NEW DRUG TREATMENT POLICY IN CITY'S FUTURE

As community demands for drug treatment increase and more proposals for
treatment centres come forth, Abbotsford will make its first tentative
steps toward creating a policy for drug addiction facilities in the new year.

However, there are still many questions to be answered before any policies
take form, said Coun. Mark Warawa.

If, for instance, Abbotsford establishes more treatment centres, will
people from outside the community want to use them and how will Abbotsford
deal with that, Warawa said Tuesday.

The Fraser Valley Regional District and neighbouring cities will also need
to be consulted, he added.

"As our city grows, I would expect more calls for [detox and
rehabilitation] facilities in Abbotsford, so we have to create a policy
that is safe and effective for the community," he said.

Warawa heads a committee whose task is to find a suitable location for the
Salvation Army's proposed bridge house and an emergency shelter.

An earlier committee failed to find suitable sites because it looked just
at locations, but this time the committee is doing background research to
determine the needs of the Salvation Army as well as of the community, he said.

For example, since the men at the bridge house have gone through treatment
and are trying to re-integrate into the community by obtaining jobs or
training, they need to be near the transit system. And neighbours will want
to know how the men are chosen, if they are screened and if they pose a
danger, Warawa explained.

While the focus is to find a "good fit" for the proposed Army facilities,
the committee's work will also develop guidelines that could be applied to
other facilities, he said.

Additionally, the committee members will have information for people who
will have concerns, he said.

"That's why the groundwork is so important," he added.