HELP SCARCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Imagine finally mustering the courage to go to a recovery house to
conquer the drug or alcohol master you've become enslaved to, only to
find you'll have to give up everything and everyone familiar in order
to do it.

That's what young people in New Westminster must do.

Sydney Weaver-MacMillan, a youth and family counsellor with
Fraserside's addictions services, sees about 70 young people between
the ages of 12 and 24 every year. They're addicted to everything from
alcohol to marijuana to cocaine to heroin.

She points out there's only one support recovery house in New
Westminster for young males, the Last Door Adolescent Program, and
nothing for young females. Because of what's called "global" funding
- - and the lack of it, local kids end up going to northern B.C.

"I've never gotten a New Westminster kid into Last Door - they
(government funding policies) want me to send them up north."

Local youth instead go to places such as Terrace, Williams Lake or
Prince George. "They go there and then come back, and all their
support people are up there. One kid e-mailed the staff there for
months. It's really sad," she says. "This doesn't make sense. Kids
are dying with this lack of response..."

Jill Bloom, director of counselling in outreach services for
Fraserside, agrees.

"I think that's a travesty when you have to pull youth away from
their social situations, families, and send them away on buses. The
youth situation is a crisis situation."

Although the situation for adults is better, referral requirements
have created problems.

Diane David, a Fraserside counsellor, points out that people used to
be able to self-refer to residential treatment programs. Then the
rules were changed so that referral had to be done by an addictions
counsellor, an addictions doctor, or the relatively rare employment
assistance programs. But the number of counsellors wasn't increased.
So people may have to wait two months to see a counsellor, in order
to be referred for treatment - in which time, the window of
opportunity for the addict will likely have passed.

That, however, is where Fraserside's drop-in recovery group can
provide a lifeline, as can its six-session education program which
begins again in January, David points out.

"They can start while they're waiting to get in to see a counsellor."

David notes that people seeking treatment, such as pregnant women,
are given priority on the counselling wait list.

For a list of the many and varied addictions programs Fraserside
offers, call 604-522-3722, or drop by the offices at 314 Sixth St.