PARENTS OF DRUG ADDICTS CRY FOR HELP

Parents of drug addicts hit out at B.C.'s "scandalous" lack of treatment at
a Vancouver conference on addiction.

"We're mad as hell and we're not going to keep quiet anymore," parent Rob
Ruttan warned 200 political and community leaders at a dinner on Friday, the
final day of the international conference.

Ruttan, a Vancouver city prosecutor, said shame and guilt have stopped many
parents like himself from speaking out, but that's going to stop. For
several years Ruttan and his wife Susie have been trying to get treatment in
B.C. for their son, now 19, who is addicted to heroin and cocaine.

"I have a wonderful son but he is a slave to addiction," Ruttan told the
leaders, including Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen. He told how the youth, an
honour roll student until he tried heroin offered by a Kerrisdale-area
friend, developed an addiction that spiralled out of control while waiting
months on a list for treatment.

When the boy finally reached the top of the list, he was refused treatment
because his addiction was by then too serious.

Just a week ago, the boy injected heroin into an artery, instead of a vein,
by mistake. He burst into his parents' room at 4 a.m. believing he had a
heart attack. They took him to B.C. Children's Hospital, where, Ruttan said,
"They clearly don't like to treat junkies, even Kerrisdale junkies."

Parent Nichola Hall, a University of B.C. continuing-education
administrator, asked the politicians when help will come. She has two sons
addicted to heroin.

"You're absolutely right," said Mayor Owen. "We've got a lot of catch-up to
do."

Provincial health officer Perry Kendall said, "Soon, I really hope."

He is heading an advisory group to government that's planning a drug
treatment strategy for B.C.

NDP MLA Tim Stevenson said Premier Ujjal Dosanjh is "very keen" on
developing harm-reduction drug policies for B.C.

The Fraser Institute's Patrick Basham said B.C. needs harm reduction, not
the crime, violence, deaths and AIDS prohibition brings.