BOOZE BEYOND 60 NORTH - best not to bring it aboard to the Arctic

http://www.cbc.ca/north/features/alcohol/

Alcohol is expensive in the North, and it's not just the cost of a bottle. It’s costly for the health system, policing, and all too often it costs people their lives.

Follow Booze Beyond 60°, a week-long series about alcohol in the North. We’ll share stories about how alcohol has affected people in all three territories and Northern Quebec. And we'll look at what people and communities are doing to make things better.

Booze Beyond 60°: Liquor sales per capita

Yukon leads the nation in per-capita alcohol sales, according to numbers released by Statistics Canada. The average Yukoner spent $1,319 on booze in the year ending March 31, 2012. The Canadian average was $724.

In total, Yukoners spent $39.5 million on alcohol in 2012, N.W.T. residents $48.6 million and Nunavummiut $6.1 million

Australian tycoon sails Northwest Passage — racks up thousands in alcohol fines on the way

The forbidding Northwest Passage killed Sir John Franklin and confounded James Cook, but it appears to have been a breeze for a booze-laden Australian luxury yacht that sped through the High Arctic leaving behind a trail of illegal fireworks, paintballs and bounced cheques.

In early September, the Fortrus, a 34-meter, seven-stateroom luxury yacht anchored just outside Cambridge Bay, a Nunavut community of 1,500. The ship had been brought there by Paul McDonald, a 51-year-old resource tycoon from Noosa, Australia, who was leading the yacht on a circumnavigation of North America.

According to Nunatsiaq News reporter Jane George, the visiting ship hosted “a wild party where men overwhelmingly outnumbered women” and in which an underage girl was seen diving overboard into the frigid waters of the Beaufort Sea.

An alcohol-fueled yacht party is easily noticed in Cambridge Bay, where liquor is only allowed under special permit from Nunavut authorities. It did not help that passengers were reportedly firing illegal fireworks from the Fortrus’ decks.

On Sept. 7, local RCMP boarded the vessel and immediately seized 200 liquor bottles with as estimated “street value” of $40,000 (in the dry community, black-market alcohol prices can run to hundreds of dollars per bottle). Mounties also seized $15,000 worth of illegal fireworks.

The officers appear to have been acting on a tip-off from the community. “The Cambridge Bay RCMP would like to thank the public for their continued support in combatting illegal activities in the North,” police wrote in a Sept. 20 news release.

Mr. McDonald was charged with providing liquor to a minor and possessing liquor “other than when authorized.” Each charge carries a fine of $5,000.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/02/australian-tycoon-facing-thousands-in-fines-after-sailing-booze-filled-yacht-through-northwest-passage/


Booze Beyond 60°: Treatment centres

Treatment options vary wildly in the three territories. Both Yukon and the N.W.T. have treatment centres, while there is none in Nunavut. Below is a list of resources in all three territories for those seeking help for alcohol dependence.




Treatment centre

28-day men’s (5 times a year) and women’s programs (4 times a year) in Whitehorse, Sarah Steele building. max 10 participants each

Community-based treatment program outpatient services, Whitehorse., counsellor that works with Whitehorse medical clinics, counsellor that works with Justice department clients, pre- and post-treatment program support, recovery support group

Youth service

prevention, education and counseling/treatment services to students in Grades 5-12 in Whitehorse schools

Detox service

10-bed co-ed detox facility in Whitehorse for clients aged 16 or over, (2 beds reserved for women), Sarah Steele building, staffed with licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and residential unit attendants (RUAs), average stay 3-5 days

Help line

Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service

Contact: 1-800-980-9099




Treatment centre

Nats’ejée K’éh Treatment Centre in Hay River, N.W.T. Thirty-bed co-ed facility, 28-day program and follow-up 14-day program.

Contact: 867-874-6699

http://www.natsejeekeh.org/ »

Community-based treatment program

Matrix program in Fort Smith, N.W.T. Twelve-week outpatient program, runs 3 times a year.

Southern treatment centre for adults

Aventa - Calgary, Alta. Women only.

Southern treatment centre for youth

Daughters and Sisters PLEA Community Services Society of BC - Vancouver, B.C. From ages 12 to 18, women only.

Detox service

Available at the local health centre or hospital, for those suffering physical withdrawal side-effects.

Community-based treatment program

Matrix pilot program, Fort Providence, N.W.T.

Southern treatment centre for adults

Bonnyville Indian-Metis Rehabilitation Centre - Bonnyville, Alta. Co-ed facility.

Southern treatment centre for youth

Waypoint PLEA Community Services Society of BC - Vancouver, B.C. From ages 12 to 18, males only.

Community-based treatment program

Tree of Peace Friendship Centre, Yellowknife. Addictions counselling and community wellness programs for youth and adults.

Contact: (867) 370-3331

Southern treatment centre for adults

Edgewood - Nanaimo, B.C. Co-ed facility for addictions with a diagnosed concurrent disorder or PTSD.

Southern treatment centre for youth

Ranch Ehrlo Society - Regina, Sask. From ages 12 to 16, co-ed facility.

Community-based treatment program

Deninu Kue First Nation, Fort Resolution, N.W.T. Addictions counselling services.

Contact: (867) 394-4291

Southern treatment centre for adults

Homewood Health Centre - Guelph, Ont. Co-ed facility for addictions with a diagnosed concurrent disorder or PTSD.

Southern treatment centre for youth

Woods Homes - Calgary, Alta. From ages 11 to 17, co-ed facility.

Community-based treatment program

Tl’oondih Healing Society in Fort McPherson, N.W.T. Addictions counselling services.

Contact: (867) 952-2025

Southern treatment centre for adults

Nenqayni Wellness Centre (NNADAP program) - Williams Lake, B.C. Family program.

Southern treatment centre for adults

Poundmaker’s Lodge - St. Albert, Alta. Co-ed facility.




Treatment Centre

There is no treatment centre in Nunavut. Residents who want to attend a treatment centre must request it from a counsellor or addictions worker.

Treatment Centre

The Mamisarvik Healing Centre is located in Ottawa and it is an alcohol and drug rehab centre, as well as a centre for those dealing with trauma. It is an Inuit-specific, 53-day healing centre for men and women 18 and older.

Contact: 613-563-3546

Community-based treatment programIn 2012, there was a pilot treatment program in Cambridge Bay. The program lasted six weeks and has recently undergone a review.

Community-based treatment program

The Ilisaqsivik centre in Clyde River offers a variety of services, including counselling for alcohol-related problems.Contact: 867-924-6565

General help line for addictions

Nunavut residents can call the Kamatsiaqtut Help Line for more support.Contact: 867-979-3333 or toll-free at 1-800-265-3333


http://www.cbc.ca/north/features/alcohol/includes/treatment.html

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