WEEK PROVES NO COMMUNITY IS IMMUNE TO ADDICTIONS

Each Year, Almost $40 Billion Is Spent in This Country on Substance Abuse.

In Saskatchewan alone, the cost reaches $1.2 billion, or about $1,200
per person.

Proving no community is immune to the dangers of substance abuse.
This past week, local organizers put on various activities in
conjunction with Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness Week running
November 19 to 25.

Kicking off with a Sober Walk for Awareness, Andrew Sedley, health
promotion coordinator for Mental Health and Addictions, points out
the goal of the week is to in fact raise awareness of addictions
issues in the community.

"A lot of times there's a stigma associated with addictions," he
comments. "Some people may look at it as a moral issue instead of a
health issue. We really want to push the fact that it is a health
issue and you can come for help."

Sedley says it is important for the community to come together, just
like the many families, youth and community residents did for the
walk, and raise awareness for the issue. He notes, addictions don't
just affect the individual themselves, they affect everyone around them.

"Addictions affect family members and the community as a whole," he
explains. "It affects friends and even people they aren't really
close with, whether it's an employer, a co-worker or their neighbors.
Everyone can be affected." And it doesn't matter how big or small a
community is, addictions affect communities of all sizes.

"There is that myth that if it's a smaller community they may not
have the same issues as urban centers," remarks Sedley. "But whether
it is locally, provincially, nationally or worldwide the drugs that
are used most commonly are the same."

Sedley says whether it is Yorkton or Vancouver, alcohol is still the
top addiction with marijuana coming in second.

"No community is immune," he says. "By raising awareness and having
the community come together like this is a step in the right
direction to hopefully decrease some of the substance abuse."

Other activities for the week included a flag raising at City Hall,
programs dealing with the subject shown on the community channel and
presentations in the high schools.

The latter, Sedley declares, is a huge part of the week promoting
prevention and in some cases leading to early intervention.

"Getting youth involved is a huge step," he says. "We have these
young champions in our community and getting them on board to take
ownership and push this thing forward will continue to make it successful."

Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness Week is held in conjunction with
National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW).

An estimated 600,000 people participate in NAAW activities across
Canada each year.