STUDENTS LACK HELP WITH DRUG PROBLEMS

Those Who Are Trying To Handle Addictions And Receive Help May Be
Directed To Outside Clinics

Langara students have few services on campus to help them deal with
addiction to drugs like crystal meth, but help may be coming from
local clinics and the federal government.

"We encourage people to come and see us. But if they have a drug
abuse problem we refer them to an addiction service," said community
health nurse Susan Kensett.

David Miller, youth counsellor at South Addictions, a community
health clinic, said they usually get one person a year from Langara
and would like to do more work at the college.

He said one-on-one counselling and access to a doctor and nurse are
the main services available for Langara students.

Initial consultations provide a chance for the counsellor to get to
know people and assess their needs. Meetings can be scheduled within
one to two weeks and usually last an hour.

The Langara Queer Collective provides a space where people can hang
out and discuss their drug problems without being judged or
castigated, said liaison Steven Huston.

"Our main concern are gay students. We have brochures available but
there is no drug counselling on campus. We can provide referrals for
addiction services," Huston said.

Health Canada provides funding at the provincial level to assist
communities in preventing and reducing harm associated with meth
through the Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund.

"We are in the final stages of negotiation for completion of
approval," said Adrienne Taplin-White, program officer with the
BC/Yukon Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Program.

She said the DSCIF has received 145 applications from all over the
province. The application process has not been completed, so she
doesn't know how many programs will be approved.

The program has $724,000 to finance community groups in this call and
funding can extend up to three years. The program is based on
responses received from communities in B.C. A number of proposals
came forward to address the problem of crystal meth by providing
public education initiatives that target street youth and gay men.

Crystal meth was a priority, but the program also deals with other drugs.