Pubdate: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2005 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Anne Kyle Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) ABORIGINALS GET NEW HEALTH TRAINING The federal government is spending $851,000 to deliver prevention, awareness, community education (PACE) training to 340 aboriginal and Inuit addictions and mental health workers from across Canada. "This project will have a far-reaching effect. By training these skilled and experienced community workers in the prevention of crystal methamphetamine abuse, we are strengthening our response to this very serious health threat," said federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh during a stopover in Regina. Addictions councillors Wilfred Whitehawk and Sherryl Mydonick of Yorkton, who will benefit from the additional training, said education is the first step towards prevention. It is everybody's job to be aware of the problem of drug abuse and the devastating affects crystal meth addiction has on individuals, their families and communities they said. Calling crystal meth "a curse and a very dangerous drug," Dosanjh announced Friday that the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) will deliver the 30-hour PACE certification program aimed at equipping addiction and mental health councillors with the skills to educate and train others in an effort to prevent crystal meth abuse in their communities. "This is a very positive step," said Pasqua First Nations Chief Elaine Chicoose, who earlier this month announced her band had adopted a zero tolerance policy on illegal drug activities on the reserve aimed at addressing the growing problems of drug use and abuse within her First Nations community. "Providing aboriginal addiction and mental health workers with more training to identify the deep rooted problems that lead to drug use and abuse is something we could really use right now. We have been asking for a long time now for government resources to provide programming and support to help alleviate the problems of First Nations drug and alcohol addiction in our communities," Chicoose said. Over the next three years Health Canada will be spending more than $6.1 million under Canada's drug strategy Community Initiatives Fund in Western Canada to address substance abuse -- including crystal meth -- and to promote public awareness of substance abuse issues. The federal government is contributing more than $71 million over the next three years for national, regional and community initiatives aimed at addressing substance abuse in Canada including $29 million under the Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund and $42 million through the Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Program. Under the community initiatives Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services Inc. will receive nearly $58 ,000 to develop a crystal meth informational video project. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom