CALL HIM DETOX AVENGER

'Shameful' Shortfall In Addictions Budget Angers Local Man

Enraged over the province's lack of funding for addiction services, one Ottawa
man is putting his money where his mouth is to try to save Ottawa's only detox
centre.

With the help of Carlsbad Paving Inc., where he works as a sales manager, Kevin
Calhoun and his company have agreed to donate $1,000 to the Ottawa Withdrawal
Management Centre (OWMC) which is being forced to reduce services and close
down for the month of December because of a $41,700 budget shortfall.

Should the government not be "shamed" into rectifying the situation itself,
Calhoun is urging other businesses to contribute.

And if the government does come through with funding, Calhoun said he will
gladly return all community donations.

'We Pay Enough Taxes'

"I don't mind pitching in money. I don't mind finding people to pitch in money,
but I want to do it under the circumstances that our government gets the
understanding that we shouldn't have to do this," he said. "We pay them enough
taxes. They should be doing this."

For Calhoun, who's dealt with drug and alcohol addiction personally and who's
seen its devastating effect on friends, it seems only reasonable that a greater
portion of the taxes derived from beer and alcohol sales go to addiction
services.

"It's an embarrassment to our government to sit there and collect this much
money from the LCBO and the Beer Stores," he said. "I think we pay enough taxes
every year that stuff like this should be opened."

Earlier this week, the detox centre announced it would be shutting its doors
from Dec. 9 to Jan. 3 due to lack of funding. It's also been operating just 20
beds as opposed to 26 beds since July and was forced to cut staff the last two
years.

"I'm just incredibly, just deeply moved with the response," said OWMC director
Virginia Hamilton. "It's such a vital, vital, critical service ... to have such
an individual or organization willing to take the stand, it just goes a very
long way."

One of the province's busiest traditional, non-medical, ministry-designated
detox centres, the OWMC admitted some 3,600 people last year and was forced to
turn down about 1,000 people due to a lack of space.

Open 24 hours, seven days a week, the centre is often the first step towards
sobriety for many addicts.

To make a donation, contact Calhoun at 720-1144.