About 75 per cent of homeless people have some sort of addiction problem. The addictions -- whether to alcohol, illicit drugs, or even gambling -- make it enormously difficult for the afflicted to find employment or housing. While it's now a worker's market, few employers are so desperate that they'll risk hiring people too drunk or stoned to do the job. Addicts need to clean up their acts. The problem is they need help -- lots of it. Now that we've established that getting addicts to kick their addictions is a key first step to getting them off the street, then we should support efforts to do that. [continues 450 words]
Search Uncovers Stash Of Coke, Meth And Cash The Victoria police busted a "high level" middle man after making the largest single seizure of crystal meth in department history. After a joint, month-long investigation by the Victoria police, officers from Central Saanich Police Department and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement unit, 39-year-old Alexander Djafar-Zade of Saanich was arrested Tuesday on charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was out on bail for two other drug offences that occurred in December 2006 and February 2007. [continues 319 words]
I have been seeing a lot on the news and in the papers over the rights of "pot smokers" these days. Where are the rights of non-pot-smokers? I know folks personally and people I have just chatted with in the general public who've stated to me that pot smoke gave them head-aches, body pain and blocked sinuses when they did experiment with it or were just simply exposed to it. I happen to be one of those people. I tried it in 2004 with a couple of friends as I heard all this new evidence that it takes body pain away. Well, it didn't. As a matter of fact, it gave us severe head-aches. [continues 326 words]
Re: Front page headline and story, "Needled Neighbours: North Park residents say junkies are ruining their neighbourhood". The media are among the most powerful forces in our world. There have been countless times it has been of major influence in helping to create significant and positive social change via factual and positive coverage of humanity's passion, struggle, and triumph. Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, this is not one of those times. The headline on last week's issue is, at best, discouraging. [continues 331 words]
Project is one man's dream, but does it hold water? There's a small envelope attached to the door at Ray Howard's home. It's a message for 15-year-old Ashley, the little girl from down the street whom Howard and his wife used to treat like a granddaughter. She doesn't come around any more. Howard says she was both pushed and pulled to the street - pushed by a troubled home life and pulled by the seductions of crystal meth. But Howard holds out hope that she'll come around again and if she does, she might read the note. [continues 760 words]
To the prosecution, it's a simple case of production for the purposes of trafficking, involving two local men caught red-handed growing a crop of 900 marijuana plants on an acreage in East Sooke. To Vancouver Island Compassion Society founder Philippe Lucas, it's a constitutional challenge of Canada's medical marijuana laws. Lawyers were in court in Victoria this week arguing that the two men arrested in the May 2004 raid, Mat Beren and Michael Swallow, were operating a marijuana research and cultivation facility on behalf of the society. [continues 221 words]
Medical marijuana advocate Philippe Lucas is one of three students who received $2,500 awards last week for "remarkable volunteer contributions" to the University of Victoria and the community while maintaining at least a B average. A master's student in the studying policy and practice, Lucas is vice-chair of the City of Victoria downtown advisory committee, sits on the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C., and works closely with the Vancouver Island Compassion Society and the committee to end homelessness in Victoria. The other winners were chemistry student Matthew Cooper for his work with adult learners and Amanda Laliberte, a third-year visual arts student who played a key role in organizing a Metis youth group in Greater Victoria. [end]
Pot Supporters Celebrate 10th Anniversary Local pot activist Ted Smith launched the 4/20 celebration last Friday by urging the crowd to "smoke 'em if you got 'em." And smoke 'em they did. More than 700 people huddled in circles at the 10th annual gathering at Victoria city hall for the 4/20 event, symbolically held on April 20. Glass pipes, bongs, homemade rubber hose devices and just plain old joints rolled in Zig Zags papers were lit at the symbolic moment and passed around freely. [continues 164 words]
It's easy to see why drugs like heroin, crystal meth and crack cocaine garner more fear and attention from parents than other substances. After all, they come with easy-to-vilify accessories. Needles. Makeshift pipes. Rolled-up dollar bills and razor blades. That's the stuff of gripping, sometimes gory movies. But several recent reports remind us that it's the drugs that sit benignly in the average Canadian's kitchen cupboard or bathroom cabinet that lead to the most grief-alcohol and prescription drugs. [continues 614 words]
