JABLONSKI PROPOSING CHANGES TO CHILD DETOX LEGISLATION

Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski is proposing to strengthen a
new law that allows parents to place their drug-addicted children in
detox facilities.

The Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act has helped nearly 400
Alberta youths since it came into effect a year ago through a bill
introduced by Jablonski.

The law allows parents to apply to the courts to place children, who
are endangering themselves or others with alcohol or drugs, in a safe
house for up to five days. During that time, the Alberta Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Commission provides detox and assessment services and
develops a voluntary treatment plan.

Although the law has been deemed successful, Jablonski said many
addictions counsellors and parents have suggested the five-day period
be extended to about 10 days.

"They think it would be even more successful because sometimes it
takes four or five days just to break through the wall of resistance
that kids put up," she said.

"We all know this type of treatment is very expensive and we want to
do what is right for the kids."

At the same time, the province doesn't want to face a constitutional
challenge by extending the detention period too long.

When Jablonski first proposed the law, she suggested a detention
period of up to 90 days, but government officials feared the
legislation would be overturned in court. They were also skeptical
about whether detaining addicted children would yield results.

"Nobody thought this would be successful because you are forcing kids,
and they said if you forced them you wouldn't get co-operation."

Jablonski will now meet with program workers, parents and cabinet
ministers to put together an amendment to the law, which could be
voted on next spring.

She said a detention period of nine or 10 days would be better for
children who are brought in on weekends when there are fewer
counsellors available.

"We often can't start working with them until Monday because we also
have a labour problem and don't have enough counsellors on the weekend."

She said statistics show a majority of youth in the program were using
alcohol, marijuana and/or cocaine. The number using crystal meth was
17 per cent.

"I am confident in saying that because of the attention that we gave
to the epidemic of crystal meth in the United States, we created a
fear that resulted in the lower use.

"Many kids in school, I understand, treat it as a dirty, dirty drug
and they won't go near it."

Across Alberta, the number of admissions to the youth detention
program was 500. Of those, 72 were from Red Deer and area.

Jablonski also continues to push for her bill that would allow police
to seize the vehicles of dial-a-dope drug dealers.

Bill 207 won't make it to the table this year, but it could come back
in the next spring session.