NEED TO SUPPORT DETOX BEDS

The most recent announcement by the Fraser Health Authority of a medically
supervised detox unit at the Chilliwack General Hospital is certainly good
news.

Media reports over the past months and years have told of the escalating
toll drug and alcohol addiction has on society and documented tales of
personal loss and tragedy. With this in mind the creation of nine medically
supervised beds within a withdrawal management unit should be seen as a step
in the right direction.

The unit will provide medically supervised withdrawal management services
for substance misuse. The average length of a patient's stay is relatively
short being seven days and can range up to 14 days. It's been touted in an
FHA news release as a regional strategy to double the number of clients from
1,200 to 2,200.

However, it's not all good news. This unit is only the second provided by
the public health system in the Fraser Health Authority. The authority, the
largest one-population wise-in the province, services 1.47 million
residents. Placed against that, less than 40 beds for medical detox doesn't
seem so stellar.

Fighting addiction of any kind is an uphill battle-one that often isn't won
and certainly won't be if the money that provides its fundamental support
isn't available. Every addict costs society-from the health-care system to
the criminal system-not to mention the emotional cost to addicts' loved
ones. We need to be doing all that we can to ensure addicts come in off the
street and into mainstream society where they can live productive and
healthy lives.