Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in every community that we visited while doing our pre-budget consultations, we heard from people that believe that this government needed to do more to address alcohol and drug addictions and their underlying root causes. Everyone had solutions or suggestions. We heard that we need to build more treatment centres. We heard that we don't need to build anything, that we just need to use the resources that we have in a better way. We heard that communities could do a better job than government in addressing the addiction problems of their residents. The one thing that everyone agreed on was the need to work together to come up with a made-in-the-NWT solution to addictions problems.
---Applause
The one thing that I would like to see the government concentrate on is ensuring that young children do not develop addictions, and, if they do, treatment programs are available to get them ready to lead a full and productive life.
I believe, Mr. Speaker, that there is usually a period in a young person's life, usually in their teen years, during which, if we can protect them, basically, from themselves, and guide them through those years, at some point they come out on the other end with a much different outlook on life.
There are many adults in our society who have addictions. Some of them are pretty committed to their life of addictions. Mr. Speaker, I guess I am starting to be of the opinion that we need to stem the tide where it is entering into that group of people. I think that we can keep dealing with the group of addicted persons, but, in fact, if we don't stop and intervene at a young age, the problem is going to continue to grow.
Mr. Speaker, part of popular culture today idolizes a wild lifestyle, and young impressionable minds think that, in order to be cool, they should do drugs and live outside the envelope of normal society. Mr. Speaker, we know it is not cool to do drugs, and it is stupid. We ask ourselves, what would possess a person to try something like crack cocaine; something that can ruin your life, destroy your family and even kill you?
We need to encourage a positive lifestyle. We need to encourage role models to come forward and talk to young people and children about the benefits of education, sports and volunteering. We need to make it clear that a young person's dreams and visions for the future can be shattered if they allow themselves to become addicted to drugs and alcohol. Some of this damage, Mr. Speaker, is irreparable. Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my statement with that. Thank you.
---Applause