METH ADDICTS NEED STABLE PLACE TO KICK HABIT: SUPPORT GROUP

Crystal meth addicts wanting to ditch the drug could soon have a safe
place to go until they are accepted into treatment programs, but it's
their families, not the Saskatchewan government, spearheading the
drive to set up the arrangement.

"Addiction is a community problem. We simply can't sit back and let
the government do everything. I think we need to, as a community,
take responsibility for our community," said Families Against Meth
(FAM) executive member Nancy Kushnir.

On Thursday night, FAM members heard from four organizations in
Saskatchewan that could provide beds for up to six methamphetamine
addicts who require crisis housing while recovering from their
addictions. FAM had called for proposals because families are
frustrated with the lack of government-sponsored programs.

Crystal meth addicts can stay at Larson House, a short-term
detoxification centre operated by Saskatoon Health Region, for seven
to 10 days. That's not enough for meth users, says Kushnir.

"Most of them have no place to go (after detox) except back where
they came from which doesn't give them much of a chance. It's a
revolving door at detox. If you don't have a continuum of care, it's
kind of useless," she said.

"They need to be away from the pull of the streets. Most of them have
no place to go because they've burned their bridges with their
families. Lots of them are adults too. It's not always good to put
them back in the home as an adult."

Weeks, even months, can pass between the time spent in the short-term
detox and longer-term treatment facilities such as Calder Centre,
also run by the health region. In the meantime, the addicts need a
safe place to become stable physically and emotionally, says Kushnir.

"We're looking at where they can live safely with basically no
treatment other than addressing medical issues, nutrition, sleep
deprivation, those kinds of things while they're waiting for a bed in
a traditional treatment centre."

The four groups that are interested in providing stabilization beds
are: Living Faith Chapel in North Battleford, Cedar Lodge near
Blackstrap Provincial Park, Capri Place in downtown Saskatoon and the
Metis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon.

FAM is considering paying one or more of those organizations to
reserve rooms in their facilities that would be available for crystal
meth addicts. Each bed could cost several hundred dollars per month.
The next step for FAM is to find the money to pay for the beds.

"We're hoping someone will step forward in the community and say,
'This is a worthwhile thing. We need to help these people if we want
them to become productive citizens again,' " said Kushnir.

In August, 2005, the provincial government announced its own vision
for tackling substance abuse in Saskatchewan. Premier Lorne Calvert
committed to spending $30 million over three years to improve
community-based services and establish more residential programs.
Saskatoon is slated for a 12-bed youth stabilization home and a new
facility for family-centred care.

Kushnir says the problem with the government's stabilization home is
that it's for youth only, excluding adults who are also trying to
quit crystal meth. And the Saskatoon facility won't be ready until at
least 2007, far too long for people who are dealing with the
addiction today, she adds.