YOUTH DRUG HELP NEEDED HERE

With the risk of setting off another debate on where to put a facility to
help people get well, yes we want a youth addiction treatment centre in Red
Deer.

On one side of solving Red Deer's big drug problem sits enforcement.

On the other is the need to help those who become addicted to the hard-core
street drugs that pervade our community, destroying lives, particularly
those of young people.

The latest evidence of the need for a treatment centre for young people
comes from the mother of a son and young father who was shot to death in
the city on Feb. 4.

Ingrid Braak told the Advocate that her 25-year-old son Jesse Catellier had
been fighting an eight-year addiction to crystal meth.

Braak said she didn't believe her son was involved in a drug deal the day
he was shot but he had earlier lost a job in the oilpatch because of his
addiction to the drug.

He had been in jail as well for a high-speed chase and other infractions.

Police have not revealed details on what caused the shooting. A 20-year-old
is charged with Catellier's death.

Braak said of her son: "He said the craving for meth never goes away." He
had tried to get clean recently, his mother said, for his 20-month-old
daughter.

Braak, who happens to be an emergency room nurse, also said: "I see these
kids in emergency all the time. I'm amazed there are so many."

Her son's attempt to get off a highly addictive drug and straighten out his
life is not an isolated case.

Sean LaPorte is a 17-year-old high school student in the city who had
become addicted to cocaine when he was 15. He's now clean for less than a
year but offering his experiences to help other teens and their parents.

A near overdose helped him to get decide to detox at home with medication,
with his mother, who has medical training.

"I can throw a stone in any direction, anywhere in the city, and find
(drugs)," Sean said two months ago.

A local group, ReNew Hope, was formed last year as a support group for
parents of children addicted to drugs.

I've had more than one tormented parent call to tell me of how difficult it
is to get their child help with a drug addiction.

There are few in-house treatment facilities for youths. Private treatment
is expensive.

There are day programs available through AADAC, but unless a youth is in
trouble with the law, and ordered by a judge to get treatment while in
custody, it's difficult to get help in a residential facility.

Often youths with drug problems are already alienated from their parents -
who have given up trying to help their children or even fear them. We've
heard time and again that Red Deer has a drug problem, and that's partly
why we need a bigger police force.

People who use illegal drugs such as crack cocaine, crystal meth and heroin
are often those who break into homes and vehicles, stealing property to buy
these drugs.

We're also told that Red Deer, like the big cities, suffers from the
negative effects of a boom economy, with the drug trade being part of this.
Just like those big cities, we need to tackle the drug problem with a
residential treatment centre for young people.

Last week's announcement by the provincial government that it will fund up
to four residential youth addiction centres was a nice surprise from a
government that is generally loathe to spend money on social services.

How much money, where the centres will be, and who will run them, are big
questions, which will hopefully be answered soon.

Red Deer should be at the top of the list for a facility.

Such a treatment facility should be stand-alone and secure, to avoid the
continued controversy and community upset that has occurred with the adult
detox centre planned for downtown Red Deer.

This means the province must provide adequate funding for a building and
staffing, and resources to help pinpoint an appropriate site. What about
Michener Centre?

Not only do we have the problem, we are centrally located and have other
support services here, including AADAC and a regional hospital with a youth
psychiatric unit.

Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski, who is no stranger to concern about
the problems of youths and drugs, will be pushing hard to get one of the
four residential treatment centres in Central Alberta.

She has been asking for such a facility for a while now and has gone a step
further by introducing a private member's bill that would allow youths to
be forced into addiction treatment.

The Protection of Minors Abusing Drugs Act will be introduced by her in
this spring session of the legislature. If it passes, it will allow parents
to force their drug-addicted children into treatment.

Whether people agree with this approach or not, it remains that kids with
drug problems should be able to get help.

Even without forcing anyone, there will be a waiting list at the youth
addiction treatment centres when their doors open. Tomorrow won't be soon
enough.

Getting kids turned around toward healthy, safe and productive living is a
worthy investment if there ever was one.