The tragic overdose death of a University of Victoria student underscores the importance of a recent study that attempts to answer: how can we stop drugs from killing kids? Dr. Tim Stockwell's report, "Interventions to Reduce Harm Associated with Adolescent Substance Use," coincides with the news of 22-year-old UVic student Zoe Read's mistaken overdose on GHB. As the UVic community grieves for her passing, many want to know how substance abuse deaths can be prevented from happening in the future. [continues 548 words]
Re: "Illegal drugs - why not remove the cause? (March 30). Stephen Lamb's letter praising Singapore's enforcement of drug laws and asking us to face the facts doesn't take into consideration that the population of Singapore has not enjoyed our level of human rights and freedoms for as long as we have. Many Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and even Thailand have enforced laws in horrendous ways that would not be acceptable in a free and just society. Drug dealers and users were often shot on the spot with no hope for trial or questions asked. Is this how we should enforce our drug laws in this country? Would you risk having your son or daughter at risk of being shot for their youthful experimentation? Let's not hold up the law enforcement examples of a country that still regards homosexuality as punishable by canings and life in prison. Their law and order is enforced by standards that fortunately would never be acceptable here. Barry Carvish, Victoria [end]
For as long as the "War on Drugs" has been raging in North America and elsewhere around the world, opinion has been split on how best to approach the socially controversial and politically volatile subject. In one camp, staunch opponents of recreational drug use have called for total bans on all such substances and harsh penalties for offenders. Their view tends to be fairly black and white: if the activity is illegal, then throw the book at 'em. At the other end of the spectrum, advocates of marijuana decriminalization and those who favour reduced penalties for other substances suggest that the battle against drugs simply isn't working and will never stop people from using drugs if they're determined to do so. [continues 425 words]
Recent press has carried another spate of articles bemoaning illegal drug activity and the ineffectiveness of combative measures. One writer asked, "Does anyone else have a better idea at a reasonable cost?" At the risk of offending the gentile and naive, I quote from an article presented in Readers Digest of June 2006. This article was written by two educated, observant, realistic Canadians, who have lived and worked in Singapore for several years. "It's probably the world's safest country. It's certainly the cleanest big city I've ever seen." According to the same article, "Most citizens enjoy subsidized housing, an advanced medical system that rivals Canada's and a level of public safety that seems incredible to a North American." [continues 64 words]
Rising policing costs are prompting Esquimalt councillors to call for a meeting with their counterparts in Victoria. "It's giving us a real budget problem. In order to reduce the 9.9 per cent to something more manageable we're going to have to do something about it: either cutting services or delaying projects that we want to do," Esquimalt Coun. Hy Freedman said. Esquimalt's budget for 2007 could result in a 9.9 per cent property tax increase, largely driven by an increase of just under $425,000 for its share of police costs. [continues 316 words]
Residents Want Action On Drug Problem One of the last things North Park residents want to see when taking a walk in their community is all of the residue left behind by drug users who also frequent the neighbourhood. Whether it's dirty needles tossed into a front garden or blood-stained alcohol swabs discarded in playgrounds, drug abuse is more visible in Kristin Atwood's neck of the woods than almost anywhere else in the Capital Region. The chair of the North Park Neighbourhood Association (NPRA) wants to get her neighbours more involved in efforts to clean up the ongoing problem and encourage city hall to do more to address the social ramifications of the illicit drug trade. The NPRA is hosting an informal public forum March 14 to listen to the views of people who live and work in the area. [continues 463 words]
Part of me is still hoping that you misquoted Victoria police Deputy Chief Bill Naughton in your March 2 article, "AIDS group plans move," which details the problems around Victoria's needle exchange. According to the article, Naughton said: "Despite allocating a significant amount of our resources to the issues that have been occurring on the 800 block of Cormorant (Street), it's been clear to us that we haven't been able to achieve a satisfactory outcome. We recognize the increasing gentrification of downtown is placing a tremendous amount of pressure on police and social agencies as new residents and businesses come into conflict with our client base." [continues 206 words]
