TREATMENT BEDS FOR AREA TO TREAT YOUTH ADDICTED TO CRYSTAL METH

The Courtenay/Campbell River area will be receiving two to four new
detox beds to help youth addicted to crystal methamphetamine, says
Michelle Dartnall, Vancouver Island Health Authority's (VIHA) manager
of youth addictions services.

The beds are part of a provincial government initiative announced last
week to help substance dependent youth across the province.

The government announced it will increase VIHA's annual budget for
youth addictions by $1.176 annually and earmark an additional $363,000
specifically for crystal meth treatment.

"They [the beds] are really a part of being able to respond to youth
closer to home," said Dartnall from Nanaimo.

Rather than sending youth out of the community when they need more
intensive treatment or residential beds, she said youth can become
more stabilized by remaining in the community.

Dartnall said the beds are expected to be in place sometime between
July and September.

In total, 16 new withdrawal management and stabilization beds for
substance dependent youth are being planned for the island.

In addition to the new beds, Dartnall said VIHA will be enhancing
intensive day-treatment services for the north island in order to ease
the treatment pressure off Victoria's resources.

It will also be enhancing education and prevention programs and
counselling services for drug and alcohol involved youth and their
families.

To address the growing problem of crystal meth addiction, VIHA is also
matching the Ministry of Health's funding on a one-time basis -
devoting an extra $363,000 for crystal meth initiatives for its
2005/2006 fiscal year.

VIHA will allocate part of this money to community groups that educate
youth about the dangers of this drug.

In addition, VIHA will prioritize one-third of all withdrawal and
management beds and supported residential stabilization beds on
Vancouver Island to assist young people addicted to crystal meth.

The health authority is currently consulting with youth addictions
service providers and communities across the island to identify gaps
in services, determine local priorities and develop strategies for
addressing crystal meth and other drug use among youth.