SASK. MOVES TO BOOST NEW LAW

Recognizing that drug-addicted teens need to deal with the root cause
of their addictions has prompted the provincial government to amend
its Youth Drug Detoxification and Stabilization Act.

"We know there is a huge overlap between mental-health issues and
addictions, and it is not really clear which comes first in most
cases,'' said Healthy Living Services Minister Graham Addley.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which comes first because
you've got to treat the person not just their symptoms. So you've got
to make sure the addiction professionals and the mental-health
professionals are working together.''

In March the government enacted the legislation empowering parents and
guardians to force drug-addicted youths aged 12 to 17 -- who are a
danger to themselves and others and resistant to interventions -- into
detoxification to rid their bodies of any drugs or alcohol, sober up
and stabilize their health.

"I committed last fall when the legislation was first introduced that
we would continue to review it and ensure we improve it because this
is groundbreaking legislation,'' Addley said during an interview Tuesday.

In response to concerns raised by the Children's Advocate, the
Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Saskatchewan Medical
Association and others, a number of amendments were introduced this
month.

The concerns that had been expressed were that within the legislation
there wasn't any explicit after-care provisions once the youths had
gone through the detoxification process, Addley said.

"It was felt the five days or up to 15 days spent on (secure)
in-patient detoxification and stabilization is not treatment. It is
meant to get the chemicals out of the body so that the person is in a
place where they can make healthy choices about their future,'' he
said.

"It was expressed by many that we should ensure that there is an
after-care laid out for the young person."

While it wasn't specifically stated in the legislation, Addley said,
in practice an addictions professional is assigned to work with any
youth who goes through the detoxification process and links the youth
back to the supports in their own community, he said.

The proposed amendment would require addictions workers to develop,
whenever possible, a care plan for young people who are released from
the secure care facility. This will help to ensure that young people
will receive continued services and support within their home
communities.

"We want to ensure every child in Saskatchewan has the best possible
chance to grow up free from addiction,'' Addley said.

But, he added there are no guarantees as treatment is strictly
voluntary.

"We can't force them into treatment. But you do everything that you
possibly can and you hope that the young person will make the right
choices,'' Addley said.

Since Saskatchewan proclaimed and implemented this legislation,
Alberta and Manitoba have introduced similar legislation, he said.