WE'RE FAILING ADDICTED YOUTH, SAYS PSYCHIATRIST

This week Dr. Anthony Barale departed from his position as head of
Victoria's only psychiatric emergency unit, the Archie Courtnall
Centre. His departure reflects not only his frustration, but his
continued compassion for those addicted patients for whom he has
little to offer due to the deplorable lack of resources in this city.

I have worked as an emergency room psychiatrist for the past eight
years in Montreal and as director of a busy crisis service. For the
past two months I have been working alongside Dr. Barale at the
Courtnall Centre.

The percentage of patients I have assessed who have addiction as
their primary problem far surpasses anything I have seen in Montreal.
Adults as young as 17 and 18 are admitted barefoot, bruised and
psychotic due to alcohol, cocaine, heroin and crystal meth. The
city's meagre number of detox beds are usually full and there are no
long-term residential beds on Vancouver Island. Usually all we can do
is stabilize these young people and send them back to the horror that
brought them to us in the first place.

Addiction research is clear: Long-term (three months and more)
residential rehabilitation programs with properly trained personnel
are essential to the breaking of the cycle of addiction.

While a costly study of whether a safe injection site is feasible for
Victoria may relieve the conscience of a city plagued by tourist
disgust at the needles found downtown, it will not in any measure suffice.

This is a capital city in a very wealthy nation and there is no
excuse for this appalling neglect of our marginalized youth.

Dr. Barale has been a strong spokesman for addicted persons for many
years and he feels that his message has fallen on deaf ears. His
departure is a serious loss and it needs to be taken as a call for
commitment and funding, not only by VIHA administration but by all
levels of government.

Dr. Kiri Simms,

psychiatrist,

Archie Courtnall Centre.