FORUM EXAMINES HOW TO TACKLE ADDICTIONS

Addiction affects more than individuals. It's a problem that envelops
the entire city, according to a community forum Wednesday night.

About 40 people turned out at the Grand River Community Health Centre
on Colborne Street to talk about the area's addiction problem and
possible solutions.

"This is a world epidemic," said moderator Trevor Beecraft from Why
Not City Missions.

"The agencies you see here are in this for the long haul and are in
this for this community."

People representing St. Leonard's, Brant Native Housing and the
health centre outlined some terrifying statistics about drug use and
alcohol abuse in elementary and high schools.

Those addictions lead to crime, suicide, motor vehicle accidents and
depression.

And, while there are dozens of agencies working with addicts, there's
little confidence in some programs, not enough space in others and
not enough funding for most.

"According to statistics from Brantford in 2008, there were 3,500
drug-related charges laid in our county, including alcohol and
driving under the influence charges," said Beecraft. "That's a lot of charges."

And Canada has become a country where suicides are rising. There were
only 358 suicides recorded for the country last year but Beecraft
noted that the police don't count drug overdoses as suicides because
too many drugs can be taken accidentally.

There were 41,000 drug-related deaths in Canada last year.

"This is a big issue, and it's not just drugs, alcohol and
cigarettes. It's also pornography, video games and isolation."

The forum discussed how kids will use anything to get some kind of
high, even if it's household items, such as Gravol, or gasoline and
other dangerous liquids.

It also noted that kids who are estranged from their families,
without some form of support, are 11 times more likely to die of an
overdose than those who have a loving support system.

Participants expressed their concerns about the kids getting more
focused on "organic" marijuana and prescription drugs because of a
new-found education about "dirty drugs," such as LSD and crystal meth.

Some expressed dismay that those growing marijuana and cooking
crystal meth are pursued by the police and punished, while the big
pharmaceutical companies bear no responsibility.

"The police were telling us that there are safeguards being put in
place for accountability for both the drug companies and doctors in
order to account for the number of pills produced and prescribed,"
said Beecraft.

One man said the key is in helping people deal with their addictive
personalities.

"I was addicted to weed and when I got away from it I was addicted to
other drugs," explained Ray van Engen, from Why Not City Missions.

"When I cleaned up, I got addicted to lottery cards. You have to find
the addictive drive and focus it on something positive."

Another man expressed his frustration in trying to find detox or
treatment beds for addicts who have reached a point where they're
willing to get help.

"The government keeps taking money away and treatment centres that
were nine months long have now been shaved down to 21 days," said the
man. "How can a drug addict come out and be a productive member of
society after 21 days?"

Another young man said the need for help is very local.

"I grew up here and we're a small town with big city problems. Some
friends and I did the math and figured that 70% of our graduating
class did coke in high school."

Panel member Coun. Dan McCreary said he hopes that the group of
people who are so passionate about helping could continue to share
their knowledge.

"Maybe this little group is the first steps of an advocacy group that
could go to the government and push for help."

Why Not City Missions founder Charlie

Kopczyk -a drug-dealer in a long-ago life --said the problem is too
big to be solved with a program or by the government.

"The only way to tackle this is one on one. We are the government and
we each need to ask, 'What can I do to affect one person's life?' If
we could all do what we can do, it would change."

Organizer Marc Laferriere said he is encouraged by the evening forum,
saying there are many ways into addiction and seem to be many ways to
solve the problem, too.

"There are solutions within this community and a lot of people who
are in recovery from addictions are taking a leadership role."

Laferriere said he'd like to explore the idea of the Grand River
Health Centre helping to facilitate a community team approach to addictions.

"Personally, I think that would be great."