BOOZE TARGETED ALONG WITH DRUGS, SAYS BURGENER

Alberta will work just as hard to combat alcohol abuse among young people
as drug use, says the chairwoman of the agency leading the battle.

"We certainly recognize that alcohol is a major, major issue for our young
people," said Jocelyn Burgener, chairwoman of the Alberta Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Commission and MLA for Calgary Currie.

"It is just as destructive as drugs as it robs them of their opportunities
to use their education and self-esteem."

The top anti-drug executive of the United Nations told reporters covering
a Banff youth forum on drug abuse last week-end that cocaine and heroin
abuse, on a global scale, must be given higher priority than alcohol.

"Alcohol is not as dangerous as heroin addiction, of course,. We have to
select priorities. Of course people will die, but the number who consume
alcohol and the number of people who die is not as (many)," said Pino
Arlacchi, undersecretary-general of the UN and executive director of the
United Nations International Drug Control Program.

"They are all drugs, but if you want to be realistic, if we want to be
successful, we have to tackle problems according to a scale of priorities,"
he said.

"My organization is an organization that fights drugs as defined by
international conventions. It doesn¼t mean we are soft on alcohol and other
intoxicants. It simply means our priority is heroin, cocaine, and the most
dangerous of drugs."

Arlacchi, who attended and delivered a closing address to more than 250
delegates at the four-day United Nations forum, said UNDCP's mandate is the
control and distribution of drugs, while alcohol abuse and "less dangerous
intoxicants" are issues that are handled by WHO (World Health
Organization). However, he added, messages and strategies developed at UN
sponsored meetings such as last weekend's forum in Banff, can be used to
combat alcohol abuse.

One youth delegate, Amy Duncan, of Prince Edward Island, said that while
the world¼s drug problem may be greater in general, alcoholism among young
people in specific places such as in Canada¼s Maritime provinces, is more
widespread.

"In specific places, like P.E.I, we don¼t have cocaine and heroin," said
Duncan. "If we do, there is not a lot of it. I think the focus there would
be different than probably where cocaine is the major drug."

Burgener told the conference that alcoholism among this province's young
people was of equal concern for the Alberta government.

"Rather than compete, let¼s use strategies that are appropriate," she added.