DETOX CENTRES IMPRESS VISITORS

Drug-and-alcohol addiction is a problem in just about every country in the
world.

The problems become magnified when they occur in second- and third-world
countries.

Through the help of Rotary International, six men from Bangladesh are
working to find a solution to the problem in their homeland.

As part of an exchange program with the Kamloops West Rotary Club, the
group arrived here March 25 and expect to stay until tomorrow.

Meeting with officials from several different programs and facilities,
including the Phoenix Centre, Raven Program, Kiwanis House, High Valley
Youth Camp and Osprey Program during their stay, the men have gathered
information on how to expand their own programs.

While addiction may not be an epidemic problem in Bangladesh, a lack of
proper treatment facilities is.

In a country of 150 million people, there are only a handful of privately
owned and operated clinics with about 100 beds in total.

The only government-run clinic has just 10 beds, which means millions of
people go untreated.

"It's unfortunate but we can't help them all," says Muhammad Mohsin, who
runs a daily newspaper.

"The clinics there are always full. The government participation is very
poor and there is very little money available."

The group, which works with the Dinajpur Drug Detoxification Centre, likes
what it has seen and learned so far.

"The Phoenix Centre offers such a complete program. We had never thought
there could be such a variety of programs available through one centre.
It's information like this we will be taking back with us."

Alcohol is not a big problem there as 98 per cent of the population is
Muslim, a religion which strictly forbids alcohol of any kind.

A majority of addicts in Bangladesh are hooked on Phensedyl, a cough syrup
containing derivatives from opium.

Mohsin says Phensedyl was banned in Bangladesh and neighbouring India 15
years ago because of addiction rates but, since then, numerous illegal
factories have been set up to produce it.

"The Bangladesh government has asked the Indian government to shut them
down, but they are run by wealthy men who have influence."

In Dinajpur, Mohsin adds, 17,000 of the village's 150,000 residents are
addicted to a drug of some type.

Phoenix Centre medical director Dr. Stan Fike was head of a Rotary group
from Kamloops which travelled to Dinajpur in 1998 to set up a
water-treatment program. He says one of the only way to begin solving
addiction problems facing poor countries is citizen involvement.

"The Canadian government can send them all the money they want to but, if
you don't have people like these guys who care about the citizens of the
country, then it doesn't matter."