywhere else on P.E.I., is, I am assuming, largely drug inspired. Children (most of those apprehended are minors) usually don't break into homes and businesses in the early hours of the morning without a drug-fueled urgency. My guess is that they've been deliberately addicted to drugs and debased into desperate little criminals, who nightly prowl the streets for whatever they can steal in the service of their pimps. Is there a crime darker than that? [continues 187 words]
Editor: As an educator at Colonel Gray high school, I feel compelled to respond to Mr. Martin Ronald Arsenault's letter, 'Bad language isn't the only problem' (The Guardian, March 3, 2007). To begin with, we here at Colonel Gray are making every effort to curb profanity with our newly implemented profanity policy; however, a certain burden of responsibility for proper conduct and manners also lies within our students' homes. I fail to see the connection between the recently released movie, The Departed, and the increase in profanity among our youth. Many movies contain profanity, but that does not mean our youth go out and mimic the behaviour. [continues 186 words]
Editor: Regarding your Feb. 13 editorial (Being aware of the illegal drug problem), cracking down on illegal drugs is easier said than done. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. The good news is that Canada has already adopted many of the common sense harm reduction interventions first pioneered in Europe. The bad news is that Canada's southern neighbour continues to use its superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe. [continues 117 words]
More resources and a long-term treatment facility on the Island to deal with addicted youth are what's needed. That's the word from participants at a consultation meeting held to discuss youth addiction strategy. The meeting, held last week at Westisle High School, was the last in a series of meetings organized by the department of health across the province. The meeting asked the question: "If youth addictions services in the province were to be improved and/or expanded, what would you recommend?" [continues 462 words]
More than 40 people turned out at a public consultation held in Summerside on P.E.I.'s addiction services for youth. Here are some of their comments. Bill Campbell, counsellor, said the P.E.I. system simply isn't working: "I've had calls from as far away as Alberta on a Prince Edward Island youth. And the father going to go out there and wondering what he could do because his son's going to die. I said, 'Find something in Alberta. If you're interested in his life, don't take him to Prince Edward Island.'" [continues 396 words]
Getting help for drug addiction is never easy and where teens are involved, families face even more obstacles. A grandson in trouble with the law, struggling with an addiction. A Summerside woman said it took her 10 calls and 15 people to get him help. And she'd been through the system before - since one of her children battled addiction too. "It is certainly an effect that I don't wish on anybody," said the woman, who tried to help her grandson when frustrated parents didn't know where to turn. "It's hell for the person that's using, but it's also hell for the parents who find it very, very, very difficult to find help. What phone number do they call? What office do they call?" [continues 344 words]