EMPLOYERS URGED TO HELP WITH ADDICTIONS

Banff employers can play a larger role in discouraging their staff's drug
and alcohol abuse, according to feedback from focus groups discussing the
subject as part of a pilot project on addictive awareness in the resort
town.

The Addiction Awareness Pilot Project aims to develop a profile and
solutions for people experiencing problems with alcohol, drugs and gambling.
The project, a joint effort between Banff YWCA and Alberta Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Commission (AADAC), is aimed towards people aged 18 to 28 living in
Banff.

Having begun on July 12, the project will include eight focus groups with
eight community members participating in each session. Community
representatives include hotel and restaurant owners and managers, service
industry personnel, health professionals, educators and social workers. One
focus group will be comprised entirely of people within the target age
group.

The focus groups will conclude mid-August.

"There's a real concern for youth who are engaging in addictive behaviour,"
said program manager with the Y, Kerstin Stieber Roger.

"Every group has brought up different issues," she said.

Two of the main solutions include finding ways to involve employers and
finding a way to have a resource that is immediately accessible.

"The feeling is if youth have to wait at all it's not going to be
successful.

They can't have to make an appointment or wait three weeks... whether it's
resource counseling or awareness raising."

If someone suspects their friend has a problem with alcohol, they should be
able to access either information or a counselor almost immediately, said
Stieber Roger.

People also want clarification around the issues, she said.

"What the drug use is, it's unclear."

One related topic that has come again and again in the two-hour focus groups
discussions is date rape.

"What's up with the date rapes," is what people want to know, she said.

As a result of the needs assessment of the community, Stieber Roger expects
the ensuing program to be in place by October or November.

"We would hope to implement an ongoing program," said Stieber Roger, who
would like to see the pilot develop into a long-term project.

While the YWCA is committed to the program and has already made a
substantial investment in terms of time and resources, to sustain the
program it will be necessary to raise funds. AADAC is a potential partner in
the project.

"AADAC has been looking for a long time on how to better serve people in the
Bow Valley," said Jim Arnett, an AADAC counselor.

For the past three years, an AADAC counselor from Calgary spends a half-day
in Banff and a half-day in Canmore once a month. Of six appointments
throughout the day, the day is usually booked, said Arnett.

Other groups such as Alberta Mental Health, the YWCA, AIDS Bow Valley and
the public schools work around the issue, but Arnett is the only dedicated
resource the community offers, said Stieber Roger.

In Canmore, Jay Keller offers special counseling around addictive
behaviours.

Community support for further programming in Banff is good, she said.

"If we have eight groups of eight people showing up to spend time in their
day to talk about the issue, that's an incredible sign of community
support."

Anyone interested in joining one of the remaining focus groups can call
Kerstin Stieber Roger at 760-3209.