MORE MONEY TO FIGHT CRYSTAL METH ABUSE

An extra $8-million injection of provincial money to combat crystal
meth and other addictions includes nearly $2 million a year more for
the Fraser Health Authority.

Three-quarters of the new funding announced Thursday will go to youth
addictions treatment, while the balance is dedicated to crystal meth treatment.

"The number of youth addictions treatment beds will increase by
approximately 75 per cent and allows us to build capacity to ensure
youth across the province get the assistance they need," health
minister George Abbott said.

Ten longer-term residential treatment beds for youth addicts with
complex needs, and possibly other mental health disorders, are to be
provided through a partnership between Fraser Health and the
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. The site hasn't been determined.

"We are working intensively on this project," said FHA addictions
leader Dr. Akbar Bayanzadeh, who said youths will be able to stay in
the beds up to six months.

The FHA will also get nearly $560,000 extra added to its annual
budget to pay for six crystal meth youth outreach workers to provide
treatment, prevention, early diagnosis and harm reduction measures
throughout the region.

They'll work through a series of community-based activities to reach
at-risk youth and treat those already addicted.

Bayanzadeh said the aim is to help not just crystal meth users but
intervene early to reach other young people using "gateway drugs"
such as alcohol or marijuana.

Harm reduction strategies -- most prominent of which are the Downtown
Eastside's safe injection sites -- are controversial.

Opponents sometimes think abstinence isn't a primary goal, Bayanzadeh said.

"Abstinence is the first principle and first goal of any harm
reduction program," he said.

Some youths are multiple drug users, and harm can be reduced by
persuading them to eliminate one or two of the drugs they use, or
switch from injecting to ingesting drugs. Needle exchange programs
are another harm reduction strategy, helping to cut the spread of
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Other one-time FHA initiatives financed through the announcement include:

- - Hiring of three concurrent disorders youth therapists.

- - A clinician to work with doctors to help diagnose drug and alcohol
abuse problems as a one-year pilot program.

- - An addictions specialist focused on youth with addiction and
behavioural problems.

- - Educational events this spring for the FHA's addictions staff.

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority gets the biggest chunk of the new
money, nearly $2.2 million.

The new funding is in addition to $7 million to combat crystal meth
announced last fall, and another $2 million over three years included
in the 2006 budget for the Crystal Meth Secretariat to fight meth
production and use.