DETOX CENTRE NEEDED HERE

You've probably met a few people for whom a word to the wise was never
sufficient. No matter how many warnings are given, no matter how much
common sense advice is proffered, some people just don't catch on.

From among this group, and from the group of people who never had much in
the way of choices in life and were never shown anything better, the
subculture of drug addiction draws its ranks.

As Red Deer grows in wealth and population, so grows the number of people
addicted to drugs, particularly the new generation of cheap, potent and
highly addictive drugs like crack cocaine or methamphetamine.

It was only a matter of time before counsellors and agencies would see the
need for a needle exchange, methadone clinic, a detox centre or a
residential drug treatment program. These are programs aimed at that
portion of the addict population at least able to recognize that they've
made some seriously bad choices in their lives.

This is the portion of the population capable of learning from experience,
if not warnings, and they need help in two areas.

First, they need help to stop harming themselves, or at least stop making
things worse. That's what needle exchanges and detox centres are for.

Then, they need help turning themselves around. That's why we've developed
methadone clinics and drug rehab programs.

People who naturally grasp the value of common sense sometimes have trouble
figuring why anyone would go into a dragon's den like the drug world.
Further, it's hard to fathom why people, once in, don't just get out.
Moreover, it's hard to understand why it's our job to spend money and
resources rescuing people who chose high-risk activities like drug use,
despite everything we've done to warn them that it is a really, really
stupid thing to do.

Well, there's a lot of self-interest for the rest of us to rescue these people.

The vast majority of property crime in Red Deer is drug-related. Robberies,
break-ins, vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles all have a strong
connection to the drug trade in this area.

Police tell us that almost all prostitution in Red Deer has a connection to
illegal drugs. The vast majority of women coming to see one or more of the
five agencies housed by Turning Point in Red Deer - 86 per cent in a recent
study, with some as young as 16 - have traded sex for money, drugs,
personal safety or a place to stay for the night.

Drugs drive the rise in the sex trade, the increase in thefts and
robberies, as well as the violence, random muggings and beatings for
whatever's in the victim's pockets, and the violence within the drug trade
itself.

So it's well within the interests of people who have no connection at all
to the drug world to assist people who want to get out.

That's what makes Red Deer North MLA Mary Ann Jablonski's work to get a
residential drug rehab program for youth worth supporting.

The people needing this program are the ones we want to reach most; they're
the ones who have learned a hard lesson in life and want to turn themselves
around.

They're the people who, once they've completed the program, would be the
best ambassadors to carry the warnings to other young people, which they
themselves didn't receive, or didn't heed.

It's also well worth noting that Jablonski is pursuing this program on
behalf of a group that doesn't generally vote in elections, and for a
facility that may not even be put in her riding. That's the mark of a good MLA.

The philosophy of harm reduction is as hard to explain as the reasons why
some people can't stay out of harm's way in the first place. But one thing
is sure: if we don't pursue that philosophy, the harm from drugs will spread.

* Greg Neiman is an Advocate editor.