Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment
20/20 Parenting. Recognizing and mitigating early vulnerabilities and risk factors.
Kerry’s Journal
Reflections, Experiences, Shared Vision
July 11, 2007
Good news! I attended a meeting yesterday with Mark Warawa, MP, Langley, BC, his assistant, Tanya, and Gina, a concerned Langley mom who has been working valiantly for several years to bring about some much needed change to our conflicting laws.
Past meetings resulted in agreement to bring various government agents together, in a round table, to review and address the laws around parental/child rights and responsibilities and where they conflict and impair adequate health care for children and youths. However, actually accomplishing this has been elusive, until, hopefully, now.
Gina and I were very encouraged with the outcome of our meeting given Mark Warawa’s positive responses and willingness to involve himself further – possible attendance at an upcoming meeting with Rich Coleman, MLA, Langley Township, and contacting other government stakeholders.
One suggestion he made to us was to gather the troops of parents and professionals who support this initiative. Here’s how you can be part of it:
- Read about the laws we’re wanting reviewed, how they affect families, the change Alberta has made (and it’s high success rate), and the proposal on the table... pdf of Gina's paper
- Write to me about how you, your loved ones, and/or the youths you work with have been affected by these laws and what you would like to see changed.
- Parents: consider participating in the round table as a parent representing others in your situation: parents of a child with past or current mental health and/or addiction challenges, parents who’ve lost a child to drugs and alcohol, parents who care for a youth/adult child disabled by drugs and alcohol, parents who’ve succeeded in helping their child in recovery…
- Professionals: consider participating in the round table as a professional representing your field and how these laws affect your effectiveness on the job (counselors, health care, law enforcement…)
We are also very encouraged by the success of Alberta’s new Parents with Children Addicted to Drugs law*. Hopefully, a similar law can soon be instated in BC and other provinces.
Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease…you need to speak up!
With great hope for a happier future for all,
Kerry Jackson
* Download Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) June 29, 2007 press release on their 2007 - News Releases page.
