Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about difficult times families are facing when it comes to impacts of drug and alcohol on youth.
[Translation] The way the kids are drinking and using drugs, that is what I would like to talk about. The way our relatives are having problems and still drinking today. There are kids -- it gets very expensive and all the money is spent on -- [translation ends] struggle with alcohol and drugs, the added burden on mothers, fathers, and grandparents and siblings is huge. It is a wide ranging issue, from not sleeping properly to constant worry and financial pressures.
The financial burden on just one youth-in-crisis is tremendous. We know all about addictions, what addiction does to a person. When it comes to vulnerable youth, it can consume a youth's life. A youth with addictions has no regard for the family's financial issues or health. A youth in the throes of drug and alcohol only cares about the next fix or drink.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to touch on some of the issues related to youth aside from their own families, because addiction impacts the whole community.
In the NWT, the most common property offence is mischief, typically linked to abuse of alcohol and drugs. Our high crime rate is driven by abuse of alcohol and drugs, which in itself is often linked to the traumatic impacts of residential school.
When it comes to the law, a youth is somebody under the age of 18. I don't dispute that law, but when it comes to programming outside the justice system, like treatment, prevention, and employment support, the range expands. The United Nations considers anyone ages 15 to 24 as a youth. When it comes to Service Canada, the youth internship program welcomes a range of 15- to 30-year-olds.
You see, even crime stats don't show the whole picture.
In 2012, a report from Health and Social Services told us that 53 per cent of people between the age of 15 and 24 are likely to have five or more drinks on one occasion, 26 per cent are described as heavy drinkers. Residents in small communities are twice as likely as Yellowknife residents to have tried cocaine.
Many of our youth are living with addictions and are also harming themselves. Some die while they are doing drugs or consuming alcohol. They are at risk of freezing to death, dying in vehicle accidents, or committing suicide. Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Thirty per cent of NWT youth reported that they had been harmed in some way by their own drinking in the past year; 56 per cent reported that they had been harmed by somebody else's drinking.
However, Mr. Speaker, there is hope. I compliment the Department of Health and Social Services for the work they are doing in this area. When a person looks for help, the help is available. The problem is it is not available to all and it is not available everywhere.
As we go through the budget, I will be asking the Ministers to spread the magic of HSS through the NWT to all youth in crisis.
Our youth are desperate, Mr. Speaker. As they reach out for help, we should be in a position to provide it. Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
