Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jul 2007
Source: Innisfail Province (CN AB)
Copyright: 2007 Mountain View Publishing
Contact:  http://www.innisfailprovince.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3607
Author: Dan Singleton, For the Innisfail Province
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

Guest Editorial

CHILD ABUSE LAW PROVES ITS WORTH

A year after coming into effect, the province's landmark law aimed at 
protecting children from the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse has 
proven its worth.

The Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act allows a parent or 
guardian of a child who is using alcohol or drugs in a way that is 
endangering their lives to apply to the courts to have the child 
taken into protective custody.

Once in custody, the child is taken to a safe house for up to five 
days, where he or she is offered detoxification service and assessment.

Officials also work with the child to develop a voluntary treatment 
plan. To date, almost 400 children have been taken into the program, 
with 229 agreeing following their week in custody to continue with 
volunteer recovery programs.

"It provides an opportunity to reach out to a child that may have 
resisted seeking help voluntarily or is in danger to themselves or to 
others," said MLA Dave Rodney, who spearheaded the new law. "We have 
connected youth and families we may otherwise not have been able to 
help," added Harvey Cenaiko, AADAC chairman.

While some people have argued over the past year that compelling 
children into detoxification programs is unfair and an unreasonable 
breech of their privacy rights, the undeniable success of the program 
has proved its worth.

As the first province in Canada to enact legislation that compels 
young people to at least consider changing their ways, Alberta has 
taken an important new direction that other provinces should consider 
following.

With the success of the new youth program, could it perhaps be time 
to consider a similar non-criminal program for adults?

As the very busy court system proves, there is no shortage of adult 
offenders who, because of alcohol or drug addition, continue to 
offend year in and year out. For example, there are many offenders in 
central Alberta who chronically drive while impaired, and despite 
being caught and fined or even jailed, they continue to offend.

Would provincial legislation that allows alcoholic or drug addicted 
adults to be taken into custody and compelled to undergo 
detoxification over a period of weeks or even months be a benefit to 
the community-at-large?

Would Alberta be a safer place if repeat offenders were literally 
forced to face up to their underlying addiction problems? Naturally 
some people would come out strongly against any plans to transfer the 
lessons learned with the youth program to adult situations.

Yet as the new legislation has shown over the past year, positive 
changes are possible.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom