DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES INVITED TO HELP DEAL WITH PROBLEM OF DRUG ADDITIONS

Downtown Business Owners Might Prefer To Turn A Blind Eye To The
Problem Of Addictions.

But like it or not, they are affected by it and can be part of the solution.

This is the premise for an addictions awareness seminar scheduled for
Feb. 21 at the Red Deer Public Library.

Conducted by the Central Alberta Addictions Consortium and the RCMP,
the event is part of the Main Street Seminar Series organized through
the Red Deer Main Street Project and Downtown Business Association.

Cpl. Sandy Andrews, who is responsible for community policing with
the Red Deer RCMP, will be among the speakers.

She plans to discuss three issues: the types of drugs police are
currently encountering in Red Deer, the importance of collaboration
between police and the community - including businesses, and the role
of players like outreach services and the detox centre.

"I think information-sharing is an important piece, because they need
to share with us what their concerns are so that we and our partners
can better address them," said Andrews.

"And they need to receive information from us as well as to what to
look for . . . and where we as the police service can help and where
other service providers can help."

The Addictions Awareness in the Downtown seminar will run from 8 to
9:30 a.m. in the library's Snell Auditorium. Registration is free,
but participants are asked to RSVP by calling Tara at the Downtown
Business Association office at 340-8696.