DRUG ABUSE BATTLE PLAN NEEDS REVAMPING

A new approach to substance use and addictions treatment is needed to
regain balance and effectiveness in the current system of addiction treatment.

That is the message Dan Reist, communication and resource unit director for
the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C., delivered to a group of health
professionals on Monday during a workshop at the Crossroads Treatment Centre.

Shifting the focus from illicit drugs to encompass the impact of tobacco
and alcohol in the development of addictions and focusing on stemming the
development of addictions by addressing social and economic issues, such as
the lack of housing, will be paramount in effectively dealing with
addictions, Reist said.

Reist presented a series of ideas laid out as the newest provincial mandate
to tackle addiction treatment issues in communities across B.C. called
Every Door a Right Door, which includes an increased emphasis on prevention
and harm reduction, population health and a redesign of services offered.

"We have to start taking seriously the impact at the front end of the
system," Reist said.

"We have to move the system from this knee-jerk response, deal with the
problem that I see on the street, and we have to start dealing with it
earlier."

He said addictions services have to expand their vision and move from
focusing on the individual to the what's contributing to the state of that
single individual.

He highlighted population health as an approach that will require the
biggest shift in perspective.

"Population health system asks us to stop looking at that high profile
individual we see in front of us on the street-and start looking at
populations, at groups, at those factors that lead to whole systems of
problems," he said.

Addressing the needs and challenges of a group or population in order to
meet the need of the individual rather than addressing each individual as
an autonomous case is more effective, Reist said.

"It is a very costly way to deal with them one at a time often with
ineffective procedures," he said. "But if we say we need to deal with some
social conditions that are contributing to that movement, suddenly you stop
the flow and you have dealt with the individual problems."

Following the suggestion of the new model, the focus would shift from
addressing the use of illicit drugs to alcohol and tobacco.

According to latest the statistics from the World Health Organization,
illicit drug use was at two per cent, tobacco was at 12 per cent and
alcohol sat at 10 per cent in Canada.

"Even though in the media all of the attention is on illicit drugs the
real, major problem is caused by legal drugs, tobacco and alcohol," Reist said.

"If we want to save the burden of cost on our health care system and we
want to save lives we would have far more effect dealing with the alcohol
issues and the tobacco issues."

Implementing changes is a lot harder in practice than on paper, and Reist
said more discussion between professionals working in the addictions system
is vital to achieving the major shifts in addressing and treating addictions.

"I hope they have some ideas of how to start to resolve the issues in the
Okanagan. I hope they have some language and mechanisms to really start
communicating with one another," he said. "That's what will build the
system, if they can start working as a community of practice."