SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELLORS FEEL CAMPBELL'S BUDGET CUTS

VICTORIA -- At the same time Premier Gordon Campbell is preparing to seek
alcohol abuse counselling, his government is cutting services for thousands
of others who require the same assistance.

Drug and alcohol counselling providers say they are being forced to cut
services by about 10 per cent as a result of provincial budget constraints.

Roy Crowe, executive director of the Association of Substance Abuse
Programs of B.C., called it ironic that Campbell would be seeking the very
services his government is cutting.

"The cuts have been five to 10 per cent across the board," Crowe said Monday.

Essentially, Crowe said the province has frozen the money it spends on drug
and alcohol counselling. With more demand, increasing costs and
provincially approved wage increases, the result is about 10 per cent less
for addiction services.

Crowe said about 80 of the non-profit drug and alcohol organizations he
represents are facing a cash crisis that will lead to fewer clients being
served.

But for a Victoria organization that has provided alcohol treatment for 27
years, the cut has been far worse.

In July, the provincial government cut all funding to the Victoria Life
Enrichment Society, an organization that has provided intensive alcohol
treatment since 1975.

"We are struggling to continue to operate," said Martin Spray, executive
director of the society. "They gave us 60 days notice after 27 years of
service. We had no warning, it just came out of the blue."

The society, which has treated more than 9,000 British Columbians, annually
received $500,000 from the provincial government but now gets nothing.

"The rug was pulled out from beneath us," Spray said. "We were not given
any written explanation about why we were cut."

The society formerly charged clients about $1,000 for a four-week
residential treatment program. It now must charge $4,500 for the same
service -- a fee that has dramatically reduced the number of people seeking
treatment.

Lianne Peterson, director of communications with the Vancouver Island
Health Authority, said the society lost its funding because it did not
provide adequate treatment.

"It was just not a state of the art treatment modality," Peterson said. "It
was not a treatment modality that was consistent with the way the Vancouver
Island Health Authority envisioned care."

Peterson insists, however, that medical care for those with addictions and
mental health issues has improved since the health authority took control
of services.

"The advantage of integrating the care is dual diagnosis. Many, many
individuals who suffer from addiction also have mental-health issues. That
allows us to understand and treat both sides of the issue as opposed to
treating them in isolation of one another," Peterson said.

After being charged with drunk driving in Hawaii on Jan. 10, Campbell asked
for the forgiveness of British Columbians while swearing off booze.
Although he doesn't believe he has an alcohol problem, Campbell has agreed
to seek professional help.

The province annually spends $64 million on addiction services, which
includes drug and alcohol counselling, detox, outreach and residential
services.

The money, which has been frozen this year at the same level as last year,
is divided among the five provincial health regions, which make specific
decisions on where the money should be spent.