Booze, GHB A Dangerous Mix Two self-induced overdoses on GHB, more commonly known as the date rape drug, triggered a warning from Victoria police. Twice within an hour late Friday evening, men in their early 20s were found collapsed in front of Logan's Pub on Cook Street suffering from severe respiratory problems. Hospital staff later determined that the men, who police say appeared to have been drinking together, had ingested a combination of the drug GHB and alcohol. The men have since been released from hospital. [continues 314 words]
Three brightly-coloured stress balls sat in a basket on top of the TV at the Beacon of Hope House, the Salvation Army's new six-bed residential addiction treatment facility. Organizers worked 18-hour days to finish all the details for the grand opening Friday, but the stress is far from over. Rhiannon Porcellato, taking over as manager of the house, said there's "definitely" pressure to make the facility a success. The Beacon of Hope House, the Salvation Army's first foray into youth addiction treatment, will treat males 13-18 for three to six months, with a focus on those recovering from an addiction to crystal methamphetamine. [continues 295 words]
A police report on people living on the street revealed 45 of Victoria's homeless are intensive intravenous drug users -- some spending as much as $2,000 a day on cocaine and heroin. The report included anecdotes of life on the street. An entry on 34-year-old "William" found Sept. 5 on the 800 block of Mason St. noted: "In jail for last 10 years off and on. Last conviction nine months for robbery. Currently doing 10-15 grams of heroin per day. Laid off from a logging job. On no social assistance or other support." [continues 585 words]
And Other Tales From the Victoria Police Department's Exhibit Control and Supply Section This no ordinary warehouse. From outside the metal cage, this windowless, artificially lit room may resemble the back of an auto parts retailer with its myriad cardboard boxes lining metal shelves, labelled and stacked neatly for quick reference. A closer inspection reveals a rack filled with police uniforms, a collection of bongs, an assortment of thousands of new and used needles - many spattered with the blood of their users - and a stash of seized weapons, real and fake. [continues 902 words]
There been a fair bit of Monopoly played at our house since Christmas, what with the post-apocalyptic weather and all. Santa brought the 70th Anniversary Limited Edition, authentic in every detail to the original, except for a few additional playing pieces to go with the hat, the terrier, the iron, the race car and what I've always believed to be a member of the RCMP Musical Ride. If only I had known about Vancouver Island-opoly. The Island version of the classic board game, marketed by the Victoria board game purveyor Outset Media since 2004, is among hundreds or perhaps thousands of Monopoly knockoffs world-wide. [continues 790 words]
Youth Retells a Cycle of Meth Addiction and a Dramatic Road to Recovery Everyone has a secret calendar. In addition to the commonly shared holidays -- Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving -- there are the individual and unpublicized anniversaries that each of us secretly harbour -- the day you fell in love, the day you lost your virginity or the day the divorce papers came through. Baylie McKnight remembers the day she quit crystal meth -- Feb. 11, 2004. "I completely did a 360 and changed my life dramatically. I came to a realization that (crystal meth) is in control of my life and I need to get back into control." [continues 413 words]
If Keith Martin had his way, the Capital Region would become home to a safe-injection site for intravenous drug users. "I've been pushing for a safe-injection site like the one in Vancouver," the Liberal MP for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca said in recent interview. Both new and earlier evidence has shown that safe-injection sites are beneficial, Martin said. The more recent evidence essentially corroborates earlier evidence showing that safe-injection sites reduce crime in areas such as break-and-enters and auto theft. [continues 245 words]
Rampant drug use in Centennial Square was just one reason city council decided removal of a vacant restaurant annex connected to the McPherson Playhouse was a good idea. Creating a more clear viewscape between Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue, as a way to enhance the vibrancy and safety in the square, was also on the minds of politicians who voted for the demolition -- such as when they approved the angled design of the new Capital Regional District headquarters on the northwest corner of the square. [continues 501 words]
Play's convincing actor helps carry message Sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it. By using spoken word and hip hop, Green Thumb Theatre's "Cranked" is speaking in a language kids understand and warning teens about the pitfalls of crystal meth. Cranked has been touring across B.C. since October and will be showcased at St. Andrew's Regional High School Dec. 11. Written by Michael P. Northey, the script sets the patois of teens against a backdrop of hip hop beats. [continues 459 words]
