One by one they paraded on stage to tell their stories, of lives and families torn apart by addictions. And one by one, the stories shared a common theme of recovery and rebirth after facing almost certain death. .Only the faces and names were changed as they shared a podium with UCP leader Danielle Smith as she unveiled “fair, firm and compassionate” policies to stem the scourge of drugs and mental illness on Alberta families, communities and law enforcement.. Compassionate Intervention ActUCP leader Danielle Smith consoles a drug survivor at a press conference in Calgary. .There was 19 year-old Abi Plesa, who didn’t think she’d live to see her 16th birthday. There was parent Desera Pressey, who vividly recalled the desperation of not knowing when she opened her children’s bedroom doors in the morning if she would find them alive..There was former police officer Mike Ellis, who is also Minister of Public Safety, who had to deliver the heartbreaking news of their loved one’s deaths to parents like Pressey and witnessed first hand the damage deadly narcotics cause on city streets, specifically in East Hastings. But it could just as easily be in Calgary or Edmonton as well..And then there were the chiefs of the Kainai, Enoch, Siksika and Tsuut’ina First Nations who shared their own tales of desperation and communities ripped apart by crime. In fact, the Blood Reserve on April 19 declared a state of local emergency due to spiralling drug abuse..Marcel Weasel Head, speaking on behalf of Chief Roy Fox, praised Smith’s “forward thinking… we’re fully behind recovery rather than the harm reduction theme,” he said..Altogether, they shared a common thread of how addiction starts with individuals, enmeshes families and eventually trickles down to the streets in a cycle of homelessness, poverty and social disorder. .“At the age of 16 my family finally experienced enough pain and had the courage to step into my addiction and get a court order that placed me into detox before entering a long-term treatment program,” said Plesa..“My parents were scared for my life and I had no other choice. I had made multiple stops in the road and this final intervention saved my life.”.“No matter how dark it got, including a suicide attempt and multiple overdoses, my girls were still convinced that they were in control of their drug use and simply weren’t ready to stop yet. The disease of addiction had completely hijacked their minds. I felt absolutely desperate for a solution, and I knew that I had to intervene,” added Pressey. .It became so emotional, Smith at one point asked an aide for some Kleenex so she could pass out tissues..Smith outlined a three pronged approach that would increase the number of treatment beds in the province while promoting a “zero tolerance” approach to crime. The centrepiece is the Compassionate Intervention Act which would allow for a family member, doctor, psychologist, or police officer to make a petition to a specially appointed non-criminal judge to issue a treatment order. .The court would be able to divert an addict who is in imminent danger of causing harm to themselves or others to engage in treatment instead of jail, the UCP said in a release..In response to a Western Standard question, Smith said she’s confident such legislation would survive a constitutional challenge. Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees “life, liberty and personal security of all Canadians.”.Smith further criticized the NDP’s so-called harm reduction policies as a thinly disguised cover to “distribute and supply drugs to addicts” that in turn do nothing to lead them into true recovery. Instead, she said, the experience of cities like Vancouver shows that such policies only encourage drug abuse and in fact lead to higher levels of crime and even death..When the NDP was in power, she added, addicts were forced to pay $40 a day — out of pocket — for treatment services, a policy that was rescinded under the UCP government even as it moved to increase supports..As part of the push, Smith said she would also increase the number of police officers and petition Ottawa for tougher bail laws..“Albertan’s shouldn’t have to look over their shoulders when they walk in their communities,” she said. “This is about saving lives and keeping our communities safe. (Addicts) all deserve the chance to change their lives for the better.”
