Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 09/99) - Much like with an individual, the desire to go dry from alcohol must come from the community itself before strict bylaws can effectively limit consumption.

That message was presented by NWT Health Minister Floyd Roland recently in the legislature.

"Some would argue the fact that by making a community dry, you only increase the events of bootlegging in a community," Roland said.

"We know it has to be a decision of their own (for individuals) and I think that would be the same for each community -- a decision of the community to decide if they would like to go dry or not."

Six communities have decided to go dry in the NWT: Lutsel K'e, Nahanni Butte, Rae Lakes, Snare Lakes, Tsiigehtchic and Wha Ti.

Last December in Holman, there was a plebiscite to ration alcohol consumption.

Voters narrowly missed reaching the 60 per cent barrier needed to enact the change by voting 58 per cent in favour of the restrictions.

As such, all the problems that spurred the vote remain -- assaults, sexual assaults and other violence.

Despite Holman's near-success in enacting restrictions, other Northern communities have gone ahead with limits or even a total ban on alcohol.

In Pangnirtung there is a total ban, for example.

Still, Pangnirtung Const. Greg Peters stressed how police exercise discretion when charging someone with possession of alcohol.

"We act in the public interest and do what's appropriate," he said.

"We often seize liquor when there's a much more serious offence."

The link to more serious crimes is spelled out clearly by Sgt. Frank Foran in Rae-Edzo, a community with alcohol restrictions.

He says alcohol use often leads to violence and it is a determining factor in instigating sexual assaults, domestic assaults and even elder abuse.

The elder abuse can sometimes be a physical assault, but other times can be loud partying that keeps elders awake at night, he said.

As such, and to help in sentencing, Rae-Edzo has an elders' senate court where elders advise the justice of the peace on who needs counselling for alcohol abuse and who has been given enough chances to merit a large fine.

"Anytime there's access to alcohol there's a problem," Foran said.

"There are good people who go home, drink and there's no problem, but we deal with the bottom 10 per cent."

Restrictions in the community are, for a one-week period: one 26-ounce bottle of hard liquor and 24 beer, or one 26er, 12 beer and one bottle of wine, or one 26er and two bottles of wine.

But evidence that the restrictions do not work is seen in how, in July alone, police dealt with more than 100 liquor infractions through checkstops set up on the one-hour drive to Yellowknife.

Fines of $575 are the standard penalty.

In the dry community of Lutsel K'e, for example, alcohol "is still a bit of a problem," according to Lutsel K'e Const. Duncan MacInnis.

"People go to different areas and they bring it back by boat."

Kits to brew beer and wine are popular in the south, but it seems have not yet penetrated the Northern market, according to police in many communities.

Though in Fort Simpson, Const. John Legge said he knows of some home- brew operations, but brew does not count in the community's alcohol limits as long as it is not sold to others.

In Fort Simpson, there is a limit of 12 beer or a 26er or two bottles of wine per day with the liquor store open five days a week.

Because of the problems associated with alcohol, Hay River MLA Jane Groenewegen was pressing Roland to provide money for communities wanting to launch a plebiscite to increase restrictions or go completely dry.

Roland stressed the initiative must come from the communities themselves.

"I think it all comes down to an individual choice," he said.

"Our programming is set up for those who would come and seek the service to try and repair the damage that has been done by the abuse that is ongoing.

Still, Groenewegen said the government could be more proactive and reflect on ideas such as taking out ads to praise communities that are improving.

Citing decreasing consumption of alcohol on the Hay River Dene Reserve, Groenewegen said alcohol is becoming "less fashionable."

This could be why youth at Helen Kalvak school in Holman, just before the plebiscite, voted 76 per cent in favour of limiting alcohol -- 18 per cent more than the adults.