DETOX BEDS SET TO OPEN IN 2004

Addicts will finally have a safe place in which to withdraw from drugs
in Chilliwack when seven detox beds open in early January.

"I've been in this field for 10 years and this is the first time we're
doing something concrete about the need for social detox beds," says
Samantha Mohan, program coordinator of Fraser Valley Connections, a
risk-management program for individuals addicted to drugs and
high-risk youth.

"Seven beds is not much, but it's huge if you had nothing to start
with," she underlines. "It's a first for the Upper Fraser Valley and
this has never been done before, where you walk them through their
first day of detox, until they go back to school, get their upgrading,
get their kids back or live on their own. Whatever their dream was
before addiction took hold, we will attempt to help them make it happen."

What is most astounding about the local detox initiative "that it's
100 per cent community and volunteer driven," she says.

Chilliwack Chemical Addiction Management Project (CCAMP) Detox will be
located in the Salvation Army building, downstairs from the emergency
shelter. The service is estimated to cost about $260,000 per year and
will consist of seven social detox beds.

Ms. Mohan says CCAMP Detox is just the beginning.

"In the future, there could be further funding coming down the line,
for a couple of medical beds. It's still in the discussion stages,"
she says.

The difference between social and medical detox is that medical detox
might be required, for example, with someone who's been a practising
alcoholic for 30 years. Such an individual might require heavy
sedation to avoid a seizure. But with social detox, there is no
medical staff on site.

The need for local detox beds was red-flagged as one of the top
priorities for Downtown Chilliwack, in a recent report by the Social
Issues Planning Committee chaired by councillor Mel Folkman.

Chilliwack United Church minister Doug Ireland says he's been working
and dealing with addiction for more than 25 years, especially as the
pastor of a downtown congregation.

"I think there's a huge need for this service in Chilliwack," he says,
"It's been made clear both from an anecdotal point of view from those
who work in the downtown core, but also as indicated by the report
that came out of the city's social issues planning committee."

He says once the beds are in place, it will be much easier for local
residents in need to access these detox services.

"It will also free up some medical beds in a number of instances and
will deal head on with addiction issues in a much more cost-effective
manner," he adds. The average stay at CCAMP Detox will be three to
five days.

"We're going to carry them through the whole thing, from immediate
detox, until they can get into a treatment centre," she says. "We
can't throw people out on street so in between time if they need
medical or dental care, or advocacy, we have all these people in place."

Partners involved in the initial push for the detox include FV
Connections, Chilliwack Alcohol and Drug Services, and Youth Mental
Health, she says.

"Those three agencies were there for the initial push, as well as the
support from the City of Chilliwack, through councillor Folkman, who
chairs of the advisory committee for drugs and alcohol," she says.

"The Salvation Army has been kind enough to cover the insurance and they're
just going above and beyond to allow us to set this up
in their facility in their building. We're very excited to have Sto:lo
Nation on board as well. We all have the same goal, which is
to move people along the continuum to becoming healthy."

As it stands now, addicts can be referred to Maple Cottage Detox in
New Westminster, but not to Vancouver's detox centre because it's
outside the FHA coverage area. But there are only so many beds
available and the need is growing.

About 70 per cent of the people addicted to drugs who come through the
doors of Fraser Valley Connections, do not need medically-supervised
withdrawal management, she adds. What they really need is a safe
place, a buddy and maybe some referrals. CCAMP Detox volunteers will
receive specialized training from the Cordova Detox Centre in Vancouver.

"Biggest need we have is for individuals in the community who don't
have a safe place to go to withdraw," she underlines. "Their home
might have other addicted individuals in it. This will fill in the
gaps for people who simply have no other place to go. So we will
continue to operate the home-detox buddy system, with the family
doctors, but this will free up some of those hospital beds, for
medical detox clients. We can save thousands of dollars by freeing up
these beds. So health officials are getting excited about this project
as well. It just makes sense."

Members of the public are invited to the next meeting of the CCAMP
Detox committee, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m., Downtown Chilliwack BIA office,
room 201 in the Five Corners Plaza building.