MR. TESTART: Mr. Speaker, it's been almost a year since Members of the 18th Assembly were elected, and that means it's almost been a year since Members gathered together as equals and developed a mandate for this government to implement on behalf of Northerners. I'm ever mindful of my responsibility to my constituents and to all Northerners to hold Cabinet accountable in its continued advancement in executing the mandate. Though there has been some progress in this venture, I am dismayed to see that one of the most pressing concerns, that of addiction, still continues to plague our streets and hold our people back from achieving healthy and productive lives.

Alcohol abuse, Mr. Speaker, is one of the most prevalent forms of addiction we are facing today here in the North. One just needs to walk through Yellowknife's downtown streets to see the terrible effects of alcoholism. If that is not evidence enough, recent media reports have reached out to northern medical professionals serving at Stanton Territorial Hospital on how they deal with individuals utilizing our emergency services. These aptly named "super users" rely heavily on the emergency department and usually for alcohol related issues. Doctors see some of these individuals from 100 to even 200 times a year, driving up our costs for healthcare to enormous proportions.

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, this rotating door of alcohol abuse and medical assistance keep spinning with no end in sight. There is another way, an evidence-based solution in the form of managed alcohol programs. The basic idea of how this works is that a controlled amount of alcohol is provided to users so that addiction is treated first so that other social issues can be addressed effectively. These individuals can then experience similar benefits to those who have fully recovered from traditional treatment options.

A recent study by the University of Victoria has demonstrated that these programs are successful and should be something this government considers. The study has shown, in particular, that participants in the program spend 33 per cent less time in custody, 43 per cent less time interacting with the police, and were admitted to emergency departments nearly half as often at 47 per cent. The study indicates that when taking social costs of alcohol addicts who also face homelessness into account -- Mr. Speaker, I'd like to request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

--- Unanimous consent granted