Health and Community Services
December 8, 2016

Addressing Addiction in Our Communities

New Legislation Will Help Ensure Treatment for Young People with Addiction

The Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services, today announced new legislation that will allow young people who severely and persistently abuse drugs to receive treatment when they lack the capacity for informed consent. Bill 55, An Act Respecting Secure Withdrawal Management for Young Persons, allows for the apprehension, detainment, assessment, stabilization and treatment of young people who meet the criteria outlined in legislation.

“This legislation will ensure the most high-risk and vulnerable young people receive treatment for their addiction even when they cannot make that decision for themselves. Once the acute effects of drug abuse have eased, these young people can then make informed decisions about their treatment. Through the act, guidelines, policies and regulations are being implemented that ensure young people go through this process in the least restrictive and intrusive way possible.”
- The Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services

An Act Respecting Secure Withdrawal Management for Young Persons provides parents of children with drug addiction an avenue to ensure their child receives care. The goal of the legislation is to ensure those young people who are most at-risk of harming themselves or others, will go through withdrawal in a secure facility. Once withdrawal has occurred, they will be in a better place to discuss their treatment options.

“To say we are happy to see this new legislation being introduced and moving forward is an understatement. Many years of advocacy and much hard work has gone into making this legislation a reality. This is a war we’re waging against an insidious enemy, and we’ve seen too many casualties to sit back and let the heartbreak continue. This legislation will provide hope for families who are deeply affected by devastating and deadly drug addictions.”
- Ruby Hoskins, Past President of Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of School Councils and founder of the Stand Against Drugs Committee

The act comes after consultation with stakeholders including the Regional Health Authorities, community groups, and young people and their families who have experience with addictions.

QUICK FACTS

• New legislation will provide for the care and supervision of young people with drug addiction so that they can withdraw from the effects drugs in a secure environment.
• An Act Respecting Secure Withdrawal Management for Young Persons will ensure young people receive treatment even when they may be unwilling to make that decision for themselves.
• The act allows for the apprehension, detainment, assessment, stabilization and treatment of young people who meet the stringent criteria.

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Media contact:

Emily Timmins Media Relations Manager Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-6986, 709-693-1292 emilytimmins@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER
Details of An Act Respecting Secure Withdrawal Management for Young Persons

Under An Act Respecting Secure Withdrawal Management for Young Persons, parents, physicians, social workers and other health care professionals may make application to an admissions committee for secure withdrawal management. The committee, consisting of managers of both youth residential treatment centres and social workers, based on all of the information provided, including information provided by health care professionals, will make a determination as to whether a young person meets the criteria for admission to a secure unit.

The criteria as set out in section 6 of the Act are:

• The young person is abusing one or more drugs severely and persistently, and as a result, is likely to deteriorate substantially either physically or psychologically;
• The young person is likely to cause harm to himself or herself or others if he or she is not detained for secure withdrawal management;
• A period of secure withdrawal management is likely to reduce the risk of the young person causing harm to himself or herself or to another person or of the young person suffering substantial physical or psychological deterioration;
• The young person is in need of a period of secure withdrawal management to facilitate his or her supervised withdrawal from drugs;
• The young person is unable to fully appreciate the nature and consequences of his or her drug addiction or to make an informed decision respecting the cessation of drug abuse and the need for treatment related to the withdrawal from drugs;
• Other available interventions are inadequate in the circumstances; and,
• The order is in the best interests of the young person.

2016 12 08                              11:40 a.m.