More than 20 years of addictions awareness

More than 20 years of addictions awareness
Jeanne Gagnon
Northern News Services

KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE - Gambling, drugs, alcohol and smoking are addictions many people in the North and across Canada are struggling to overcome.

But awareness around the issues has increased in the more than 20 years since Kugluktuk inspired the National Aboriginal Addictions Awareness Week.

This year, from Nov. 14 to 20, many communities across Canada, including the North, will hold events to raise awareness around addictions as the battle to conquer those issues is ongoing.

Addiction - whether it is alcohol, drugs or gambling - is an entrenched problem in Inuit communities, said Dianne Kinnon, director of Inuit Tuttarvingat at the National Aboriginal Health Organization. A lot more work is needed to conquer them, she added.

"The more we can make those issues visible, and not just as individual problems but as community problems, as social problems, the more we can do about them because it breaks down some of those stereotypes ..." she said.

"To me, it's still very valuable work to do and until we actually do start to see some significant results, it's one of many tactics I think we have to undertake."

Awareness around alcohol abuse has increased, for instance, Kinnon said, but options for services and support are few. She added that a lot of drugs, such as marijuana, are entering the North, perhaps replacing alcohol, so people need to be educated that drugs and gambling can be equally destructive.

"I think we have better awareness now - there are more people looking for treatment, there (are) more people going into counselling for alcohol abuse, but not enough services," she said. "Marijuana is an increasing concern and perhaps, say they have conquered an alcohol addiction, they might switch to marijuana because they don't think it's dangerous or serious."

Kinnon said since the awareness week started more than 20 years ago, a lot more co-operation and partnerships between organizations exist.

NAHO's focus is youth, as Kinnon said it is quite "alarming" the age kids start getting involved with drugs and alcohol and the earlier you can get the message out and educate them about the dangers of addictions, the better. But she added many youths are also taking it upon themselves to raise awareness of the issue.

"Many of them (youths) are leaders themselves in saying 'alcohol has really affected my family; I see my friends using drugs and dropping out of school.' There is a real potential there if we can just get more and more youths to get involved in the issues, the better," said Kinnon.

At Kugluktuk High School, school community councillor Ken Taptuna said he got involved in addictions awareness two years ago when he started in his post. He added he feels personally responsible to help because several years ago a youth march provoked a plebiscite and an alcohol education committee. This reined in the amount of alcohol coming into the community.

"The more we are vocal about making the wrong decisions and making the wrong choices that leads you down the wrong path, the more apt (youth) are to see the negatives outcomes that they have once they do take that path," he said.

Addictions are not so prominent in the school but in the community, it's a different story. He said some addictions, notably gambling and drugs, are prominent. On the other hand, he said alcohol addiction is less prominent, as education committees brought the numbers down.

"There are ones that are visible in the community that do take precedence over numerous family obligations that should be upheld," he said. "As for visibility, I'd say drug addictions and the gambling addictions are more prominent in our community than any other problem addictions."