COALITION'S APPROACH ON THE RIGHT TRACK

In 2005, the Central Okanagan Four Pillars Coalition was created as a
means of identifying and addressing problematic drug use in the
Central Okanagan.

The name, Four Pillars, stems from the four pillar approach the
coalition has adopted, with emphasis on prevention, treatment, harm
reduction and enforcement.

The coalition identified 28 specific actions to achieve its goal: a
healthy, safe and prosperous environment for all members of the
community. The first specific action identified was the need for a
drug policy coordinator, who would facilitate transparency and
accountability in all stages of the 28 actions.

In August 2007, the Regional District of Central Okanagan welcomed
Christene Walsh into that position.

Walsh brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job.

She is very busy working within her mandate to assist people who have
been impacted by addiction, service providers and stakeholders, while
following research trends and encouraging local implementation of results.

Some of the 28 actions have already been acted upon with success,
like the RCMP Special Projects Team (Downtown Enforcement Unit and
Target Team), and some will be ongoing, such as efforts to identify
and map the ever changing needs of the community.

Walsh is convinced that through perseverance, the program will be as
successful here as it has proven to be in other centres.

For more information, and the full report on the Four Pillars
Coalition, you can log onto www.4pillars.livingpositive.ca