AADAC FOCUSES ON TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

Local Office Important Resource For Community

The St. Paul AADAC office invited the community in to take a look at
the services and resources available through the local office during
National Addictions Awareness Week Nov. 17 - 21.

With a mandate to assist Albertans in achieving freedom from the
harmful effects of alcohol, drugs and gambling, a visit to AADAC can
often be the all-important first step someone dealing with an
addiction takes, according to AADAC area supervisor Marilyn LaBrecque.
The local office provides outpatient service, which involves assessing
needs of clients, matching them with services including residential
treatment facilities if necessary, providing counseling and directing
clients to additional support through outreach groups.

In addition to treatment, AADAC plays an important role in awareness
and prevention, LaBrecque said. The local office has an extensive
library of resources available for public use and maintains a high
profile in the schools working with teachers and students on issues of
addiction and encouraging students to make smart choices.

"AADAC's key roles are providing information, prevention and
treatment," LaBrecque said. "We have such good partnerships with the
community groups and organizations. It makes our job easier and it
helps the clients, too."

She said it is important to recognize that the focus of AADAC is not
only to work with those already dealing with an addiction, but also to
assist people at risk of developing a dependency and providing support
to people with a loved one who is battling addiction.

"Spouses need support and we also have parents that come in that are
concerned about a child or sometimes a child comes in because they are
concerned about their parent. Addiction does affect more than just the
person using."

LaBrecque said the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act (PChAD),
which came into effect in 2006, has provided parents and guardians
with another way to help youth at risk in regards to drug use. The act
enable courts to authorize the apprehension of youth who are abusing
drugs and confine them for up to five days. During that time, the
youth receives supervised detoxification and assessment. A discharge
plan is established along with treatment recommendations.

Alcohol continues to be the number one drug of choice in Alberta. In
2004, almost 80 per cent of Albertans over the age of 15 were current
drinkers, with 21 per cent identified as heavy drinkers, according to
the Social and Health Indicators of Addiction (SHIA) report released
in 2006.

In regards to illicit drugs, LaBrecque said the region has seen more
instances of crack cocaine use over the last few years. However,
cannabis continues to be the most popular illicit drug in Alberta. In
2005, 26.7 per cent of junior and senior high school students in
Alberta reported having used cannabis in the previous year.

The St. Paul service area ranked 23 out of 28 in terms of reported
offences related to cannabis and other illicit drugs in 2004. However,
St. Paul was 11th in the province for drug-related deaths in 2004,
according to the SHIA report.

Tobacco use is an ongoing concern, according to LaBrecque, with the
St. Paul service area recording the highest death rate for
tobacco-related causes in Alberta in 2004. Tobacco is identified as
the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in
Canada. The SHIA report identified 21 per cent of Albertans 15 years
and older as smokers.

People interested in learning more about AADAC services can visit the
St. Paul office or go online to www.aadac.com. AADAC also has a
24-hour help line at 1-866-332-2322.