Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 3, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 local chg 2000 native addictions War costs Only 30 per cent fall off official says by Bill Redekop Ottawa will spend More than million this year to fight alcohol and solvent abuse in first where some children Start sniffing Gas before age says the first nations health program sup port theres no denying that solvent abuse is a problem amongst some first nations and and in society As a said Deborah with the first nations and inuit health Branch in part of the budget pays for More than 700 addictions counsellors one in every first nation and inuit Community in the Gillies these coun Sellors work to educate people and pre vent the other program component is addiction treatment such As the Virginia Fontaine addictions foun Dation in Sage eng first health Canada funds 53 alcohol and 10 solvent abuse treatment which have space for a total of 846 almost 70 per cent of addicts enter ing the treatment centres Complete the and the recidivism rate is just 30 per Gillies its quite common that people dont succeed the first that is not she the first nations and inuit health Branch estimates about 50 per cent of sniffers Are 30 per cent Are social users and 20 per cent Are chronic the chronic sniffers Are usually Between 12 and gambling is being added to the list of addictions of Nib is trying to Cope Gillies said addictions Are a global problem among groups with High Virginia Fontaine addictions virgi1 Fontaine addictions fou the damage sniff ing causes Phil free press the Virginia Fontaine addictions foundation at Sage eng first nation is one of four inpatient aboriginal addictions treatment centres in the unemployment and Low aboriginal alcohol and solvent abuse treatment has been in the news the past in Sag keens Vir Ginia Fontaine treatment the country is mired in Contro Versy Over a Caribbean cruise and the effectiveness of its health Canada Cut off its funding say ing Virginia Fontaine officials repeat edly blocked the departments attempts to do a forensic audit of the at the Eastern end of the inuit children in have been shown in an intoxicated state sniffing of Nib says clients a year go through its treatment Manitoba has four inpatient aboriginal treatment centres the Virginia Fontaine addictions the Nelson House Medicine pegu is Alcare and the whisky Jack treatment some information on solvent sniffing i inhaled Vapours absorb rapidly in the lungs and giving a feeling of sometimes slurred distorted nausea and can Lead to perceptual distortions and i repeated use leads to severe psychological dependency and to Moder ate physical i there is a possibility of significant organic damage to the kid Neys and can lead4oz depression and a Type of delirium i people who want help can phone health Canadas 24hour sniff help line major functional sul i poor motor i confusion i double vision Imora swings i chronic apathy Sioni tit i dilation of pupils i Bato eath i Boob in urine and fees i Glassy eyes from National nonprofit group drug abuse resistance program Shesha Shiu continued from Page a1 that out of about 400 youngsters she saw at the Centre during her two and half years the treatment Centre takes in 150 to 200 Young peo ple a Sigurdson said she would participate in annual youth conferences where she would see kids who had been through the they would Tell her they still haunt kicked their the Centre had no record of the youths once they left the she the intake people were supposed to track but Sigurdson said they were too Busy with new kids to follow former weve had kids come Back five she although solving youth addictions is a Tough she said the Sage eng Cen tres record is the millions of dollars funding to the Sage eng treatment Centre is just a waste of Money because nothing is getting those kids Are the same Way leaving As when they come or even More not enough of the treatment work ers have proper some former employees so workers end up just babysitting patients instead of educating them and treating their Sigurdson she knows of at least one person who applied for a Job As a Cook and was Given a position As a the Centre also has too few treatment workers and ports 2 l tried to get 30 out of yearlong distance by 100 employ training to get but Sigurdson when i asked said kids at the treatment Cen for two Days off tre May be per they More confused no Tipri it when they leave because Barb germs for of the facility Mer treatment worker emphasis on ojibway kids come to the Cen tre from a variety of such As Lakota and Sigurdson asked the centres cultural workers if the no ojibway patients had the same or Are we just confusing these kids More she won Ders you accept our our or you get punished is the Sage eng treatment centres she these kids leave and dont know who they Are any for she kids suffering withdrawal Arent Given medical or psychological help but sent into sweat for most of this is their first Contact with a sweat Sigurdson Barb another treatment worker who quit after the boat agreed the Centre relies too much on cultural tradition and not enough on modern methods of treating i just had Gervais describing training there As Mickey most people Arent properly including Gervais the program Structure has to with less emphasis on these kids need to be training sessions for staff Are generally inhouse discussions about traditional Healing and Are Given by the same people every Gervais every out country training session is attended by More managers than actual treatment she say they Send 10 people to a Confer maybe two Are counsellors the rest Are she for the Centre attends annual conferences in both san and Gervais the stays Range from seven to 10 i tried to get lon distance training through videos and the inter net to get counselling but when i asked for two Days off per they denied the program recommended a minimum 16 hours per week of and Gervais has two Small they