Pubdate: Mon, 24 Oct 2005
Source: Parklander, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 Hinton Parklander
Contact:  http://www.hintonparklander.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/782
Author: Bradley Fehr
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

PROVINCE WON'T BACK PUSH FOR LOCAL DETOX

Hinton Parklander -- Town council's push to have a drug detox and
treatment centre located at Blue Lake took a recent hit from Alberta
Health Minister Iris Evans.

Evans sent a letter to the Hinton Drug Action Committee stating that
such a facility is not in the government's plans.

"What we're pitching is a meth-specific treatment facility," Coun.
Mike Jodoin explained.

The letter, however, stated that the site could possibly be turned
into a private drug treatment centre.

Jodoin said there is a need in the region for just such a facility and
the location makes a lot of sense. He added that meth addiction and
treatment is different than that of a lot of other drugs out there and
that treatment can take up to four months, with another year or so
until a person is fully recovered.

The province plans to take back control of the facility in two years
time and council has made it a priority to try and turn it into a drug
treatment facility.

The real estate is located in William A. Switzer Provincial Park, just
up Highway 40 North from Hinton.

The facility has been leased to private companies since the government
relinquished direct control about 10 years ago.

The site is currently leased to a group of investors that are running
the site as the VentureScape Wilderness Retreat. The proprietor has
only been offered a two-year lease because the provincial Community
Services minister has indicated that his ministry would like to take
over the facility in two years time.

However, the minister has not said what he plans to do with the
facility.

The letter from the Health minister comes on the heels of a resolution
put forward by Mayor Glenn Taylor at the Alberta Urban Municipalities
Association convention, held Oct. 5-8 in Calgary.

The resolution called for a rural detox and drug treatment centre
somewhere in the province.

About 500 delegates from around the province voted nearly unanimously
in favour of the resolution.

"We have to make them (the provincial government) aware this is a
priority," Taylor said.

The province recently approved 16 new drug treatment beds split
between Edmonton and Calgary, but that move isn't enough for the AUMA
membership.

"Now we have the endorsement of municipalities across the province
that they see a need for rural detoxification," Taylor said.

Possible locations were not discussed, just the need for such a
facility.

Jodoin, council's representative on the Hinton Drug Action Committee,
said he isn't ready to give up the fight just yet.

Despite the letter, Jodoin said he and the rest of council would still
like to see the site turned into a government-funded drug-treatment
centre.

"It meets our needs and it's available," Jodoin said.

Tasha Allen Symon, area supervisor for the Alberta Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Commission who also sits on the Hinton Drug Action Committee,
explained that there are no drug treatment centres anywhere close to
Hinton.

"The reality is we have nothing close and they have to travel three
hours minimum, and that's a problem," she said.

She said that as far as local detox is concerned, AADAC would try to
find a hospital bed if any were available, but she added that there
are no dedicated detox beds in the Hinton hospital.

If no beds were available, the addict would have to travel to Edmonton
or Grande Prairie for detox, although there are no meth-specific detox
or treatment facilities anywhere in the province.

She estimated that 30 to 34 per cent of her caseload is primarily
concerned with crystal meth.

"We'd like to see more recovery options available locally," she said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake