Yesterday (May 04) the Canadian all-party committee held a meeting to hear from opponents and supporters alike on the new Ottawa drug policy that calls for mandatory minimum sentences for drugs like marijuana, which has been approved by the government to 3,000 Canadians for medicinal use.  The newly proposed Canadian drug penalties would call for an automatic two year sentence for offenders selling small amounts of drugs near schools, parks, malls and other youth hangouts.  Additionally, marijuana growers caught selling even one plant would also be jailed.

The Harper Government’s mandatory minimum bill would be the first of its kind in Canada.  It would supersede Canada’s current sentencing protocol, which gives judges the discretion to sentence as they see fit.  Nonetheless, the bill is receiving a lot of resistance from opponents whom argue that the bill will only fill jails with small time crooks, while the drug lords will continue to thrive and roam freely.  The issue has seemed to split between conservative and liberal parties in Canada; conservatives favoring the bill, while liberals oppose it.  Also, supporters of the new bill seem to ignore the action of the neighbors across the border, in states like New York, where mandatory minimum sentences have been recently overturned/revoked by the state’s legislation.

Currently, the mandatory minimum sentences that exist in Canada’s law books for sentencing only pertain to murder and offenses involving firearms.

As it currently stands in Edmonton, the capital of the Alberta province, parents have the right to court order drug addicted teens for up to five days in a drug abuse program with no strings attached.  However, because of the recent rise in crystal meth use across Canada, which has augmented the court orders under the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act (PChAD) to more than 1,500 since July of 2006, Canadian law makers are considering a referendum to change the current five day, stay limit to between 10-15 days.

The new Canadian drug abuse, program reform would also call for more parental involvement and funding for treatment centers and addiction specialists from the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Addiction Commission, to the tune of $13.9 million in just the first year.  Still, Canadians in general are supportive of the referendum.  Most parents feel that the court ordered stays in drug abuse programs is their only tool in the fight against the epidemic of teen drug addiction currently sweeping the Canadian province of Alberta.

AADAC’s executive director of the PCHAD program, Diann Tansem, had this to say about parents’ point of view on the new reform: “What we’ve learned is many parents see this as their only resort,” she said. “For them, it is a first step to getting their child into AADAC.”

Canadian parents can expect to see the new drug abuse program reform soon, as it will take affect later this month (April 2009).

The effects of alcohol and drug abuse on the human body are disastrous. Sunshine Coast Health Centre in Canada understands that addiction to drugs like cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamines and other prescription and non-prescription drugs can lead to serious depression and social awkwardness. You will face problems everywhere, at work and at home. You will lose important factors in your life physically, mentally, and financially. Long term heavy drinking causes many medical problems.

It can damage the liver, heart, nervous system and brain. It also causes problems in the stomach, high blood pressure, sexual problems osteoporosis, and might lead to cancer. Alcohol and drug abuse can also lead to disastrous accidents, violence and social isolation. Alcohol and drug abuse during pregnancy can increase the risk of infant mortality and cause birth defects.

There are various drug rehab programs which can help in curing alcohol and drug abuse. But Sunshine Coast Health Centre knows that there are various myths and misconceptions regarding drug addiction recovery programs. Alcohol rehab programs may include residential, inpatient, outpatient, and/or short-stay options. Inpatient services are provided by licensed hospitals and clinics, while residential drug addiction recovery programs are provided by many drug rehab centers.

Sunshine Coast Health Centre, one of Canada’s leading residential drug rehab centers, can dismantle all the myths about drug addiction recovery.

Located on a five-acre campus of private waterfront, the center is specially designed for adult men. Depending on their needs, patients can stay anywhere from 49 days till 60 days. The center offers drug rehabilitation program and medical detox that includes therapy, exercise, nutrition, lectures and off-site recreation. For Sunshine Coast Health Centre, drug addiction recovery is about helping patients reach their goals. Log on to www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca for more information on various rehab programs and how they can be of your help.

 A Rehabilitation Center is a place where people who have either abused themselves by choice or have been abused by someone, seek shelter. This abuse could be alcoholic, through drugs or sexual in nature. Safety, care and an environment where they can recover from these ailments is what a rehab center provides. Drug rehabilitation centre or centers offering alcohol treatment help people who have indulged in substance abuse and at the moment want to recover.

Rehab treatment consists of various phases. Detoxification through a non-medical procedure and group and individual therapies are very important to ensure an effective recovery. Proper follow-up programs and after-care services make the system more efficient. A smooth transition back into the society is of utmost importance. A person who has spent a certain period of time in an alcohol or drug rehab center needs a lot of care and understanding to be able to gel in with his/her surroundings.

A rehab center provides a safe and caring environment for the alcoholics or drug addicts to get well. Use of other drugs or medicines for treatment would only provide a temporary solution, but non-medical means ensures a more long lasting effect.
Introduction or re-introduction to alcohol or drugs needs to be carried out very carefully. Also counseling sessions for the family members of the affected person needs to be organized. It’s these people who need to actually understand the graveness of the situation.

Addington house Rehabilitation Treatment Center in Canada works diligently in helping alcoholics and drug addicts to get back to their normal routine and lead a normal life. The nature of problems for each individual is unique and requires specific attention. Addington house has a edge over other rehab centers because they provide customized rehab treatment for each individual.

They use behavioral and cognitive approach to help their patients. Being a non-medical facility it focuses on detoxifying the individual instead of adding more chemicals to his/her system. Increasing the self-esteem of the person is their major goal. Inculcating the quality of abstinence is another goal. Patients get a warm, family-like atmosphere and home cooked food at the rehab center. Improvement in the overall quality of life of the patient is what they strive to achieve. That’s what makes Addington house the most sought after rehab center in Canada.

Addiction is a worldwide problem and each country takes a different approach to dealing with substance abuse and mental health. In Canada, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is the country’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital. Along with providing outstanding clinical care for people suffering from substance abuse mental health problems, CAMH also performs groundbreaking research, which leads to better understandings of addiction and mental health. CAMH also develops innovative health promotion and addiction prevention strategies.

Unlike substance abuse and mental health centers in the United States, CAMH has great influence on Canada’s public policies at all levels of government. The CAMH has also earned Canada’s highest-level hospital accreditation and is a Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization Collaborating Center.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health treats over 20,000 people and responds to over 400,000 outpatient visits each year. Persons dealing with life-long addictions or mentally unstable individuals alike, the CAMH in Canada respects the diversity of its community of clients and provides them with the personal attention and groundbreaking treatments it takes to keep them sober and mentally sound.

Whether it is a young person experiencing a first episode of psychosis, a senior with dementia, an adult with a drug addiction and depression, a child with a learning disability or anger management issue, or a person with a gambling problem or with schizophrenia, CAMH provides the specialized treatment needed. We’re transforming lives.” Reads the CAMH website.  “At CAMH, our client-centred care focuses on individual client needs and strengths, and fully involves clients and their families. We respect the diversity of the clients and communities we serve, and provide inclusive, collaborative, culturally appropriate care and services.”