said if you want to do do it on your own the majority of youngsters sent to the Sage eng Centre have fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects treatment workers a lot of kids come from Homes where there sniffing with their Par said the Sage eng treatment Centre is formally called the Virginia Fontaine addictions its main facilities Are located on Sage eng first formerly fort Alexander about 145 Kilometres North East of with files from Paul Mckie Job under fire after on air attacks Eustaff at Sage eng looking for apology two former Sage eng treatment Cen tre workers Are seeking an apology from claiming the radio station aired slanderous comments against the two individuals agreed to speak on the Charles Adler morning show last thursday about problems at the controversial alcohol and solvent abuse treatment but a Trio of employees from the Sag keen Centre phoned in and made per Sonal attacks against suggesting one person had an illicit affair while at the and that another had been treated for psychiatric the latter comment violates Laws protecting client confidentiality at treatment the allegation of an affair was a said one who was no longer on the and unable to rebut the comments when they were the individual wondered Why the radio station didst use its 10second delay to edit out the i didst expect to have my character As my lawyer even if it were its no ones the individual both individuals have consulted jobs program manager Vic Grant said he want concerned about the remarks when first asked about the on air comments from he then said that the station does worry about the kinds of things that Are said on their woman outraged by sons delayed treatment at Hsc i Brief autistic boy waited five hours because nurses feared injury by Alexandra Paul the Mother of an autistic boy claims emergency room staff at childrens hos Pital deliberately delayed treating her son until Security guards were present to protect in pissed said Gail Prevost who related an account tuesday night at the Hospital where there was a five hour wait to treat a Gash on her six Earold sons this Guy deserved to get medical treatment the same As anybody they should be prepared to handle what Ever comes through doors Ive never seen such a disgusting display in my Prevost according to she and the two other adults took her son Skyler who has behavioural problems and cant speak to Hsc after he Cut his Arm in a fall at Home late tuesday the family paediatrician advised the Mother to take the boy to an emergency room for stitches to sew up a Gash mately four the doctor she saw in the emergency a from told her nurses didst want to assist Phil Winnipeg free press Prevost says Skyler had to wait until Security guards finally showed in the suture room out of fear the boy would accidentally hit them when he flailed his Prevost said she then directly Over head a group of nurses say the same thing while they were talking among themselves at the main desk in the i overheard the nurses say they did it want to treat my this is in front of the Parent Prevost the doctor called in a Sec Ond doctor to assist the second doctor Cut the skin around the wound but then they waited unto Jwo Security guards could be present in the room to restrain the child if when the Security guards the treatment was done but in the no stitches were the Cut was bandaged and the family was sent Prevost said she lodged an official complaint with health sciences spokeswoman with the Hospital and the Winnipeg regional health authority have confirmed the complaint is being formally investigated by the director of the emergency As is Normal teen crashes snowmobile a 15yearold Winnipeg youth is Lucky to be alive today after being from a snowmobile on an unmarked ramp Gordon said the teen lost control after he a Roadway Friday acid struck a wooden wheelbarrow near Balod Road and Dobales Road at in the pm of Lac do Kowalchuk said the youth was thrown More than three narrowly missing a Utility pole and Trees before Landing in a Small Clearing in the he probably passed within inches of being our first snowmobile fatality in the he its incredible he Only had these Kowalchuk said Speed appears to have been a contributing Factor in the the youth was discovered by his who was following a Short Dis Tance the youth was rushed to Pinawa Hospital and later transferred to the health sciences he suffered a fractured Pelvis and Arm in the Acci ramp said the name of the victim is not being released because charges under the offload vehicle act Are pending against the youth and the registered owner of the a spokesman for the local snowmobile club said theres not even enough Snow in the area to Blaze marked trails for Safe Roy Kryschuk of the broke head trailblazers snowmobile club said not yet Safe to drive a snowmobile Iii Eastern Hes very Kryschuk i feel sorry for the but Hes fortunate to be we Only have a couple of inches of Snow Semi Driver Dies the Driver of a semitrailer involved in a fatal Accident near Woodside on tuesday has Dwight of Russell was taken to Gladstone Hospital before being transferred to health sciences Centre in critical police said Collins died As a result of head injuries he sustained in the Acci Dent on Highway the Driver of a second 41yearold William Penner of was pronounced dead at the the two vehicles collided on an icy ride the rails Winni Eggers can now learn what it is like operating trains in our extreme Winter the Winnipeg railway museum has an exhibit allowing people to learn about the history of Canadian railways working in Adverse anyone who donates a non perishable food item will be admitted free of the food donations will be Given to the Canadian Pacific holi Day train during its Winnipeg Stop later this among other visitors to the exhibit will see Winter railway uni hear firsthand accounts from retired railway employees and watch videos of Snow lows in the museum is located inside the via station on main t t ;