YOUTH ADDICTION IS STILL HERE

Drug and alcohol issues among youth aren't going away, according to a
counsellor who works with young people. Crack, cocaine, marijuana,
alcohol, Oceanside has it all.

"It's all here," says Tracy Magdall, a counsellor for Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Prevention Treatment, a society that works with young people
using or affected by drugs and alcohol.

"It's not going away and the youth have access to it. Very easy access
to it. Alcohol is still a big issue. Sometimes it gets forgotten about."

Madgall says softer drugs, like marijuana, have gotten lost in a push
against crystal meth.

ADAPT is fairly new in town. It's been up and running at its Weld
Street location since September. Although Magdall is the only part
time person in the office, at 22 clients, she's nearing a full time
workload.

"ADAPT works with youth aged 12 to 19," Magdall explains. "We will
also work with the parents."

Working with parents means offering them information and coping
strategies. ADAPT is even there for parents to access even if their
child isn't.

"I feel so bad for parents," Magdall says. "They're usually the last
to know. They're left feeling like they missed something. I'd like to
see a lot more help for parents out there."

ADAPT is working its way into local secondary schools as well. Magdall
goes to PASS and Kwalikum Secondary school to work with clients.
Clients are referred to her, or they come looking for
information.

"They are wonderful kids who have gotten hooked up," Magdall says of
the young people she works with. "I love working with the kids."

She says she finds as long as she listens to them, they are very open
about what they are using and wanting facts.

"They have hearts, they have feelings," Magdall says.

She says it's once the addiction takes hold of them the bad behavior
starts.

In the long term, she's hoping to start support groups for youth in
different stages of addictions.

"You can run groups of people who know they have a problem," she says,
adding there can be groups for young people who are clean too.

She says if someone is worried about a youth in relation to drugs or
alcohol, they should sit down and ask them.

"Don't ignore it," Magdall says. "If there's an issue it will only
worsen."

The community can help with youth addictions too.

"I think it's more about don't turn a blind eye to it," Magdall
says.

She says if you see youth drinking or smoking marijuana in public,
that youth has probably been using for some time. She recommends
calling the police.

The police can stop and talk and then the parents can be called,
Magdall says.

For parents, she says if they get a call, address it with the child --
preferably not right in the moment.

"They're probably going to get a defensive response back," she
acknowledges.

"It (youth addiction) is in this town," Magdall says. "This town is no
better or worse than Nanaimo. It's more secretive here. What I find in
Nanaimo, I find here."

For information about ADAPT call 248-0500.