ADDICTS ASSISTED

Despite several years of warning teens about the dangers of substance
abuse, more drug-addicted youths are on the streets, says a local advocate.

Chaplain Steve Bradley of the Connection to Freedom Jail & Street
Outreach Society has been speaking to schools for 13 years.

Just last week his organization talked to three classes at Claremont
secondary school about drug and alcohol abuse.

"The kids were talking about a former student who had just overdosed
on cocaine and died of a heart attack," he said. "Drugs are just
infested in the schools."

As a former heroin addict of 18 years, the 60-year-old chaplain can
paint a very real picture of addiction.

"It's not OK to think you can just experiment with drugs here and
there and do a little bit of weekend stuff - you can't," he warned.
"I was a skid row alcoholic with my first drink at 14."

But are the kids listening?

Bradley's agency runs breakfast workshops on Saturday mornings. He's
seen an increasing number of youths addicted to crystal meth.

"It's probably getting worse... There's more kids," he said. "Crystal
meth is so terrible now, it's like night of the living dead - the
kids walking out there with the pimples all over their faces, the
boils and all that. It's a killer for sure, crystal meth, but don't
think that's the only drugs kids are using, because there's a lot of
heroin addicts out there too you know."

Despite an increasingly grim situation on the
streets, Bradley had one thing to be thankful for
this year at the annual Thanksgiving dinner held
at the Needle Exchange on Wednesday: the Villa House Church Society.

The two agencies have combined efforts to give street addicts a decent
meal for the last seven years. The Connection to Freedom Jail & Street
Outreach Society plays host, but the Villa House Church Society brings
the goods.

"We could not put that dinner on if we didn't have the food."