WM1TBY FREE P¶RER% WENESAY, JUNE 271990g, PAGE 25 Imagine is a national campaign of The Canadiau Centre for Philanthropy to increase Canadians' awareness and contribution to all charitable and volunteer organizations. We support their goals and are contributing space for the Imagine ads on this and other pages. To bring the campaign dloser to home, the Whitby Free Press is rn.ning a series of profiles of the needs and activities of local organizations. Cail us if your organization could use a boost. Old problems- new, solutions By Trudie Zavadovico Do you remember why you took your first dririk? Or drag? Or druge Was it an exrruent? A method of copin A wa yof belonging? A way of escaping? Or was it just 1Because'? Regardless of why someone sitarts to drink, amoke or use drugs, statistics show that a lrepercentg of Canadians cItsep.eome addicted. In Durham Ièinsaite show that 25 per oent of the population has.a problem with alcohol in varying degre with about six per cent of th popula- tion struggling with a severe alcohol problem. Although the problem of addic- tion steps more to the forefront in the nineties, it is by no means a new probiem. The Addiction Research Foun- dation (ARF) began 40 years ago throughprvincial legisiation. the beginnin , it was a small operation dealing with treatment 0o' alcohol or drug addiction. Legisiation changed and se, did the focus of the foundation. Today they focus on research. Rducation and consultation are discouraged from focusing on direct treatment. lnstead, they help local communities develop their own methods of treatment. One of the foundation's 30 offices across the prvne is at 1615 Dundas St. Ein Whitby. That office serves Durham Region with its three staff inem- bers and its $300 'O00 budget. The founidation is funded by the Ministry of l-ealth and has a total budget of $35-million and a total staff' of 700 acrose the province. "Through our' office we train professionals in addictions, how to counsel, and develop preven- tion proffans," says program directoIRbert Finlay. Hie says the founidation aiso develops books and videos,' car- ries out animal research looking for the effect of differentdrg on the brain, determines 'hat';ý> types. of treatinents are inost effective, and develops programIS te prevent alcohol and drug abuse. «Locally, we get involved iu Drg Awareness Week, and net- wokwith community groupa," 'aPe says here are local treat- ment services in Durham Reion such as Pinewood Centre, IDes- THM-E Addiction Research Founda- tion (ARF) set up shop at the Osh- awa Centre recently to promote awareness of alcohol and related addicitive drugs. Monitoring the tiny Manor, and Renascent House. The Durham Board of Education also bas substance abuse councilors. «We do have gapa in services," says Finlay. e é ave no drug treatment centre for men depen. dent on cocaine or alcohol. There is no detoxification service for wornen or residential services for youth.» Finlay says that alcohol abuse is the number one problein in the Durbaim Region. «That is due to two key factors. Alcohol is socially acceptable and available. It is socially acceptable for people te, have a drink. It is leas socially acceptable te smoke marjuana or illicit druge.» He says that although in- cidents of drinldng and driving are decreasing, thie public atti- tude toward drinking is still the saie. Tobaoeo andý marijuana abuse are second highest. Finlay says the incident of crack and cocaine abuse is high1: among 18- te 24-year- olabut that it's not a hig percentage of people who use te drug in comparison to the num- bers of people who are addicted te, smoking and drinking. Hie says, however, that the social and criminal béhaviors connec- ted with the use of cocaine lead te, very serious probleins. "Fewer people are using cocaine but it causes. bigger pro- blema. It's much more devastat- *These pipe are involved g9 ubro activities that create a number of other pro- blems.» One of the prevention pro- grams the foundation has develo- ped is a server intervention pro- gramn that teaches people work- ing inlcensed bars te make sure they don't serve too much alco- hol. They aise have education pro- grains in schools. "We are worldng with boards writing policies writing nro- -grains, tr %wn taher. on o .ande~uiI4~ç~ght~th computer are Trevor Harrison, inaterials manager for ARF, and Lynn Pilkington, community consul- tant for Durham Rgion ARF. Free Proephoto drugM, » says Finlay. «Drug edu- cation in schools is now manda- *hLen developing prevention programa they try as nany ways as possible to get the message across. They do classroomn pre- sentations, dscussions, health fairs, TV commercials, and use public media. Finlay says that Durham Region is similar to other regions in alchol and drug abuse but rates higher in incidents of :mari- juana abuse. "It also varies as far as grades," says Finlay. "Grade 13s show 85 per cent of situdents have had a drink while i grade 8 the peroentage is 30 per cent. "That could mean one beer a year or drinling four or five turnes a week. IAe majority of kids may experiment with alco- calls for help. Their main goal is to help reduce the pain, suffering and bast hunian potential caused by excessive a2nd inappropriate use of alcohol or other drugs. Addiction Rsac Foundatioei Location: 1615 Dundas St. E. Whitby Purpose To help reduce the pain, suffering, and lot human potential caused byr excessive and inappropriate use of alcohol and other drugs. Stanff Durham Region-3 hol or smoking. They try it and païd staff wIio work with let it go with the exception of volunteer organizations. alcohol. Most kids continue te, drink. le~s very important te have Puidzng: Ministiy of Héath prograns in pIac, says Filay. H e says that after 40 years of Budget: $300,000 annually research, there is very little evi- for Durhamn Regioei. dence «te substantiate that there is such a thing as an addictive Coutaot: Robert Finlay personality. lHe saEys that there 576-6277 are usually outside influences other than personality traits that lead te, addictive behavior. ____________ One of the services Finlay would like te siee in place is a central system where people can caIl for help and be direted toE the help they need. T'his would ARTHRITIS elnninate the necessity of caflig several agencies. The 1-800-387-2916 number, if called between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., will play a g9 variety of tapes dealing with « drug-related topics. They have about 60 tapes in both French S and English and are, working on tapes in other languages. Scripts of the. tapes are also available for a nominal charge. If druga or dikin hves become wpro>lenttIe Retseairch Foundatidm.*weloe)mes.,~- V