SASK. PARTY BILL TARGETS DRUG-ADDICTED CHILDREN

REGINA -- Saskatchewan Party MLA June Draude introduced a private
members' bill in the legislature Wednesday that could give families
the power to put drug-addicted children into mandatory
rehabilitation.

The Protection and Assessment of Children who are Abusing Drugs Act is
based on a bill recently passed in Alberta.

"A child that's on drugs right now can't really make up their mind and
doesn't really have control over all their faculties and we just
believe it gives them a chance to make some changes in their life,"
said Draude.

Under the act, legal guardians would make an application to a court to
have the child -- in this case defined as under the age of 18 --
apprehended and confined to a safe house for no more than 30 days.

If the court grants the application and the child is admitted to the
safe house, he or she would undergo an assessment by the director of
the facility and then begin detoxification and treatment.

While the act was spurred on by the high-profile use of crystal meth
in the last year, it would include users of all drugs and alcohol.

Community Resources and Employment Minister Joanne Crofford said there
are still several factors that need to be considered before enacting
legislation, including civil liberties issues as well as whether or
not the same result could be achieved through changes to current
legislation.

The Child and Family Services Act currently allows for children under
the age of 16 to be apprehended and returned to their family's care.

"There certainly are people looking at both the amended Alberta bill .
. . and as well looking at what the best practices are that are
considered by people who work in the field and also doing a bit of a
balancing act with looking at how the rights of the young person are
protected," she said. "I think what we have to determine here is
whether there are circumstances in which a person should be judged to
be not competent to make their own decisions."

A spokesperson from the Children's Advocate office said any strategy
must include the recommendations of young people and must balance a
child's right to protection from harm with a child's right to fair
treatment, as well as asserting a child's right to physical and
personal integrity.

Rod Rossmo, a registered psychologist and professor in health
education at the University of Regina, said the effectiveness of
treatment under duress is debatable but can lead some addicts down the
road to recovery.

But even though mandatory treatment won't work for everyone, he said
the government still needs to put some sort of law in place.

The bill could be debated further today after Graham Addley,
legislative secretary on substance abuse prevention and treatment,
reveals his findings and recommendations on the province's addictions
policies and programs.