Debates of May 15, 2007 (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll make it short. We’ve been talking about the theme of denormalizing the use of alcohol and in the past there are so many different aspects to this issue, but I’d like to ask the Minister of Health whether or not the government will undertake a concerted effort to come up with a campaign to denormalize abuse of alcohol in a way that the successful Don’t Be a Butthead campaign has been able to do? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 89-15(6): Public Information Campaign To Denormalize Alcohol Abuse

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for that question and would say, yes, we would put an effort into coming up with a campaign that would draw attention to what the impacts of drug and alcohol abuse is in the Northwest Territories. As well, Mr. Speaker, if I can, earlier I talked about a discussion paper, the NWT Alcohol and Drug Program’s Balancing Community and Residential Services. Just for the record, that was initiated back a couple of years ago and that discussion paper was shared with the Health and Social Services Authority in 2006 and was used for them in looking at how we delivered the programs in communities. The feedback we had with authorities, we shared with Members. As well, there are quite a number of areas that we’re involved with in the drug and alcohol area, and one of them is developing an awareness campaign that we’re continuing to work on with our partners. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 89-15(6): Public Information Campaign To Denormalize Alcohol Abuse

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the key to this is that it has to be focussed, easy to understand, concerted, and it has to be well-resourced; there has to be big money behind that. It has to be community-based; it has to be undertaken by people in communities and every community has to be able to make their own choice about how to deal with it and get totally involved. We also, I think, I believe in communities where there are no RCMP, I think having an alcohol and drug control officer who could enforce the laws that are already in the books about prohibition and control of alcohol and drug substances will go a long way. Could I ask the Minister to put some oomph behind this and then how he’s going to work on a slogan? I mean, like we…

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 89-15(6): Public Information Campaign To Denormalize Alcohol Abuse

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’ll definitely try to put some oomph behind our…

---Laughter

…our message. I heard a number of things raised in this House that seem like the beginning of good slogans that we talked about, Don’t be a Boozehound, Don’t be Stuck in the Bottleneck, or something of that nature. But seriously there are quite a number of factors and one of the big areas that I touched was a territorial advisory group that met in March, and we’ll look and we’ll follow up with consultation with our authorities as well as NGOs, aboriginal groups and stakeholders. I spoke earlier about the Community Counselling Program, tied to that is our partnership with Keyano College on the community wellness worker training. One big piece, Mr. Speaker, and we talked about youth and children, is building resiliency in children and youth. That’s Friends for Life resiliency training that’s targeted at children and youth, as well as the Youth Net Program, and that’s a by-youth, for-youth mental health promotion area; as well as a number of areas and again developing an awareness campaign around addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 89-15(6): Public Information Campaign To Denormalize Alcohol Abuse

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister is doing something that this government gets criticized for, which is that people out there don’t see that this government is taking this issue seriously or that there is a clear, precise and simple, or easy to understand message about what we are doing that will tie together all of the enforcement activities…

Do you have a question, Ms. Lee?

…capacity. So would the Minister commit to coming up with a focussed strategy by August?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 89-15(6): Public Information Campaign To Denormalize Alcohol Abuse

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this program, as I had stated earlier, we’re working through the Territorial Advisory Group, again, in consultation with all of those that I talked about that we will work with and we will develop a program. I’m expecting to see something by mid-summer in this area so, hopefully, enjoying our last sitting of this Assembly I’ll be able to share information on where that’s going. Thank you.