FAMILIES USING MANDATORY TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUTH

One year after its inception, the Protection of Children Abusing
Drugs Act has been used by 395 families across the province.

Enacted on July 1, 2006, the act empowers parents and legal guardians
to apply to the courts to order their 12-to-17-year olds into
treatment for severe addictions.

While no families in the Drayton Valley area made use of the new
legislation, AADAC area supervisor Dana Sharp-McLean said she has
received six calls from concerned parents.

Sharp-McLean said she explains to parents the act is meant only as a
last resort and tells them what options are available locally.

"Lots of parents tend to react out of fear and concern, but are not
always helpful to the kid."

The judge will only grant forced confinement if the youth is a danger
to himself or others, and all other means of treatment have been
exhausted. Voluntary treatment is preferable, said Sharp-McLean,
because the results are better.

The PChAD program has six protective safe houses throughout the
province in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Picture Butte and Grand Prairie.

Youth are sent to whatever safe house has a bed available, said
Sharp-McLean. During their confinement, which can last up to five
days, AADAC provides supervised detoxification, assessment and
support. The purpose, said Sharp-McLean, is to encourage the youth to
engage in treatment voluntarily after their confinement period.

Of the 476 admissions to the program (81 youth were admitted more
than once), 229 opted to continue treatment voluntarily.

The families also go through counselling through their local branch,
said Sharp-McLean.

The idea isn'st to send the addicted youth away and have them return
fixed, she explained. Often times the addictions stem from problems
arising at home, so families also receive counselling through their
local branch.

While there is no PChAD worker in Drayton Valley, local counsellor
Theresa Juuti has been trained in the program and the central
district office in Camrose has a mobile unit.

Concern about crystal meth was the driving force behind the act's
creation, but after one year the numbers show this drug is not the
primary addiction of youth admitted to the program.

Seventeen per cent report using crystal meth, while 98 per cent
report addictions to alcohol, 96 per cent to marijuana, 72 per cent
to psychoactive drugs and 56 per cent to cocaine.

These numbers mirror a local survey of junior high and high school
kids completed in October, 2006, said Sharp-McLean.

In this survey conducted by Matthew Grant, former youth project
co-ordinator for the Town, 3.6 per cent of students surveyed tried
crystal meth.

"There's a misconception in this town that the problem is with the
youth," said Sharp-McLean. Most of the clients treated at the local
AADAC office are young adults, she said.