NEW LEGISLATION GIVES PARENTS HOPE

Today Graham Addley, Minister of Healthy Living Services, will introduce legislation to more effectively stabilize difficult-to-reach, hard-to-engage youth whose addictions pose a serious risk to themselves or others.

Parents and guardians of youth who are older than 12, and younger than 18 years of age, may ask a judge to have them assessed to determine whether they require involuntary drug addiction detoxification and stabilization.

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.

"This government is committed to providing comprehensive addictions services to best meet the needs of people with addictions," Addley said. "Project Hope outlines substantial additional prevention and treatment programming but as one further support, we decided, after careful consideration, to add involuntary detoxification and stabilization to the Project Hope plan for a small segment of very troubled youth. 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 exhausted all options."

These measures will be monitored and evaluated as to their effectiveness.

"We released Project Hope almost six months ahead of schedule so that implementation could begin immediately. At that time, we indicated we were reviewing ways to help addicted youth who are extremely difficult to reach and treat through more traditional measures. Today we fulfil that commitment," Addley said. "I commend Minister Crofford for her leadership on this issue, as well as the many government departments that worked together to facilitate the community consultations that form the basis of the legislation we are announcing today."

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For More Information, Contact:

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