LOCAL TREATMENT CENTRES NEEDED

Dear editor,

This article is written for all North Island residents.

As most people know, drugs and alcohol are a problem in this North
Island region.

This disease or problem costs lives and tax dollars, not to mention
all the other negative things that follow its dark path.

I listen endlessly to the news of how millions and millions of dollars
are being spent on police and drug enforcement programs.

I don't know if police, lawyers, judges and ordinary people realize
the serious power of drug and alcohol addiction.

If they did, they would be spending more time and money trying to help
these people, rather than hurting them.

By this I mean, when you look up and charge a drug addict or
alcoholic, you don't help him or the community.

You're just putting the addict or alcoholic - and their serious
problem - in hibernation.

When they get out, it's only a matter of time before the addictive
beast inside them claws its way out of its hibernating inner chamber.

So you ask what else could the police, lawyers, judges, politicians
and communities do instead? Well, here's what I suggest, strongly.

Treat this addiction of drugs and alcohol as a serious threat to our
communities by building more local treatment centres up here on the
North Island.

Just imagine if each community - Fort Rupert, Quatsino, Tsulquate,
Port Hardy, Port Alice and Port McNeill - had small six to eight week
treatment centres.

I believe, in my heart and soul, that this situation would save lives,
money, families and the community itself.

When a treatment centre is built in a small community, it creates a
positive snowball effect.

Recovering addicts and alcoholics help each other and newcomers to the
community.

So, let's do it and build these extremely valuable treatment centres
up here on the North Island, not just for a better today but for a
better tomorrow as well.

Ben Perlini

Port Hardy