FORCING THE ISSUE

Parents could force drug-addicted teens into treatment if a Red Deer
MLA has her way this spring. And so could the government.

"Right now parents don't have any authority to place their children in
mandatory drug treatment," Mary Anne Jablonski said. "Neither does the
province."

Drug-addicted teens either go voluntarily into an open treatment
program that they can flee any time, or they're ordered into secure
treatment only after being convicted of criminal offences.

"I have had a number of parents come to me in my office, and they are
broken-hearted," Jablonski said. "It's a vicious addiction when it's
crystal meth or crack cocaine," the Tory MLA said of two drugs
"well-known" in central and northern Alberta.

Private Member's Bill

Unwilling to wait for the government to address the issue, Jablonski
has created the "Protection of Minors Abusing Drugs Act" as a private
member's bill.

And the bill already has considerable support from other MLAs, who
have an annual "lottery" for the chance to enter private member's
bills. Because only a few such bills have any chance of going to a
final vote in each session - time is limited - an MLA needs to start
the process early in the session to have a decent shot.

"Originally I had number 22," Jablonski said. She "traded" her number
22 for a number 7 held by another MLA.

"Seventh wasn't good enough, either. It would probably start the
process this spring, but end up going over to the fall."

Another MLA gave Jablonski a prized number 2, so her Private Member's
Bill 202 will almost certainly be subjected to a final vote this spring.

Yet even if it passes, more work will be required. Alberta has only a
handful of secure treatment spaces, all in Edmonton or Calgary.

"No, we don't have enough. Any budget item like that is something we
have to work towards, but I think we are getting closer," Jablonski
said, predicting that future secure treatment spaces will be located
in central Alberta.

It costs about $100,000 a year to treat someone for addictions in a
secure facility, she said.

Forced-Treatment Idea Questioned

Sympathy for the plight of parents ought not blind people to the fact
that teens subjected to treatment will be forced against their will,
said Stephen Jenuth, president of the Alberta Civil Liberties Union.

"At a point where they are off the drugs" the teens could be asked to
make a reasoned decision on their own treatment, the Calgary lawyer
said.

"You might also find over time that (forced) type of treatment system
doesn't work as well," Jenuth added.

Jablonski believes otherwise, claiming Vancouver Mounties have cited
evidence that both forced and voluntary drug treatment programs have a
roughly 50% success rate.