FORUM TACKLES ADDICTION ISSUES

Nursing students from Malaspina University-College will hold a public
forum to discuss social issues surrounding drug and alcohol addiction.

Based out of the bachelor of science nursing program, Faces of
Addiction is a student group dedicated to increasing community
awareness about addiction issues and increasing services available
for living with addictions.

"It's an interactive forum designed to encourage communication
between the public and addiction specialists and members of
government," said Sarah Davis, a fourth-year nursing student at MalU.

"We want to develop tangible solutions that will primarily emerge
from discussions about addiction."

The forum, which is free of charge, takes place Saturday March 17
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the theatre in Building 310 at Malaspina.

Topics will include injectable drugs and alcoholism, and anything
else members of the public wish to address relating to addiction.

The panel will include health specialists and different levels of
government and discussion period will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. The
morning session will feature several guest speakers.

"Our group members and the panel participants have some really good
information to share about addictions and we want to get the word out
in our forum," said Davis.

Recently, members of Faces of Addiction visited the safe injection
site in Vancouver to learn more about addiction, and have developed a
poster campaign and have also made care packages to hand out at
Nanaimo's Living Room, a drop-in centre, to raise addiction awareness.