Last week was National Addiction Awareness Week, and Grande Prairie's Community Action on Crime Prevention group and the Grande Prairie and Area Drug Action Committee set about making sure it wasn't a wasted opportunity to focus some much-needed attention on the topic of substance abuse. Staff Sergeant Ian Sanderson - formerly stationed here and now based out of Edmonton as an operative of K Division - was brought in to do just that, offering a series of three public presentations at the Golden Age Centre, as well as additional talks at local schools. [continues 948 words]
When parents can no longer deal with their drug addicted or alcoholic teen, there is help available. Under the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act (PChAD) legislation, a parent or guardian of a child who is using alcohol or other drugs in a way that endangers themselves or others, can apply to the provincial courts to have the child placed in a protective safe house for up to five days. "Usually, by the time a parent goes to court, they feel they've exhausted all other options," said Barb Robbins, manager of the Northern Addictions Centre in Grande Prairie. [continues 729 words]
