FORUMS ON ADDICTIONS SET

Northern Health is holding public consultations in 21 communities
throughout the north on the issues of addictions and mental health services.

The meetings run from May 23 to June 27 and will give the public a
chance to provide feedback on how current addictions and mental
health services are working, what can be done to improve them and how
the public can be more involved.

The first forum will be in Vanderhoof on May 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. A
location has yet to be announced.

"It's an area that we have heard from stakeholders that they would
like to see improved," Northern Health spokeswoman Sonya Kruger said.
"I'm sure there are different addictions issues from community to
community. We want to see what's working and what's not working."

Other meetings in the region include Prince George (June 6), Burns
Lake (June 12) and Fort St. James (June 14). The meetings are free
and open to the public.

In addition to the meetings, residents will be able to submit their
comments by downloading a discussion guide and comment form from
Northern Health's website, www.northernhealth.ca, or pick up hard
copies at health units, health centres, hospitals or Aboriginal
health offices. The comment forms and discussion guides will be
available starting in mid-May, Kruger said.

Information gathered will be used to create a public report, expected
this fall, and will be used by Northern Health's board of directors
and service providers.

In 2004 Northern Health conducted a similar series of meetings on the
broader topic of health services. Better access to service and safety
promotion were two main themes which came out of the 2004 meeting, Kruger said.

That feedback resulted in the Northern Health Connections program to
bus patients in remote areas to larger centres and the RoadHealth
program aimed at reducing traffic injuries and fatalities, she added.

"Our board of directors will use that feedback to guide policy
decisions," Kruger said. "We want to hear from people with specific
experiences to share."