SECURE CARE LEGISLATION BECOMES LAW

Parents and guardians will have another option to provide assistance to youth with severe drug and alcohol addictions when new legislation takes effect on April 1st. The Youth Drug Detoxification and Stabilization Act allows parents and guardians of youth aged 12 to 17 to ask a judge to have them assessed to determine whether they require involuntary detoxification and stabilization.

"The Youth Drug Detoxification and Stabilization Act will enhance the ability of parents, caregivers, and others to provide support to a narrow segment of youth with extremely serious substance abuse issues," Healthy Living Services Minister Graham Addley said. "In proclaiming this Act, we are providing another tool to ensure our comprehensive addictions services best meet the needs of people with addictions. Placing addicted youth in a safe place on an involuntary basis is a last resort, but we felt it should be an option for parents and caregivers who have nowhere left to turn."

Separately, two qualified doctors will assess the youth to determine a necessary course of action including involuntary detoxification and stabilization services in either:

· the youth's home community for up to 30 days, or;

· the interim provincial Secure Youth Detox Centre, a live-in, locked facility, for up to five days with the possibility of renewal for two additional five-day periods.

The interim provincial Secure Youth Detox Centre will be housed as a separate unit at The Paul Dojack Centre in Regina. The unit recently underwent renovations to accommodate youth who require detoxification and stabilization in a secure facility. Other youth would be sent to their home communities to detoxify and stabilize from drug or alcohol abuse.

This will be a last-resort option when it is judged a young person's substance abuse problem has damaged their decision-making ability to the point they present a risk to their own safety or the safety of others.

Information and application forms can be downloaded from Saskatchewan Health's web site at www.health.gov.sk.ca.

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For More Information, Contact:

Jocelyn Argue Health Regina Phone: (306) 787-4083