Last week's column touched on crime rates around the province, which the B.C. government tracks by health region. If you look at violent crime, serious property crime and non-cannabis drug crime, the safest place to live in B.C. is Vancouver Island. Next best is the Interior region, which encompasses the Kootenays, Okanagan and Cariboo. In the middle of the pack is the Fraser region, the largest in the province by population, extending from Burnaby through the Fraser Valley to Hope. [continues 832 words]
A Series of Events Will Be Held to Celebrate International Medical Marijuana Day Nov. 15. The day kicks off at noon with a rally at the Ministry of Health, 1515 Blanshard St. There will also be a free lecture at the University of Victoria, Room 61, Elliot Building at 3:30 p.m. President of the International Hempology 101 Society, Ted Smith, will deliver a lecture on the Medical Uses of Cannabis. Afterwards, medical marijuana advocates are welcome to attend the weekly 4:20 gathering outside the UVic Library. The Silent Art Auction at the Cannabis Buyers' Club of Canada closes at 6:30 p.m. The day closes with a game show event called Reach for the Pot held at the Ministry of Health at 7 p.m. [end]
Legal marijuana users decry federally sanctioned product as weak and pricey The cannabis menu at the Vancouver Island Compassion Society changes daily. On this particular day, clients have a choice of Pochi, Hog, Shishberry, Imposter or Jack Herer. Beneath each name, a brief description of the effects of the variety is provided: strong and heady, reads one; mellow and body buzz, reads another. In addition to supplying medical cannabis buds to about 600 clients on Vancouver Island, the compassion society offers an arrange of cannabis by-products and alternatives to smoking, such as cookies, oral sprays and tinctures, says society director Philippe Lucas. [continues 1196 words]
Actors Invite Audience on Stage for Solutions An interactive play wants audience members to "freeze" crystal meth use in the Capital Region. The YM-YWCA of Greater Victoria's Bridging the Gap Project and TheatreWorks are presenting Meth: iron fist Nov. 9-10 to promote dialogue about crystal meth. The forum theatre play engages youths between 15-23 who have been affected by substance abuse, either through personal addiction or addiction of a loved one. Director River Chandler has been working with the young adults since last Friday. In the six-days leading up to the performances, the youths worked through games and drama exercises to explore their own experiences with meth and addition. During the workshops the actors created characters and developed a plot that mirrors their own personal stories. [continues 391 words]
Education Minister Shirley Bond says more young people than ever are experimenting with crystal meth. "We know crystal meth use is a problem," Bond said. "Research shows that about five per cent of students in Grade 7-12 may have tried crystal meth. "Our government believes that one person using crystal meth is one person too many." She added that the province is working to give parents the information they need to talk to their kids about the drug. That's the reason the B.C. government has initiated a $3-million school-based program and public education campaign. [continues 104 words]
Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment, but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 395 words]
Verdict Triggers Disciplinary Action by Victoria Police Three years ago, Victoria police Const. Rob Dosanjh made a phone call that got him suspended him without pay, charged with obstruction of justice and that very well could cost him his career. It was Dec. 9, 2003, and police had raided the Saanich home of Dosanjh's cousin, Mandeep Sandhu, seizing three ounces of marijuana, $35,000 in cash, a computer and some personal papers. Family members immediately called Dosanjh, a 13-year veteran of the force, and asked for help dealing with the situation. [continues 599 words]
Remember that old Saturday Night Live spoof about puppy uppers and doggie downers? It turns out that memorable sketch was merely a case of art imitating life 30 years before its time. According to a recent front-page article in the Vancouver Province, a growing number of "cranked-up canines" are being rushed to Lower Mainland veterinary hospitals for treatment after consuming drugs left lying around by their owners. Vancouver vets say marijuana is the drug of choice for wayward pups who stray toward the dark side, although one animal doctor reported treating dogs that have ingested cocaine, ecstasy, hash brownies, prescription medications and even heroin. [continues 795 words]
Re: Bums Prefer Ocean Views (B.C. Views, Sept. 7) I have just returned from a two-week holiday visiting my family, most of whom emigrated to B.C. around 50 years ago. I now have two aunts, three cousins and their extended families living in Maple Ridge and I always receive a warm welcome. I congratulate you on your article, which I read on the Internet. Here in Scotland we have the same problems with the so-called "homeless drug addicts" and we also have the same bleeding heart politicians and social workers with their schemes, projects and solutions to the problems of crime, illegal squatting on private property and and vandalism caused by these people. [continues 149 words]
