TREASURER BUDGETS FOR YOUTH ADDICTIONS TREATMENT FACILITY

Funding Also Going To Methadone Treatment, RCMP Street-Level Crime
Unit

The province is putting almost $1.4 million into getting illegal drugs
off the streets and helping those battling drug addictions.

In his budget Tuesday, Provincial Treasurer Mitch Murphy allocated $1
million to establish a youth addiction treatment facility and develop
a youth addictions strategy.

An additional $150,000 is going to the methadone maintenance treatment
program and $212,000 to aid the RCMP's street-level crime unit.

"It is a total program," said Health Minister Chester Gillan of the
concerted effort by his and the Attorney General's departments to
address addictions from the ground up.

No decision has been made where the new youth addictions treatment
facility will go. The P.E.I. Youth Centre in Summerside had been
bandied about as a possible location, which wasn't ruled out. The
closest treatment facility is in Sussex, N.B.

Before a location is decided, the province wants to ensure support
programs are in place.

"We have to be able to have the support for the rest of those
individuals who do not need that particular treatment facility but
still have some substance abuse," said Gillan. "We don't just want to
open the facility and start that without the community base."

He said the facility would likely accommodate 10-15 clients at a
time.

More money for methadone treatment programs is also aimed at helping
those battling addictions.

Public defender Trish Cheverie applauds the move.

She said: "$150,000 is not a lot of money but it's something. I think
that is important - at least in terms of an acknowledgement that we
have to go in that direction in terms of how we're going to deal with
those serious narcotic addictions."

Getting drugs off the street is the first step in fighting addictions,
said Attorney General Mildred Dover.

Her department is getting $212,000 to add two officers to the RCMP's
street-level drug unit. Since it was established, the unit has made
strides in getting drugs off the streets, said Dover.

"All you have to do recently is look at all the drug busts the RCMP
has successfully accomplished."

But, she admitted, more has to be done.

"We do have an issue here. There is no question about that," said
Dover. "What we're trying to do is emphasize in this budget a family
component that will help people that have addictions but also get some
of these drugs off the streets."