Don McHenry remembers the time, back in the 1980s, when he walked through a West Seneca field that later would become the Renaissance Campus. He walked the grounds with Richard J. Gallagher, the man who has helped many local teens tackle their drug and alcohol problems, as Gallagher explained the need for a residential treatment for these teens. McHenry, as president of the Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services board, later met with contractors and architects, and signed some of the loans for Western New Yorks crown jewel in residential treatment for young alcohol and drug addicts. Little did McHenry know that years later, the campus he helped create would help save his own flesh and bloods life. His grandson, Deric McHenry, now 27, is one of the graduates of the Renaissance Campus. Both McHenrys, born 48 years apart, are recovering alcoholics who remain thankful that someone was there to help them become sober. That grandfather-grandson connection is one of the many stories associated with this years 25th annual Kids Escaping Drugs telethon, which airs from 6 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday on WGRZ-TV. Don McHenry, now 75, has had three separate careers, and he still works as a drug and alcohol … Continue reading →

MONTREAL - Fear is the only thing keeping downtown Montreal from having a supervised injection site (SIS) for drug users, health care and drug dependency experts from across Canada said Thursday. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in September that Vancouvers Insite centre could not be closed because it would jeopardize the health and lives of its users. In December, Montreals public health department released a report calling for the creation of three supervised injection sites and one mobile unit. Quebecs health minister Yves Bolduc has said he supports the creation of sites. In early April, researchers at the University of Toronto recommended two such sites be created in Ottawa, and another three in Toronto. Yet seven months after the Supreme Court decision, Montreal is still without an SIS, and a large part of the reason is based on the publics fear of drug addicts, experts said at Fridays forum titled Integrating Supervised Injection Services into Health Care and Community. It was part of the 21st annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research going on this week. The experience in Vancouver shows us clearly the difficulties they lived in trying to open we are living the same difficulties here in Montreal, said … Continue reading →

MONTREAL Fear is the only thing keeping downtown Montreal from having a supervised injection site (SIS) for drug users, health care and drug dependency experts from across Canada said Thursday. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in September that Vancouver's Insite centre could not be closed because it would jeopardize the health and lives of its users. In December, Montreal's public health department released a report calling for the creation of three supervised injection sites and one mobile unit. Quebec's Health Minister Yves Bolduc has said he supports the creation of sites. In early April, researchers at the University of Toronto recommended two such sites be created in Ottawa and another three in Toronto. Yet seven months after the Supreme Court decision, Montreal is still without an SIS, and a large part of the reason is based on the public's fear of drug addicts, experts said at Friday's forum titled Integrating Supervised Injection Services into Health Care and Community. It was part of the 21st annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research going on this week. "The experience in Vancouver shows us clearly the difficulties they lived in trying to open we are living the same difficulties here in Montreal," said Louis … Continue reading →

"We want to divert people out of the criminal justice system into early medical assessment and treatment." Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro Source: The Advertiser SA Drug and Alcohol Services helped 3071 low-level drug users avoid prison sentences and equipped them to beat dependency last financial year. Under the drug diversion program those referred by police or courts increased from 2546 in the previous 12 months. The program provided low-level users valuable lessons on the risks in illegal drug taking - and a chance to change their lives. SA Drug and Alcohol Services director Dr Robert Ali said the program was particularly effective for people concerned about the heath implications of drug use. "It's another way of going to people who are thinking about stopping drugs and can get those people an appointment with an expert," he said. "We want to divert people out of the criminal justice system in to early medical assessment and treatment," he said. Participants are regularly drug tested and those found using illegal drugs can be dropped from the program. In total, 37 per cent dropped out last year for a variety of reasons. Dr Ali said successes far outweighed the disappointments, especially when participants complete … Continue reading →