NEW ALBERTA LAW CAN ORDER YOUTH WITH ADDICTIONS INTO DETOX

Parents of drug-addicted youth now have another option to help their
children.

A new Alberta law allows parents to ask for a court order to force
their children into detox. The Protection of Children Abusing Drugs
Act was introduced to help children under 18 whose drug or alcohol
abuse is likely to cause serious physical or psychological harm to
themselves or others.

"Youth need to know that they're hurting themselves," said Mary Anne
Jablonski, MLA for Red Deer North, who introduced the law as a private
member's bill. "Sometimes when you're in the middle of a drug binge
you don't really see that. They need to know that their parents care
about them. I think this bill helps them to know that."

While chairperson for Alberta's Youth Secretariat, Jablonski said she
came into contact with many youth who felt the only way they could get
help for a drug problem was by being charged and put in detention. She
also "experienced the desperation of parents" who wanted to help their
children with a drug problem, but found there was nothing they could
do.

"Accessibility to treatment, parents not having the ability to help
their children and the youth themselves asking for help encouraged me
to put this together," she said.

And the need for such a law is clear, as seen by parents taking
advantage of it so quickly. The act came into force on July 1 and, as
of July 14, 10 court orders had already been approved. Three more
applications are pending. Since Alberta passed the legislation,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba have also both copied the law in some form.

Under the court order, a child is taken to a protective safe house for
up to five days, even if he or she does not want to go. If the child
is no longer at home or parents are unsure of his or her whereabouts,
they can apply for the police to apprehend the child and take him or
her to the safe house. Once there, the child will begin
detoxification, while also offering parents an opportunity to get
involved in the process. Counsellors will assess the child and offer
treatment recommendations once the child has been discharged.

Local family services workers agree that the act can be useful for
parents, as there are problems with youth and drugs "in every community".

"I think it's a good option for families that are at the end of their
rope, as far as trying to deal with a child with an addiction," said
Valaine Vienneau, Innisfail's community services co-ordinator. "It
certainly is a starting point."

She said the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commision has an outreach
office in Innisfail and a worker is there every two weeks for one day.
As well, family wellness workers may deal with some youth that have an
addiction problem. She was uncertain if anyone local had used the new
law but said, "there are certainly a lot of youth out there that are
using drugs and alcohol that haven't sought help".

While the law has been praised by many, some critics say that it is
enfringing the rights of children, not helping them. When asked what
she thought about that criticism, Jablonski suggested people look at
the United Nations Rights of the Child document signed by more than
145 nations. The document says children have the right to be protected
against dangerous drugs and have the right to be safe.

"In reading those rights, it's evident to me that we're upholding the
rights of the child, not abusing them," she said. Youth have the right
to appeal a confinement order at any time. If a review of the order is
heard, the court may confirm, change or terminate the original order,
but it cannot extend the period of confinement.

The number of days a youth can be kept in a detox centre was a
debatable issue when the law as first introduced. Initially the bill
had called for 90 days, but it was changed to five.

"The fact that it only allows for a maximum of five days in a
treatment centre probably isn't nearly as long as may be required to
effectively get the child off of the drugs," Vienneau said.

Jablonski agreed that five days is not enough to kick an addiction,
but still feels it will be effective.

"What happens in the five days is that parents get the opportunity to
see their youth that may have left home and may have been living on
the street," she said. "In that five days, they (the youth) may have
some clarity and realize they are heading down a road of destruction.
And they may make the decision themselves to go into voluntary treatment."

She added that although the law's only been in effect for a few weeks,
it's making a difference.

"It's early on and I'm already hearing success stories."