COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT NEEDED

To the Editor,

Once again our Conservative government wants to follow the failed
American model to get tough on crime. We need more accessible
community-based addiction and mental health treatment. Psychiatrists
will often push prescription drug therapy with minimal talk time
allotted per patient visit. I once co-facilitated an addiction
support group in our county jail and often some inmates could not get
out of bed to come. Many were drugged with valium frequently along
with one or more antidepressants. If inmates were not addicted going
into jail they were coming out. The government has closed all of the
addiction treatment 28 day programs in Nova Scotia and allowed
changes in treatment philosophy to a new and as yet uncertain model
that dismisses active long established community based support
groups. Until we end drug prohibition, stop following the American
led war on drugs and force our governments to spend at least 30 per
cent of addiction based profits on education and treatment things
will continue to slide. An increased fear and punishment based action
plan will create only more of the same negative results.

Rick Toupin,

Chignecto