Another summer winds down, as the weather begins to separate the really homeless from the fair-weather pretenders. But the issue is pressing hard on B.C. communities, and not just Vancouver and Victoria, which get most of the attention. Here in the capital, which seems to have more than its share of hostels and street services already, the consensus is that they need more shelters. Over in Vancouver, B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair says the solution to poverty and homelessness is to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour, and get rid of that evil $6 training wage. He doesn't mention that fewer and fewer employers are even trying to attract help at the $8 an hour minimum, let alone the training wage. [continues 795 words]
It wasn't a resounding seal of approval for InSite, Vancouver's safe injection site, but Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe says Ottawa's decision to extend the pilot project until Dec. 31 bodes well for plans to bring a similar facility to Victoria. "There's still a glimmer of hope for an SIS in Victoria in the future," Lowe said. In July the city announced a major research project aimed at building a case for safe injection site in Victoria. The city plans to apply to Health Canada next spring for an exemption under section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the same exemption that allow Vancouver's safe injection site to operate, Lowe said. [end]
It'll be interesting to see just how much clout rank-and-file members of police departments in this country have in affecting whether Vancouver's Insite remains open and Victoria gets a safe injection site. Last week's unanimous vote by members of the Canadian Police Association was a specific move designed to make the job of police officers easier, which is why we consider it short-sighted and insular. While CPA vice-president and Vancouver Police Union president Tom Stamaktakis contends, in backing up the association's vote, that things are "worse than they've ever been" on the Downtown East Side, we feel that he is not looking at the big picture. [continues 255 words]
Delegates to national police conference in Victoria vote unanimously to endorse national drug strategy Safe-injection site proponents in Vancouver and Victoria will have to forge ahead without the support of rank-and-file police officers across the country. Around 200 delegates at the Canadian Police Association's annual general meeting in Victoria voted unanimously Friday to oppose safe injections sites, instead calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to create a national drug strategy focusing on education, treatment and prevention. "Safe-injection sites are not going to solve the drug issues in our community," said CPA vice-president Const. Tom Stamaktakis. "This is a significant issue for our members." [continues 355 words]
Victoria police know the Archie Courtnall Centre isn't the best place to drop off drug addicts they pluck from downtown streets. It's just that there's no other option. "Definitely the Courtnall Centre is over-serving addicted people, but then again 60-70 per cent of people with addictions have mental health problems," said Victoria police Insp. Darrell McLean, head of the region's mental health crisis response team. "Somehow you have to get at the root cause. You have to get them off drugs or alcohol before you can find out if they have a mental-health issue or not." [continues 511 words]
With the future of Vancouver's safe-injection site pilot project hanging by a thread, officials on Vancouver Island are vowing to forge ahead with an application for a similar experiment in Victoria. The Vancouver facility, InSite, will be forced to close its doors Sept. 12 if Health Canada declines to renew a three-year legal exemption that paved the way for supervised injection drug use. The closure of InSite could in turn cast doubt upon a $300,000 provincially funded study that local officials plan to submit next spring with their application for a safe-injection site pilot project in Victoria. [continues 352 words]
There's no easy solution to poverty, homelessness and panhandling in Victoria, but there's no solution at all without more addiction treatment beds and affordable housing options for at-risk people. That sums up the reaction of local authorities to a recent outpouring of criticism levelled at Victoria's street population and the agencies charged with caring for them. "We need more resources from the province and the federal government so we can have more beds and more treatment facilities," said Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe. [continues 415 words]
Approximately 600 people per day use Vancouver's safe injection site. The Conservatives are fishing for public opinion. Heroin and cocaine are drugs of choice for a certain sector of society who choose not to be trapped into doctor and pharmaceutical company anti-depressant type drugs, which are also harmful. Unless Steven Harper has in fact experimented with heroin and cocaine, he is not qualified to comment. Let's deal with the reality we are living with and follow the European model. Ken Frenette, Victoria [end]
