DOLING OUT DRUG TREATMENT

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE -- Mandatory drug and alcohol treatment for addicted
welfare recipients will begin in a handful of Ontario communities by early
next year, the provincial government announced yesterday.

Premier Mike Harris and Community and Social Services Minister John Baird
also announced that mandatory literacy testing and training is in the works.

Those who refuse treatment or training will be taken off the welfare roll,
they said.

"They're not cut off if they have addiction problems. They're cut off if
they refuse help for their addiction problems," Harris said. "We believe
very strongly we must do everything we can to help people lead productive
lives."

Baird, MPP for Nepean-Carleton, described the announcement as the
government's plan to help people out of the welfare "trap."

Drug (including prescribed medication) and alcohol testing will begin in
three to five municipalities early in 2002. All municipalities will follow
by 2007.

Baird said he expects the program to cost about $3 million in its first
year and up to $10 million by the time the entire province is on board.

Potential abusers would be screened by welfare workers, who would refer
them to counselling programs. Welfare benefits aren't contingent on
success, said Baird, only on participation in treatment.

Baird said estimates for the addiction rates run between 3% and 10%. He
said there is no indication welfare recipients are more prone to addiction
than the general population.

'SHAME'

Baird's speech was greeted with yells of "shame" from across the Assembly
floor yesterday.

Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle called the announcement "another attack on the
poor in this province."

NDP MPP Shelley Martel questioned where the money would come from, citing
addiction researchers estimates that proper testing could cost $2,000 a shot.

Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian called the
drug-testing program a "gross violation of privacy."

THE PLAN

A look at the five-point welfare reform plan:

- - Mandatory Literacy Tests: Any welfare recipient who fails a basic
language and math test must take remedial classes.

- - Ontario Works Placement: The province wants to double the number of
participants in its work-for-welfare program by 2002.

- - Caseworker Training: An advanced training program for welfare caseworkers
would help them get their charges back to work.

- - Overcoming Barriers: The province will spend $10 million helping people
with "multiple barriers" find jobs -- those who have been on welfare for
more than two years and have "more than one obstacle between them and a job."

- - Mandatory Drug Treatment: Drug and alcohol addicts must submit to
treatment under a plan to be phased in over five years, beginning in early 2002.