Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jun 2005
Source: Yorkton This Week (CN SN)
Copyright: 2005 Yorkton This Week
Contact:  http://www.yorktonthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2543
Author: Calvin Daniels
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SESSION OUTLINES DRUG SITUATION AND STRATEGIES

Drug use is increasing in Saskatchewan, including the Yorkton area, 
and the community has to band together to combat addiction.

These were two of the main points made by various speakers at the 
Drug Strategy Project consultation held June 16.

The session, sponsored by Sunrise Health Region Area Drug Strategy 
Project, brought together government., RCMP and workers from various 
agencies to talk about what is happening, both provincially and 
locally, and to get feedback from participants, in the consultation 
phase of the project.

Graham Addley, legislative secretary to the premier on substances 
abuse prevention and treatment, said it's imperative polices be 
reviewed and best practices be implemented.

That, he noted, is why Premier Lorne Calvert appointed him in 
January, 2005 to look into a potential province-wide drug strategy. 
He has been speaking at sessions like the one in Yorkton to get 
feedback on what needs to be done and how it can be accomplished.

"Saskatchewan has the highest rate of alcohol dependence and alcohol 
use among the provinces," he noted, adding the costs of law 
enforcement, lost productivity and other economic effects amount to 
$300 per capita annually - not to mention effects such as abuse, 
assault, and marriage/friendship breakdowns.

Although use of crystal meth is lower in Saskatchewan than in Alberta 
or British Columbia, the problem is growing, "and it's a dangerous 
drug," Addley stressed.

The province has begun initiatives such as a media campaign - with 
newspaper ads highlighting the dangers of meth - and the Meth Watch 
Program, designed to track the sales of pseudoephedrine and 
ephedrine, the main ingredient in meth.

"There's been one or two confirmed meth labs in Saskatchewan," but 
there are also a number of suspected labs, said Addley.

RCMP Cst. Sean Darling said that's because labs are very compact, 
with all equipment fitting into a two-litre pop bottle, so they are 
easy to move around and hide from police and other authorities.

Darling also said a lot of the meth is cooked, and brought in from, 
outside the province, but the use of it is increasing, even in Yorkton.

Addley said the province has also expanded a 24-hour help line which 
allows people to be instantly referred to someone who can provide 
further information and help.

With all this, "the goal is to improve the overall health and quality 
of life of individuals" who are at risk of drug abuse, particularly 
youth, aboriginal people, street-involved people and northern residents.

With meth, the most important initiative, said Addley, is to prevent 
drug use, but other things need to be done, as well: addicts need to 
be treated, the public needs to be educated, offenders such as 
dealers need to be held accountable for their actions, and access to 
meth ingredients (especially cold medications) needs to be controlled.

Above all, the community must be mobilized to deal with the issue, he said.

Also, information about meth must be crystal clear and accurate, as 
there is much misinformation out there about the addiction.

For example, he said, there's a common belief that only six per cent 
of addicts kick the meth habit. Yet, experience has shown that 75 to 
80 per cent can become clean.

Another misconception: that an addict must be in an impatient program 
for two years. About three-quarters of addicts can kick the habit 
without being inpatients, "but it needs incredibly intense" 
outpatient treatment which is "very well supervised and supported," 
said Addley.

He stressed drug treatment programs must be seen not as a cost, but 
as an investment. in helping people.

Addley said although he initially found his task "a devastating 
assignment", he has become more hopeful over the past several months.

"This is a problem we can address if we address it together."

The Regina-Qu'Appelle Health Region (RQHR) has taken steps to do 
that, said Barry Guy, the RQHR's drug strategy co-ordinator.

"As we know, addiction issues do not occur in isolation," Guy noted 
in his presentation.

That's why 21 organizations have partnered with the health region in 
looking at addiction and related issues, he said.

The four priority areas identified for the RQHR strategy are 
prevention, healing continuum, capacity building and sustaining relationships.

Implementing these would involve a comprehensive community education 
and awareness strategy, a review of existing treatments with a 
primary focus on youth, and discovering and plugging gaps that exist 
in treatment.

But, said Guy, the top priority would fall under justice - the 
formation of a drug treatment court.

Regina is one of four Canadian cities - including Winnipeg, Edmonton 
and Ottawa - involved in developing such courts, which have "the 
potential to impact crime and safety in our communities."

Guy said the funding for the court was recently announced and those 
involved hope to have it up and running by January 2006.

Drug use has also hit Yorkton, a panel told those gathered.

Darling said a person wanting drugs here can get them within a half 
hour. Marijuana and meth are increasing in popularity in all age 
groups, and cocaine is going up in popularity among teens and young 
adults, who develop $3,000-a-month habits.

"There's a trend of people addicted to cocaine switching over to 
meth" because it is more inexpensive, Darling stated.

"There's a high probability that the majority will go on and continue 
to use it."

But, said Darling, Yorkton is also experiencing a "high problem" with 
prescription drug abuse, especially with morphine, OxyContin, Ritalin 
and Dilaudid.

Users - most of whom are intravenous drug addicts - coach each other 
on which doctors to see, as well as on what to say and how to behave 
during the appointment.

To get money for drugs, users will break into homes and steal items to sell.

"We're seeing a definite increase in the number of property crimes," 
said Darling, noting that between May 1 and June 10 of this year, 230 
property crimes were reported to police.

"That's just Yorkton, that's just property crimes" and does not 
include accompanying crimes such as assault and armed robbery, 
Darling stressed, adding such crimes result in a higher demand for 
health care and increased insurance premiums, as well as a physical 
and emotional impact on victims.

Like other speakers, Darling stressed the importance of the community 
working together to combat drug use.

He also said the changed attitude which says marijuana use is 
harmless must be addressed.

"Marijuana is a gateway drug - I don't care what anyone says." Will 
Woods, of the Sunrise Health Region's Alcohol and Drug Services, said 
alcohol and marijuana use are the top addictions he sees in his work. 
Many youth take pot first (which has more THC in it today than in 
previous years), "then they get into alcohol," said Woods, adding 
some addicts actually go through physical withdrawal while they're 
talking with Woods in his office. He noted the age of first use is 
lower than before, with elementary school students needing education 
about addiction. In some northern communities, children as young as 
five, six or seven years old have become addicted. Because several 
years may elapse after that before the person is treated, 'we're 
beginning to see youth in the later stages of addiction," Woods 
noted. He stressed society's attitude that underage drinking is no 
big deal, must also change.

Sherry Shumay of the Saul Cohen Centre in Melville agreed. "We're 
seeing a lot of youth that are starting to drink younger," she told 
the gathering, adding alcohol is "the biggest problem" centre staff 
see. Shumay said there also seems to be an upswing in the public's 
request for information, perhaps because the centre is located in the 
Melville hospital and is readily accessible.

Carol Horvath of the Parkland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Society (PADAS) 
said the rate of people becoming addicted to alcohol has increased. 
While 20 years ago, one in 12 people who drank became addicted, today 
one in 8 of those people would abuse alcohol. But today those people 
- - particularly impaired drivers - are being seen at PADAS at an 
earlier stage of their addiction, Horvath noted. She also said that 
of adolescents who use drugs before age 15, half will become addicted.
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MAP posted-by: Beth