Justa couple of ours a week with a caring certified teacher can make a world of difference in subjects from reading and writing to basic math and algebra. Your will also bene efit from renewed con Sylvan Learning Centre. Edlenee and self-esteem, Helping kids do better" RICHMOND 273-3266 COQUITLAM 941-9166 NORTH SHORE 985-6811 READING = * MATH + WRITING * STUDY SKILLS + * SCHOOL READINESS INIVERSITY PREPARATION * ALGEBRA BEGINNING READING Just for the record Each and every time you have a prescription filled, our computer provides you with: _ * A detailed description of your medication; * Information on proper usage and drug interactions; * Warnings against the use of certain medications due to médical conditions or aliergies. ) Ah M {anh aN efor Nant YOUR erLETS paTIenT atk nai Service #* Drugs a srowing problem in B.C. TRUE OR FALSE: Given the various drug abuse awareness campaigns in the province, the number of young peopie experimenting with drugs is on the decline. By Peggy Trendel!-Whittaker News Reporter ff you answered ‘true,’ you're too optimistic. In fact, Alan Pod- sadowski of the West Coast Alternatives Society says ‘‘there are some incredibly damning stats about B.C. and how we stack up against the rest of the country.” The highest proportion of drinkers and marijuana users is in B.C. The highesi rates of exposure to cocaine (more than double the national average) are in our pro- vince. Death rates from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis is 50 per cent higher in B.C. than the na- tional average. That’s for ai! ages. When it comes (o young people, the fig- ures are equally sobering. The national average for first trial use of alcohol is 12 years of age. In B.C., it is 11 years. Twen- tyssix per cent of Grade 12 stu- dents report having been drunk in the last month, and 37 per cent admit to drinking in a car at night. “We're now saying that dealing with substance abuse is a normal part of the adolescent develop- ment process,’’ cued Pod- sadowski. ‘‘It’s not just that 10 per cent minority anymore.”” Why is British Colurnbia prov- ing itself prone to substance abuse problems? Podsadowski doesn’t know for sure, but he notes “there are a lot of people in B.C. who are here from somewhere else. They're disconnected from their family. Some came out to the coast as a last resort, looking Be part “DRINKING, DRUGS, Decisions — Be Part of the Solution,”’ the final segment of this five-part simulcast series on alcohol and other drug abuse airs during Drug Awareness Week. Broadcast Friday, Nov. Y, via CKNW, participating Western In- formation Network radio stations, and Lower Mainland and Van- couver Island community cable outlets, this 90-minute special will focus on solutions to substance By the time a BC. child hits 11, he has usually drunk liquor for a geographical cure to their problems.*’ He adds, ‘‘and there’s a bit of the Wild West mentality out here on the cuast.”’ Regardless of the cause of the substance abuse problein, the Alternatives Society, in North Vancouver since 1981, is working to help people regain control of their lives, whether they are the drug abuser or family members affected by someone’s addiction. “‘When you’re living with someone with a substance abuse problem, you get ill, too,”? says Podsadowski. ‘‘You go crazy and de things you wouldn’t usually do.”* Alternatives, which usually has an eight-week waiting list and serves between 600 and 700 clients annually, offers free group, indi- vidual and family counselling. The average treatment duration is be- tween three and eight months. Alternatives, which, like Seaview Clinic in West Van- couver, is funded by the Ministry of Labor and Consumer Services, is just one of similar outpatient Programs throughout B.C., mest of which, says Podsadowski, are understaffed. ‘Programs like this in the long tun really saye a lot of money.” he says, pointing to the costs in- curred by car accidents and lost work time fuelled by substance abuse. ‘But the annual budget of both programs is about the same as producing and showing one Alan Podsadowski ... doesn’t stack up weli against the rest of Canada. 60-second beer commercial.” Podsadowski is looking forward «to the early 199! publication of Recovering from Addiction, A Guidebook for the Journev, a workbook edited by Podsadowski and being published on a grant frem the Vancouver Foundation. The guide is a tool that allows people to learn about personal issues concerning their addiction both at home and in conjunction with their therapist. Podsadowski is also excited about a new program that has two of their substance abuse specialists each working half-time in four local. schools: Argyle, Carson Graham, Windsor and Keith Lynn Alternate. ‘‘They’re extremely busy,’’ he says. For more information about West Coast Alternatives Society and its services, call 984-0255. of the solution abuse. Following the ‘‘Be Part of the Solution’ Drug Awareness Week theme, the show will Jook at how individuals and communities can be part of the solution to the topics addressed tn the cartier broadcasts. The first four segments in the series focused on alcohol and drug-related issues such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, teens and peer pressure, the effects of addiction on performance and relationships in the workplace, and family vio- lence, The final segment, hosted by CKNW’s Rafe Mair, will be broadcast live from Robson Square Conference Centre in Vancouver beginning at 9 a.m. The program is produced as a public service by CKNW, Rogers Cabievision and the TRY Pro- ax Another it (Fe ; North Shore Counseiling Centre Counsetting & therapy for individuals. couples and families who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to some aspect of life such as drug and alcohol problems, depression, anxiety, relationship difliculties etc. An accredited service centre Professional — Confidential. STORES 3160 Edgemont Bivd., N.Vvan 1246 Lyna Valley, NVan Dundarave 2477 Marine, W. Van Cauifeild Village 5331 Headiand Dr., W.Van. 926-5331 PHARMASAVE 922-1264 North Shore Ccunselling Centre 2104 Gordon, W.Van. 926-5495