FASTER HELP FOR DRUG ADDICTS

For Alberta women fighting drug addictions, the waiting list to get help in
Calgary just got a lot shorter. "We had a four-month wait for treatment
services for seven years," Kim Turgeon, spokeswoman for Aventa Addiction
Treatment for Women, said yesterday prior to the official opening of the
agency's newly-renovated facility.

Aventa, which serves women ages 16 and up, is the only gender-specific
facility of its kind in Alberta.

The new centre, located at 610 25 Ave. S.W., now has room for 36 residential
clients -- more than double its previous 16-bed capacity.

Aventa staff moved in more than a month ago and the facility went to full
capacity two weeks ago.

"People are now getting in relatively quick," Turgeon said.

"They come in here for an assessment and they're getting in here within one
week."

Since 1970, the program has treated more than 25,000 women -- roughly 70% of
them from the Calgary area.

Turgeon said nearly $2 million of the funding for the new facility came from
Alberta Gaming with the rest of its $4.6 million price tag coming from the
Calgary Homeless Foundation, the federal government and various corporate
sponsors.