CITY FACILITY SEEKS ROLE FIGHTING CRYSTAL METH

Fighting the spread of crystal meth in Alberta will be expensive, but
the head of a Calgary treatment centre argues making more use of
private facilities can cut the cost.

The Premier's Task Force on Crystal Meth made 83 recommendations in a
report released Tuesday, and Health Minister Iris Evans said it would
cost approximately $30 million to add 300 new detoxification and
treatment beds called for in the document.

It needn't cost that much if the province is willing to provide more
funding for places like the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre in
Calgary, the facility's executive director said.

"They don't have to reinvent the wheel," said Dr. Dean Vause.

"The intent of the task force is good, the direction they're going is
good -- but will it translate into specific dollars for facilities
like ours to treat crystal meth addicts successfully, which we're
already doing?"

The centre keeps clients in treatment for an average of a year, often
followed by six months of aftercare. The program has resulted in more
than 300 sober "graduates" since the centre opened in 1992, but it is
costly to deliver.

The 30-bed centre's annual budget is currently $2 million, but that's
expected to swell to $3.8 million when its capacity doubles to 60
beds next year.

The centre receives approximately $300,000 a year from the Alberta
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.

The centre paid for its expansion entirely through fundraising and
relies on donations and patient fees to cover the remainder of its
operating costs.

It can cost up to $50,000 for a year of treatment at the centre, but
the non-profit facility only charges families what they're able to
pay -- and 80 per cent of clients are subsidized.

Although it's common for addicts to abuse a variety of drugs, about
25 per cent of the centre's clients list crystal meth as their drug of choice.

The task force recommended provincial guidelines governing meth lab
cleanups and called on the federal government to toughen penalties
for criminals trafficking the drug.

For drug users who commit crimes to feed their addictions, however,
the task force recommends a measure of leniency. It supports
specialized courts that would refer eligible offenders to supervised
treatment rather than jail.

A committee made up of civic politicians and justice officials was
already working to establish a drug court in Calgary, likely paid for
with seed money from the municipal budget.

The possibility the venture could one day benefit from provincial
funding pleased Ald. Druh Farrell, an ardent supporter of drug courts.

"Wouldn't that be wonderful," said Farrell.