Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS enhancing addictions treatment programs has been identified as one of the Believing in People and Building on the Strengths of Northerners priorities of the 17th Legislative

Assembly;

AND WHEREAS Northwest Territories rates of substance abuse are among the highest in Canada and clearly related to and aggravated by equally high rates of major negative social indicators, and that police report substance abuse as a factor in more than 90 percent of complaints;

AND WHEREAS an innovative addictions treatment approach was piloted in Old Crow, Yukon, in 2004-2005 with a 50 percent rehabilitation success rate over the succeeding 12 months;

AND WHEREAS the program is based upon preparation of participants in the community before they depart for a program at a treatment facility, and providing community-based follow-up programs after formal treatment is completed;

AND WHEREAS the effectiveness of formal treatment has been shown to improve as a result of the mutual support enjoyed by grouped participants preparing for and returning from treatment together, in contrast to the current approach of individual treatment without the availability of peer support;

AND WHEREAS this program approach is ideally suited to integration and coordination with on-the-land treatment approaches, and could draw upon community wellness and other local resources at limited additional cost;

AND WHEREAS this community-based approach addresses the weaknesses of current programming;

AND WHEREAS the improvement of programming based upon piloted and newly proven approaches responds to the critical need for more effective substance abuse treatment programming;

AND WHEREAS preparation for the anticipated increased court and corrections costs resulting from introduction of the federal Bill C-10 provisions requires urgent action to prevent and reduce the criminal activity so commonly associated with substance abuse;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Department of Health and Social Services investigate the potential for successful implementation of similar programming and work with standing committees to test and introduce a similar program in the NWT;

AND FURTHER, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.