Download Addictions Awareness Week 2003 sees Launch of

NEWS RELEASE
For release November 20, 2003
Addictions Awareness Week 2003 sees Launch
of New Addictions Resource for Those Coping with
Problem Drinking and Drug Use
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On the heels of Addictions Awareness Week across BC and Canada, November 16
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to the 22 , the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information has
released a new resource for people coping with substance use problems and
addictions: the Addictions Toolkit. The toolkit is the fourth in a series of similar
practical resources aimed at helping people learn more about managing ongoing
mental health and substance use problems. October saw the release of the Mental
Disorders Toolkit, Anxiety Disorders Toolkit, and Depression Toolkit by the Premier
at the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Bottom Line Conference on workplace
mental illness.
All of the toolkits, as well as other resources such as The Primer fact sheets
released in May, are freely available on the new BC Partners website at
www.mentalhealthaddictions.bc.ca, with the vision to begin turning each toolkit PDF
into an interactive online curriculum for “self-management” of mental health and
substance use problems over the coming year.
Self-management, or illness management, is a process of empowering people with
chronic health conditions to become active participants in their own recovery, and
supporting information exchange, decision-making and self-care principles that a
person can use with their support system's help to manage their condition on a dayto-day basis. Self-management has been applied with great success to diabetes,
arthritis and even asthma and recently is seeing increased use in mental health and
addictions fields.
In each of the BC Partners toolkits, the best available evidence from the research
field has been collected to guide a reader — in a friendly, plain-language style —
through the process of understanding more about the impacts of their disorder,
evidence-based treatments, and tips, strategies and quizzes on becoming more
active in their recovery. For example, in one learning module, the Mental Disorders
Toolkit describes a system for determining a person’s unique relapse signature and
timeline to better prevent and predict future trouble and follow an action plan to
intervene as quickly and effectively as possible.
Similarly, the new Addictions Toolkit provides a number of modules from
Considering Change or Committing to Change to Dealing with Slips or Dealing with
High-Risk Situations, as well as six other chapters that speak to readers wherever
they may be on their path to reducing the disability associated with problem alcohol
and drug use.
“This toolkit project is so innovative, particularly for the addictions field which is fairly new to the concept
of self-management, the idea that people with problem drinking or drug use can and do take positive steps
to actively take control over their behaviours and lives,” says Dan Reist, chair of the BC Partners group
and President of the Kaiser Foundation, the BC addictions charity that authored this toolkit.
According to the recent mental health survey by Statistics Canada, the release of these addictions
resources could not come soon enough. Three per cent of those studied across Canada had symptoms
consistent with alcohol or drug dependence in a given year, and nearly 10% for any mood or anxiety
disorder. To put these numbers in context, diabetes rates are around 5%.
Other addictions resources on the website include 9 introductory fact sheets for the public on addictions
topics; 3 “state of the knowledge” papers currently available on various key hot-button topics with
conflicting or emerging evidence such as supervised injection sites, needle exchange programs or
marijuana; and a brochure on the relationships between depression, anxiety, alcohol and other drugs. Just
visit www.mentalhealthaddictions.bc.ca and click on the Addictions button.
The BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information, formed in 2002, is driven by seven
provincial mental health and addictions agencies and funded by the Ministry of Health Services, under the
direction of Dr. Gulzar Cheema, Minister of State for Mental Health.
“This project is providing a reliable source for people in BC to consult for current, credible and useful
information on mental health and addictions issues,” says Honourable Gulzar Cheema, MD, Minister of
State for Mental Health. “It is truly groundbreaking to see all these provincial agencies bring their
experience, expertise and community ties to the table.”
Hard copies of the Addictions Toolkit, or any other toolkit, is provided free of charge, by request, to
individuals with mental health or substance use issues or their families.
Knowing the facts about addiction and substance use
Addiction and problem substance use tend to be highly stigmatized, and there is a lot of misinformation around.
• The use of mood-altering substances has been a feature of human societies for thousands of years. Substance use has
been regulated in various ways, and it is only in the 20th century that it has been criminalized.
• We all use substances, many of which affect our mood. Whether we eat something that gives us pleasure (such as
chocolate), enjoy a glass of wine to enhance a meal, or take a prescribed medication to control pain from a recent
injury, the use of substances is an accepted part of life.
• All substances have effects. Some have greater risks. Risk is related to many factors beyond the substance.
• Many people can use substances in moderation (whether legal or illegal), without experiencing problems. Usually when
problems arise from substance use, there are a range of other factors at work.
• Binge drinking on the weekend, over-use of prescription drugs, consuming „club drugs‰ at a rave, drinking more than 5
cups of coffee, and smoking cocaine are all potentially problematic forms of substance use.
• In a study by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, substance use problems cost more than $18.4 billion to the
Canadian economy
• In the recent Statistics Canada survey, youth aged 15-24 had nearly triple the alcohol and drug dependence rates of
other members of the population.
For media interviews, contact:
Dan Reist
Chair, BC Partners for Mental
Health and Addictions Information
(President, Kaiser Foundation)
604-681-1888
Tara Wilson
Communications/Media Relations
Ministry of Health Services
250-952-1887