Yellowknife (Nov 15/04) - There are more than 60 addictions counselling, treatment and support groups throughout NWT and Nunavut.

Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre in Hay River offers the North's only co-ed residential addictions recovery program. Men and women from across the North come for voluntary 28-day stays.

A student at St. Patrick High School in Yellowknife tries out Drunk Vision goggles. Addictions workers see a need for more drug education for young people. - MacDonald/NNSL photo

"Our program follows a First Nations, holistic approach," said Kristine Vannebo-Suwala, clinical supervisor at the centre. "We're not just looking at addiction, we're trying to integrate mental health issues, too."

The Tree of Peace Friendship Centre in Yellowknife offers counselling, support groups and referrals to treatment programs.

"Alcohol is always a drug of choice," said Byrne Richards, Youth Addictions officer at Tree of Peace. "I would put marijuana second, with crack cocaine close behind."

David Harder, director of addictions services at the Salvation Army, said alcohol is actually starting to lose ground as the drug of choice.

Alcohol is a well-established problem in the North, but the crack cocaine problem is growing and catching up fast.

"Alcohol and marijuana are out," Harder said. "Crack cocaine is in. Four years ago, we saw the odd crack user, now it's an epidemic."

New support groups in Yellowknife -- Crack Busters and Cocaine Anonymous -- offer a place for addicts to with meet others in similar situations.

The addictions workers say there are a lot of positive programs, but they also see some significant gaps in the system.

"With the number of cocaine addicts in Yellowknife, we need a funded, cocaine-addiction treatment program," said Harder.

Both Harder and Richards point to a need for sober housing for people who've gone through a residential program. That would mean they could live with other recovering addicts for at least a year after completing the 28-day program.

"Living in a sober house gives people the opportunity to learn that skill of caring for a home," said Harder. "They need time to develop new habits."

Space for detoxification and counselling before and after the 28-day program are also lacking.

Another important front is education about drugs and addictions.

"We need to get into the schools," said Vannebo-Suwala. "Young people need to know how addictive crack is." That one hit can be enough to create an addiction."