Pubdate: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 Source: Halifax Daily News (CN NS) Copyright: 1999 The Daily News. Contact: http://www.hfxnews.southam.ca/ Author: David Redwood ADDICTS FORCED TO LEAVE FOR DETOX Some Go To Rural Areas Because Of Metro Bed Shortage Metro Addicts Are Desperate For Detox Beds. There are waiting times of up to a week for 15 beds - six for women - that help people kick alcohol, cocaine or opiate addiction. The centre serves the 384,000 residents of metro, and Windsor and Hants County residents. "You can imagine there's quite a demand for those beds," said Tom Payette, the Central regional health board drug dependency services director. "Just a simple doubling of beds would probably assist somewhat, but would probably not deal with the whole problem." `This Town Is A Joke' Brian Lomax, a 51-year-old Dartmouth man whose wife reverted to her cocaine addiction two months ago, is livid at the lack of resources. "This town is a joke," said Lomax. He said his wife, who suffers paranoid schizophrenia, tried to get into detox in late October, but was told there was a six-day wait. After four days, she gave up. "She wanted to go on detox. She wanted to go on a 20-day program. That's a fact," said Lomax, his voice cracking. He said he recently lost contact with her for eight days. Lomax only heard about her from a friend who saw her staggering on a street. "She's a very courageous, strong woman who's been let down by this system so bad," he said. Payette said nurses assess requests and give beds to the most severe cases or those with the best chance of quitting, such as first-time visitors. They are monitored for withdrawal symptoms such as seizures or potentially fatal delirium tremens. Day programs, introduced five years ago, are relieving some backlog, but bed demand remains high. Wait times range from one to five days, he said. Recently, more people are showing up with multiple addictions and problems such as mental illness, he said. Buys Bus Tickets Diane Bailey, program director for the Halifax agency Mainline Needle Exchange, said her organization regularly buys bus tickets so clients can get to available detox beds when there isn't room in Dartmouth. Last week, Mainline agreed to pay a man's $54 return bus fare to a Springhill detox bed. Krista Burrill, a Health Department spokeswoman, said there are about 96 beds provincewide. Most are outside Halifax because of the greater distance rural clients travel. "It's not always possible for that person to come and stay for the day (for treatment) and return," she said. She said the department is aware metro residents are travelling out of Halifax for treatment, but didn't know how often that happened. Burrill said any changes will await the results of a provincewide review looking at addiction services. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk