SUBSTANCE ABUSE COSTS VALLEY $5 MILLION A YEAR

City of Courtenay Drug Strategy statistics were released Monday and even
those who helped compile the information were surprised by the numbers.
Staggering statistics show substance abuse costs this community almost $5
million a year, amounting to $222 per household.

'This is something we need to look at reducing,' said Coun. Noor Ahmed who
chaired the committee. 'The municipality recognizes the problem, it's time
everybody in this community recognized the problem.'

RCMP constable Trevor Allen said the problem in the Valley is just as bad
as the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, but the problem here lies just below
the surface and is well hidden.

A large percentage of policing costs are attributed in one way or another
to drug abuse in the Valley and as Const. Allen explains, 'Crime is all
about drug addiction.'

'It's all we do. People just don't see the underbelly.'

'Sure we are peeing in the wind,' he said in answer to a media question,
'We need everybody's help.'

Not reflected in the totals are what Ahmed said are the hidden costs of
drug and alcohol abuse, numbers which can never be accounted for in
statistics. He included there is no way to know how drug and alcohol use
has contributed to the number of sick days taken, how much health and
automobile insurance premiums are raised or how much prices at local stores
are increased because of shoplifting.

'It's difficult to obtain the exact statistics due to the fact many
organizations do not keep records specifically referring to services that
were provided in regards to dealing with drugs and/or alcohol,' Ahmed said.
'Although it's something we are working on. We want to know if someone goes
into the hospital with a broken nose, was it because of drugs or alcohol.'
Ahmed said he thinks most people in the Valley don't really know how
serious the drug problem is here and hopefully, he said, this strategy will
help bring about the awareness that is needed.

'We are not going to put our heads in the sand,' he said. 'There are 12 to
15 non-profit groups already working in this community and together we can
work on education over the next six months and beyond.'

According to the report, alcohol, marijuana, heroin and cocaine are the
most common drugs in the Comox Valley. In addition there is the presence of
some manufactured drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine or Special K as it is
more commonly called.

Currently, the North Island AIDS Coalition Society has approximately 350
clients involved in their harm reduction program.

Each month there are 10,000 to 20,000 needles exchanged. During a peak
month last year that number reached 50,000.

Getting other municipalities to adopt the strategy, Ahmed said he has
concerns about Cumberland. He said while there is a cultural acceptance - a
tolerance to marijuana use in the Valley - in Cumberland, there seems to be
a tolerance of alcohol abuse.

'Cumberland gets an award from a beer company for selling the most (Lucky)
per capita. They get a plaque and the mayor puts it on the wall,' he said.
'It's a problem. Maybe it's something that can be overcome.'

In order to help bring about awareness the committee has arranged for two
prominent speakers to come into Courtenay and speak out against drug use.
George Chuvalo will make a presentation at the Sid Williams Theatre on Oct.
24. Chuvalo is a former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion, who has lost
four immediate family members to drug overdoses.

Jade Bell will be speaking at area middle and secondary schools on Oct. 22
and 23 about his experience with a severe heroin overdose back in 1997.
Confined to a wheel chair, Bell who is blind and cannot speak uses a
computer to give his message to the large numbers of youth he likes to address.

Courtenay was one of nine communities across Canada chosen to participate
in the Drug Strategy project. The project is said to have costs $22,000
with $8,500 from the City and the remaining $13,500 from the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities.

'With the success of the project, the Committee is hoping ongoing funding
will be made available for activities to continue and become annual
events,' Ahmed said.

'Besides the emotional and personal toll the costs of drug and alcohol use
are tremendous, Ahmed said. 'If our community thinks these amounts are
acceptable than this is something we should be budgeting for, if not than
we better be willing to do something.'