COALITION SPONSORS SESSION ON NEW DRUG LAW

The Fort Macleod Crystal Meth Coalition is holding an information
night on Wednesday, June 28 to introduce the community to the
province's new Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act, which will
come into effect on Canada Day.

The information session will be held at the library at 7 p.m. Susan
Cannon from the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission will be the
featured speaker for the evening.

"Part of our mandate is to provide information to the community on
addictions," coalition co-chair Val Campbell explained. "Since this
act will come into effect on July 1 we thought it would be interesting
for parents so they will know what options are out there.

"Many parents feel there is nothing they can do about it if their
child is abusing drugs," Campbell continued. "This act gives them
another resource they can use."

The law is designed to help children under 18 whose use of alcohol or
drugs is likely to cause significant psychological or physical harm to
themselves or others.

The act allows concerned parents, or legal guardians, to use the
justice system to help get their children off drugs, by asking the
court for an apprehension and confinement order.

"If a parent has tried all the voluntary options with their children
they can approach the authorities and ask to have their child put into
detox for a period of up to five days," Campbell said. "Knowing that
is not a long time, it may, though, be enough for the kids to get out
of the haze and be thinking with a clearer mind."

During the time in the safe house the child will undergo
detoxification, in which an individual is provided a safe and
supportive environment during an acute withdrawal process from the
effects of substance abuse. The time spent in the protective safe
house allows counsellors the chance to assess the child and offer
treatment recommendations to follow once he or she has been discharged
from the program.

"The act also gives police the authority to enter a place if they
believe the child is there and remove them to take them to detox,"
Campbell said.