ADDICTION TREATMENT FACILITY OR WHITE ELEPHANT?

Editor,

I applaud the Provincial Government for the announcement of a youth
treatment facility here on P.E.I., but how is it going to be
structured for recovering for addicts?

Is it going to be staffed with a phycologics, counccelors, addictions
specialist and all the people than can tell the addict what wrong with
them or are they going to get addicts that are clean, getting on with
their life to show them that there is light at the end of that awful
tunnel of addiction.

Any person can go to school and get four or five diplomas on the wall
but until you walked the walk off a addict you can't understand that
person all you can do is give him treatment.

I personally beleive that you have to help the addict from the heart
not the head. Sure, it's good to get the person off the pills or
cocaine, but what after?

As a society do we just send them back out to the world and leave them
alone or are we willing to help them get a job,re-educate themselves
and get a better life?

There are too many clients and numbers in society now, let's start
treating the addict as a sick person wanting to get better - not just
another number or client file.

The facility should be at the young offender facility in Summerside
and have a program that they have to attend, not just sit around.
That's what's wrong today, the addict dictates what he wants, not what
should be done. It's not like the old days went you were told: do it
or else.

Now if doesn't interfere with their busy schedule, they can you take
time out for a meeting or program.

The sad part is that you can be so high on cocaine or other drugs that
you can be slicing into your arm thinking it was a peice off bologna
but you can't be signed into a treatment facility because it might
infringe on your Charter off Rights.

Hope the treatment facility works because the next budget the money
will have to be set aside for a safe injection site for the addicts to
control the spead of HIV and hepatitis.

I walked the walk of an addict and today I live a better
life.

I remember I was in hospital for six weeks because of some issues from
my childhood and the best help I got wasn't from the doctor that was
getting $200 per hour - it was the staff personel that just listened,
listened and listened until I had got all my feelings out and dealt
with that problem.

Remember, the addict didn't wake up deciding to become an addict.
Something happened to make that person the way he became.

Let the programs be programs for all people: families,employers, etc.

Let's help our youths.

An adddict is not a bad person gone wrong - they are a sick person
that needs help.

Vincent Gallant,

Summerside, P.E.I.