TASK FORCE PLANS DRUG STRATEGY

By the summer, it should be in place -- a single contact point and
framework for dealing with anything related to substance abuse in
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

That's the goal of substance misuse prevention task force that's been
busy for almost the past two years.

"Our strategy is across the board -- all substance misuse," said task
force chair Cheryl Ashlie.

The task force started in 2004 following an address by the Lower
Mainland Municipal Association urging such a strategy, as well as a
series of town hall meetings.

Maple Ridge council, police, the school district, Katzie First Nation,
Alouette Addictions Services, Alouette Home Start Society, Inner
Visions, Salvation Army, the Asante Centre for Fetal Alcohol Syndrom
and community services are all on the task force.

Maple Ridge's social planning advisory committee provides staff
support and initiated the task force. One of the related goals of the
strategy will be a commitment to a prevention-focused plan.

During its work over the past several months, other needs have been
recognized, such as a youth home-detoxification program.

"There isn't a youth home detox program that works yet," Ashlie
said.

Experts say that kids don't like to go to institutions in order to get
drugs out of their system, so the preference is to offer programs
where children can stay in their home environment.

But, "We don't know what it's going to look like. We have to design
it," Ashlie said.

"We're losing kids to substance [abuse] and if anybody says different,
I'll challenge them."

A parents' support group and a reworking of the school district's drug
prevention program are also arising from the task force's work. Ashlie
said the strategy should be ready by April.

Before that, however, a planning meeting will take place March 2 at
Thomas Haney secondary. All of the member groups will bring two people
to the meeting in order to ensure a broad range of viewpoints.

The Fraser Health Authority is funding to coordinate the project.