Mom who's considering B.C. treatment for meth-addicted daughter welcomes NDP plan

The mother of a struggling meth addict welcomes the Manitoba NDP's proposed plan to fund a long-term recovery centre and detox facility.

The NDP promised Tuesday toimplement Main Street Project's meth recovery plan within 100 days of taking office ifthey win the provincial election planned for Sept. 10.

"Let's do something about meth and help these people. Let's be known for something in a positive [way]," said Joy Lywak, whosedaughter has been addicted to the drug for two years.

The NDP'sbacking ofMain Street Project'splanwould mean $1.5 million being invested upfront, and an annual operating budget of at least $2 million to help expand services.

The funding would allow the expansion of the downtown Winnipeg charity's 14-dayon-site detoxification program, long-term treatment for up to a year in the centre's residences and long-term support to help people transition back to the community.

"Some of the pressure would have been taken off the family, takenoff me, and I would have known she was in good hands if she was in a facility like the stabilization unit, where they would have taken care of her," Lywak said.

Since her daughter becameaddicted to meth two years ago, Lywak has struggled in theirrelationship, which hasat times become violent, shesaid.

"It changes their personality, so a lot of chaos and crisis happens in the family," she said. "It's torn apart our family."

Keeping her daughter clean and providing her with adequate support at home is a challenge. Lywak lacks proper medical intervention training and understanding of the mental health problems her daughter deals with daily.

Her daughter has been to detoxthree times,but relapsed each time.

Lywakhas started to explore options inother provinces, particularly B.C., where support after detoxification is better, she said.

"They [have] those houses [where] they support one another and they start helping them get back into the workforce and looking for their own places to live. We don't really have anything here."

The Progressive Conservatives announced $2.7 million for addictions and mental health treatment last month, shortly before the election was called. That includesincreased capacity and hours at rapid access to addictions medicine clinics across the province, 16 new addictions treatment beds for women and funding for the Strongest Families Institute.

Those rapid access (RAAM) clinics, six treatment beds opened up at Health Science Centre, 36 new treatment beds at Addictions Foundation Manitoba and four more at the Behavioural Health Foundation are addressing the problem, a Progressive Conservative spokesperson said.

The PCs also have approved the addition of 120 beds at the Main Street Project shelter, which will help leverage expansion funds from the federal government, the spokesperson said.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamontsaid if his party is elected, they'llcreate a drug stabilization unit, where people on meth can be held to detox, as well as bring public awareness to the issue.

"I think the stabilization unit is a wonderful idea," said Lywak, who believes it would be an opportunity to learn more about meth.

"Nobody knows anything about [the drug]. They'd be observing people that are on meth, they'd be watching them with psychosis."

Winnipeg Police ChiefDannySmyth has also called for a drug stabilization unit.

Smyth said two weeks ago that the rising crime in the city was being spurred on by the meth crisis.

Lywakcommends Smyth onspeaking out on the subject, but now she wants the province to take action.

"They're letting down the families. You know, one of the thingsI've always been thinking about isI'm tired of being Slurpee capital. I'm tired of being the crime capital. Let's do something about meth."

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