FUNDING REALLY WASTED

Drug Educator Says $$$ For Teens Could Be Better Spent

A high-profile drug educator fears millions of dollars being pumped
into a program forcing teens into detox is being wasted, while other
addicts who really want help must languish on wait lists.

AADAC has 20 detox beds reserved under the Protection of Children
Abusing Drugs Act, allowing parents to force addicted youth into a
five-day detox program.

Since the program came into effect in July, 91 kids have undergone
the five-day detox program, said Silvia Vajushi, executive director
of AADAC youth services.

She conceded that at that rate, the program will operate at only one
quarter of its capacity.

Meanwhile, people voluntarily looking for treatment are being put on
waiting lists, she admitted, despite the so-called PChAD beds sitting empty.

Former city cop Doug Green, who now teaches drug awareness to school
kids, says that's "simply intolerable," and that the $14 million the
province poured into the PChAD program could be put to better use. "I
know a youth councillor who just tried to get a woman into voluntary
AADAC treatment but was told the wait was three months."

If AADAC continues to treat about 90 kids every three months under
PChAD, and spends the entire $14-million to do so this year,
treatment would amount to $38,500 per kid.

"There has got to be better ways of allocating treatment funding,"
Green said. "Where has all this money gone? Certainly not to
councillors' salaries."

The AADAC website says drug councillors are offered about $40,000 a
year in salary, while a top job as an executive director offers
upwards of $100,000.

"The beds cannot be used for any other purpose, even when residential
beds for voluntary treatment are full," Vajushi said, adding AADAC
will use this pilot year to monitor demand for forced treatment.
"It's still early in the program. We just started with 20 beds. If we
later determine we need fewer we'll change the way those beds are used."