DEALING WITH DRUG PROBLEMS

Pro-Active Survey Provokes Action

The Fort Boys and Girls club is developing a steering committee with
community members to discuss strategies in dealing with the city's drug
problems.

Family and Youth Councilor Penny Siminiuk said the Club distributed a
survey to get a feel for the current situation with methamphetemine in the
Fort, after the justice system pointed to meth as a prevalent problem in
every community.

Siminuik is responsible for spearheading the survey initiative.

"We're certainly looking at all substances, but crystal meth is the drug of
concern right now," said Wendy Serink, Club Executive Director.

"Six years from now it could be a different drug."

The survey, distributed through the school system and in the Club on drug
availability and usage, indicates that methamphetemine is the third most
available and used substance in the Fort, next to marijuana and alcohol.
There are 25 per cent of youths asked, who say they've been in contact with
meth in the last 60 days.

The survey is completely anonymous with youths ages 13 to 16, who make up
the majority of participants. The Club distributed 900 questionnaires, with
85 per cent completed and returned. The survey reached 765 youths.

"We want to take a pro-active approach in the community with this issue,"
said Siminiuk of why they took on the initiative. "The Club has a vested
interest in the youth."

In lieu of the survey results, a closed meeting was held with community
members for result analysis.

"We had some community partners involved to look at different options that
are available to taking a pro-active approach to education, and what we can
do as a community to provide services," said Siminuik.

The steering committee is in the beginning stages, so exact details on
their mission is still in the developmental process. Serink said the focus
will be in three areas though.

Those aspects deal with looking at information, prevention and treatment.

The committee aims to work collaboratively to educate the public on these
issues, said Serink.

Siminiuk attended a seminar in Camrose on that city's current meth problem.

"The information that was presented at that session, was that 95 per cent
of meth distributed in rural communities is coming from Edmonton," said
Siminiuk.

Results from the survey indicate 12 per cent of respondents have tried
crystal meth at least once.

"Crystal meth is an ongoing problem for our community, as well as in all
communities," said Const. Helen Meinzinger, who is the Fort RCMP detachment
media liaison and a Drug Abuse and Resistance Education (DARE) educator.

"There's no easy solution to this problem," she said.

Meinzinger noted the station receives calls from parents who are at a loss
for what to do with their son or daughter, hooked on meth.

Ultimately, they are referred to AADAC, she said.

But Meinzinger noted there are 16 pediatric mental health beds in the province.

"So, there's a definite shortage," she said.

Meinzinger applauds the Boys and Girls Club for taking on the initiative in
forming a committee that aims to work collaboratively to fight the
community issues surrounding drug addictions.