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BC 'paying the price' for not tackling addiction: Oppal

B.C.'s Attorney General said the province is "paying the price" for its historic failure to deal with drug addiction.

"Society didn't choose to put the necessary funding into [treatment] 25 years ago," Wally Oppal said at a UBCM forum yesterday afternoon. "We're paying that price now."

He added that several ministries dealing with such issues as mental health, policing and housing are now working together to tackle the problem. But Oppal said he thinks they should have collaborated decades ago.

"Historically we haven't worked together... We've never dealt with drug addicted people in the proper way," he said.

Oppal made his remarks in response to Maple Ridge Mayor Gordy Robson, who questioned where the province intended to send addicts after they passed through the recently opened community court http://thetyee.ca/News/2008/09/05/CommunityCourt/.

"We do not have the health facilities to deal with these people," he said. "So I'm not sure where magically your drug court will find a place to send these people."

Robson told The Tyee that epidemic levels of drug addiction are the major cause of property crimes in his community.

"These people are damaging their brains and while their damaging their brains they're creating absolute chaos on our streets," he said.

He called on the government to cut wait times for drug addiction facilities – which he said often approach three months – by addressing a severe shortage of treatment beds across the province. Minister of Health George Abbott said the province takes addiction very seriously.

"We've added literally thousands of mental health supported beds and thousands of addiction beds," Abbott said.

Robson said he has yet to see a difference.

"Every day in my town people want to go to rehab – there's no place to send them."

Geoff Dembicki is a staff reporter for The Hook.


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