Pubdate: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Surrey Leader Contact: http://www.surreyleader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236 Author: Kevin Diakiw SAVING THE 'ADDICTS OF TOMORROW' Surrey will review a proposed four-pillar drug strategy tomorrow, a document 18 months in the making that could steer the city's approach to drug and alcohol addiction for years to come. The long-promised document will be discussed at Monday's regular council meeting. Coun. Dianne Watts, who chairs the city's drug-crime task force, would not release the document before the meeting, but said it's based on prevention, education, treatment and enforcement - particularly around youth. "There is an adult problem, and we're well-aware of that," Watts said Friday. "The task force felt because Surrey has the most children and youth per capita in the province, we want to put a system in place whereby our children don't become the addicts of tomorrow." The draft document differs from Vancouver's four-pillar approach in its focus on youth and that it doesn't include harm reduction, such as safe injection sites and needle exchanges. Instead it emphasizes education. The document is the result of extensive study by SFU criminology student Jennifer Parks and specifically targets youth, where it's believed the first two approaches - prevention and education - can be more effective. "Unfortunately the prevention side of things are sorely lacking," Watts said, adding huge amounts of funding is going toward addressing the problems after people become addicted. "If the money ... were put in initially at the prevention and education stage, we wouldn't have the problems we have today." The Drug-Crime Task Force Policy paper, the city's first proposed drug strategy, will recommend resource centres for at-risk youth. An example is the Broadway Youth Centre in Vancouver, which provides a health clinic, advocacy, and addiction and employment services. Watts says the report will also examine the possibility of implementing strategies in Surrey schools with a focus on kids under six, increase school outreach programs, and encourage more parent involvement in the process. With Surrey's diverse ethnic community, a broad spectrum of ethnic-specific services would also be implemented. The latter two pillars, treatment and enforcement, will also be focused on youth. The report will recommend more youth detox services, residential treatment, and effective drug and alcohol recovery houses. Enforcement is also a key part of the strategy, with a drug court and a controversial plan to use drug-sniffing dogs in schools being considered. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman