DETOX CLOSING DRAWS PROTEST

20 Beds Lost At West Toronto Site

Ministry 'Does Not Care If Addicts Die'

A 20-bed detox centre on Queen St. W. will close today as planned, despite
protests from community workers who say a shift to outpatient services for
alcohol and drug addicts is more about saving money than lives.

Faced with a barrage of criticism in recent weeks, the Ontario health
ministry will delay the October closing of 22 beds at another treatment
facility on Ossington Ave. until April 2006, when a new community-based
detox program is open.

Street workers and addiction counsellors said, however, they will keep
fighting the closings in a bid to reverse the decision.

During a noisy rally yesterday at 501 Queen St. W., which closes today,
community activists criticized the province for a plan to remove 42 of 136
detox beds operated by five of the city's hospitals. Six new beds will
eventually open, leaving a total of 100.

That's not enough to serve people battling addictions, especially the
homeless or transient who can't be treated in a home-based or community
setting, said activist Sarah Dover.

"The Ministry of Health does not care if addicts die," she shouted to a
small, boisterous crowd of health workers and addiction counsellors, as
well as detox users who said they relied on beds as a safe place to take a
break from drugs or alcohol.

But ministry and hospital officials say there will still be plenty of beds
available for those who need them, while others can be better served
through community programs.

"You take those people out of the beds and you have more capacity to serve
those who need beds," said David Spencer, press secretary to Health Minster
George Smitherman.

Critics say the closings are money-saving measures, but Spencer said the
province intends to invest more money in addiction services.

The current beds-only system is overdue for restructuring, said Peter
Selby, director of the addictions program at the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health.

"Before we ask government to throw more money at this, we first have to
become more efficient," he said, noting beds are empty at times because
detox centre workers can handle only so many acute cases at once.

At yesterday's rally, frontline workers told a different story, calling the
situation a bed-shortage crisis.

"The first step to getting clean and sober is to enter detox," said Joel
Richmond, an addiction counsellor and self-described alcoholic who used
detox facilities until he achieved sobriety in December 1990.

"But many times I've had to tell clients that we have no beds."

The ensuing battle over the detox beds has pitted community agencies
against the hospitals that run them. A coalition of frontline workers was
formed in anger that they weren't consulted earlier on the closings.

Dr. Bob Bell, president and CEO of the University Health Network that runs
the Ossington facility, said the closing of that site is being postponed
because of community concerns.

"We've obviously talked to the ministry and agree we should keep the
facility open until there are adequate resources available," he said.