MONEY SPENT ON ADDICTS, CRIMINALS HAS BETTER USE

To the Editor,

Re: Health team targets troubled, Nov. 26.

According to the article, we are spending, through the Vancouver
Island Health Authority, almost $19,000 per person per year to help
those people who frequently use acute care, the police and social programs.

This is of course over the amount government-funded agencies use to
try and help these individuals.

If any of these individuals do not try to change their lifestyle, if
it includes drug or alcohol abuse or criminal acts, they should be
disqualified from access to these funds.

I would like to see the recidivism rate for those 44 individuals that
were placed in housing and how they are changing their lives due to
this help. What percentage of the $1.6 million is being spent on wages
for VIHA personnel to operate the program?

With children needing food, adults needing guidance and training to
better their lives surely we have better use for these funds.

J. Sharpe

Nanaimo