Undaunted by the Harper government's distaste for the harm reduction approach to drug addiction, Victoria is forging ahead with efforts to build the city's first safe injection site. Mayor Alan Lowe announced Wednesday that the University of Victoria will "immediately begin" a research study aimed at convincing Ottawa to approve a safe-injection site for Victoria. "It will give us the information we require to write the proposal to Health Canada," Lowe said. "This is the start of research that will provide us with local scientific data and help us develop... made in Victoria supervised drug use options." [continues 495 words]
In town for a short media-blitz, federal NDP leader Jack Layton praised Victoria for combating global warming by promoting sustainable transportation. But on the potential for a safe-injection site in Victoria under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, Layton's tone sobered. "We're not optimistic," Layton said before pausing to sip on a local brew at FolkFest's Bayou Bar. The widely supported safe-injection site initiative would require an exemption from federal drugs laws, a precedent set by the safe-injection site in Vancouver's downtown eastside. [continues 632 words]
Victoria's aspirations for a safe-injection site will suffer a premature death if the federal government pulls the plug on Vancouver's safe injection facility, Mayor Alan Lowe said Thursday. Commenting on a proposal from city staff to install used needle drop boxes at various downtown locations, Lowe noted that the federal government has yet to extend the licence for Vancouver's safe injection site and said a decision to terminate the pilot project would stall momentum in Victoria toward a similar site. [continues 326 words]
A proposal to install mailbox-like receptacles for used needles in downtown Victoria evoked mixed feelings from Victoria city councillors last week. But no matter what council decides, there's a consensus that efficient and effective syringe disposal is only part of the solution to the city's drug problems. "I must say that I have discomfort with the original plan... needle drop boxes in public places actually are not successful at all," Coun. Dean Fortin admitted at Thursday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, citing Baltimore Maryland, Md. and Worcester, Mass. as examples. [continues 375 words]
April's limbs twist and jolt as she claws at her skin through an oversized stained gray sweatshirt. Her babbling reveals disconnected thoughts: Joy over her baby daughter darkens into a psychotic rant about her ex who abandoned her and their daughter. She cries out and pulls her hair, as sanity slips away. This moment is one of many in a theatrical production called Crystal Clear that rendered the audience at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre wide-eyed with horror. In the production, the lives of four aboriginal youth spin out of control in a disastrous crystal methamphetamine binge. [continues 524 words]
Recent press has described a litany of crime and social deviance in Canada. Major drug seizures, with another under investigation; the shut-down of an alleged Vernon drug gang; illegal immigrants protesting deportation; terrorist scares in Toronto; B.C. Ferries employees advised by lawyers not to talk. Not being one of the gentle people, following a lifetime of practical experience, I am at the same time saddened, sickened, appalled, disgusted and frightened by the apparent powerlessness of Canada's "justice" system. [continues 220 words]
All the key players - substance users, researchers, policy makers, law enforcement and local business people - attended a recent substance-abuse forum - well, almost everyone. "The health authority," said Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe, when asked who should be sitting at the table next time, adding that the focus should be on drug addiction as a health issue, not an enforcement issue. "It's time to come to terms with the fact that we're a substance-using culture," said Connie Carter, a member of Voices of Substance, citing the prevalence and acceptability of alcohol, cigarettes and coffee in our society. "Unfortunately, the burden of marginalization falls on people using illicit substances." [continues 233 words]
A local drug coalition applauds Vancouver Island Health Authority's intent to provide 30 new housing units in Victoria for people with mental health illnesses and addictions. "It is good news and housing has certainly been identified as a need," said Steve McDougall, spokesperson for Voices of Substance, non-profit group working on harm-reduction solutions for substance users. The promise includes a combination of affordable housing and intensive support for people with mental health illnesses and addictions. "It's got a combination of independence and intensive care that we haven't had up to now," said Alan Campbell, director of mental health and addiction services. [continues 244 words]
