BETTER TREATMENT FOR ADDICTIONS

Escaping a drug or alcohol addiction means fighting your way along a
tough, tough road - and the lack of treatment options makes the
journey much harder than it needs to be.

Not everyone can afford private treatment in a residential facility,
which can cost up to $20,000. Treatment through the public health
system has so many gaps that failure seems almost inevitable for too
many people trying to deal with a destructive addiction.

As noted in a Times Colonist series, the odds are stacked against
people with addictions.

Our failure comes at a high price. Families are torn apart, jobs lost
and lives ended as a result.

Yes, the provincial government needs to be careful about health
spending. But the cost of inaction should also be considered - as
should the cost of putting people through detox when there is no
support for follow-up treatment. Odds are, these people will need to
go through detox again and again.

The problems are hardly a secret. In 2009, the B.C. Medical
Association issued a report called Stepping Forward: Improving
Addiction Care in British Columbia.

"Whether in a detoxification centre, an emergency room or their own
homes, individuals often make the choice to seek treatment only to be
confronted with obstacles, a lack of space, a wait list with no
certain date of entry, and even unanswered phone calls," the report said.

The BCMA recommended that service gaps be filled and that 600 more
treatment beds be opened by 2012. But little has been done. Today,
there are fewer than 250 publicly funded adult residential treatment
beds - and none on Vancouver Island.

In Victoria, the detox centre at the Eric Martin Pavilion can deal
with about 84 people every month, but the stabilization centre - the
next step in the recovery process - can handle only one-fifth of
those people. Bottlenecks such as this need to be fixed.

About 400,000 British Columbians suffer from addiction or substance
abuse problems. Some, the most visible, are on the streets. But
people with addictions could be found everywhere - in our workplaces,
churches and community groups. They are our friends, our co-workers,
our neighbours, and our family members.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Not everyone needs
residential care, but for many people - especially those without
adequate housing or family support - it is essential.

And everyone needs ongoing support to help them get past the rough
times. They need stability and hope and a chance to break away from
the aspects of their lives that enable - and even encourage -
substance abuse. Those not yet ready or able to seek treatment need
help in reducing the damage done until they are.

The people needing help are often unable to deal with a confusing
array of programs and requirements. We need to tear down the
barriers. We need to stop ignoring the opportunities to help the
people with addictions.

That will take money, of course - although this is a classic case
where the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of actually providing help.

People struggling to overcome addictions are urged to live one day at
a time. Some critical solutions have been identified. How many more
days - or years - will we expect the people in need to wait?