Pubdate: Mon, 15 Aug 2016
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Petr Pospisil
Page: 6

THE DUEL

Columnists Brent Stafford and Petr Pospisil battle over the issues of
the day.

This week's topic: Is the B.C. government responsible for protecting
youth from drug overdoses?

B.C. FAILING ADDICTED YOUTH

Responsibility for B.C.'s addiction crisis does not rest on the slight
shoulders of our youth, who are especially vulnerable to peer
pressure, low self-confidence, and a limited grasp of
consequences.

The tragic case of 16-year-old Gwynevere Staddon, who died in a
Starbucks bathroom, adds to the staggering 371 overdose casualties so
far this year. Most deaths go unpublicized - their families still in
shock and suffering, almost invisible to our government.

Although the role of government in our lives is debatable, there
simply is no question the BC Liberals' most important duties include
providing appropriate education and health services, especially to our
youth. When a drug-addicted teen offers the rare gift of asking for
help, professional support must be immediately available.

Waiting months for assistance offers a myriad of opportunities for the
drug addiction to lift itself up, lurk in the shadows, and then, in a
coffee shop bathroom, finally shank its claws deep into the heart,
mind, and resolve of the addicted.

Gwynevere recently told her mother she had been clean for two weeks,
and was ready to quit. By all accounts, her parents did everything
they could, desperately seeking assistance for their daughter.

Gwynevere's mother claimed wait-lists for publicly provided treatment
stretched several months. Her other option was to pay tens of
thousands of dollars for one of the private treatment centres, which
most families cannot afford.

B.C.'s representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen
Turpel-Lafond, stated, "This is a tragic case of a family that reached
out for support and saw their daughter slipping away from them, yet
couldn't get the help they needed."

My duel opponent attacks Turpel-Lafond, calling her a "misery-monger."
Wrong. She doesn't promote misery. She informs the public about the
wretchedness children face below society's surface. Kids of all
parents simply must have access to addiction treatment, especially in
our province which has been dealing with drug problems as long as we
have.

If the Staddon family couldn't find direct aid for their daughter,
what help do addicted children have in unstable households, or those
whose parents may be drug addicts?

Gwynevere's parents should be commended for their bravery in going
public. Stigma and shame are, after all, the quiet companions to drug
abuse. By getting a glimpse into her parents' heartbreak, hopefully
our government will adequately fund addiction treatment centres.

Petr Pospisil is an educator, musician, union and social organizer. He 
studied genetics at UBC and co-created crackshackormansion.com
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MAP posted-by: Matt