RAVEN PROGRAM TARGETS TEEN ADDICTS

Unfortunately, treating addiction is a booming business, says Phoenix
Centre drug and alcohol counsellor Bob Hughes.

And this Sunday marks the start of National Addictions Awareness Week.
There are few people more aware of the devastation drugs can have on
individuals and their families than the counsellors at the Phoenix
Centre.

Right now there are 35 drug-or alcohol-addicted youths on Hughes'
caseload, and that's about average.

He works through the Raven Program, designed to counsel and treat
drug-addicted children and youths up to age 18.

Now, Raven Program counsellors will take clients up to 24 years of
age. It means their plates are fuller than ever, Hughes said, but it
also makes more sense.

Young people seek drug and alcohol treatment for varying reasons, but
those reasons are often markedly different from older drug users who
they were being lumped in with.

"Younger users may walk out of that experience saying 'I'm not as bad
as them, I've got more room to go,'" he said.

One of the other reasons the Raven Program took on the cases is simply
the demand, said Pheonix Centre prevention co-ordinator Marcy Williamson.

While adding 19- to 24-year-olds to the program helps, it does little
to solve the problem of getting clients into detox treatment programs.
"There are big waitlists for residential treatment."

If Hughes is faced with a 16-year-old intravenous drug-using
prostitute, it would take him six weeks before he could get her into
rehab. Meanwhile, this is a week to celebrate sobriety and the
community's invited to participate.

On Tuesday, head to the Canada Games Aquatic Centre for free swimming
from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pre-register by calling 374-4634. Also, Nov.
17. catch the Wellness Fair at the University College of the Cariboo.
Finally, Nov. 18 marks the official launch of Operation Red Nose for
the Christmas season.