Ottawa: Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Rehabilitation and Recovery Information
Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Addiction in Ottawa
The city of Ottawa lies on the banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway that acts as a provincial boundary between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is Canada’s capital city. Like US capital city Washington, DC, Ottawa is the bureaucratic hub of the country. Yet alongside this bureaucratic setting lies a growing social problem – alcohol and drug addiction.
Steps away from the Parliament Buildings are people who are living on the streets, battling alcohol and drug addiction. In 2003, the Ottawa Paramedic Service responded to an average of four calls a day related to drug overdose. That same year, a third of all child welfare cases were attributed to caregivers who were addicted to drugs or alcohol and unable to care for their children.
Addiction is also taking its toll on Ottawa’s workforce. Business owners estimate that alcohol and drug addiction affects just under a third of its workforce and exerts a huge loss in profits and an increase in health-care expenses.
Drug Addiction, Alcohol Abuse, and Ottawa’s Youth
Drugs are also making its way into Ottawa schools. To deal with its drug addiction problem, in 2009 Ottawa’s four school boards announced the start of a drug counseling program wherein drug counselors provide counseling and training to teachers, parents, and students. This program has two desired effects: to reduce the number of students who abuse drugs and alcohol and to treat those who have addictions.
Approximately half of all students who currently use alcohol had their first drink before grade 7. Ottawa high school students primarily use cannabis; yet other drugs are making their way into school hallways, including hallucinogens (inhalants, LSD, PCP, or ecstasy), methamphetamines, cocaine, glues, crack cocaine, heroin, ice, and the non-medicinal use of stimulants, barbiturates, and tranquilizers.
Sobriety Home is a residential treatment center located near Montreal, Quebec and dedicated to those suffering from addiction to drugs and alcohol. The center aims to help addicts on their journey to sobriety. It tailors its support services to people’s unique needs and provides ongoing support upon completion of their residential program through their Aftercare program. For addicts, Sobriety Home is the first step on their road to recovery.
