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When the police take a drunk off the streets of
Whitehorse they don't have many choices as to what they
can do with him.

They can take him to the drunk tank to sleep it off,
Depending on the circumstance

or they can take him home.
the latter isn't always the best since it often causes
family difficulties.

Occasionally, the person will be so intoxicated the
police will take him to the hospital for treatment.

RCMP Superintendent Harry Nixon said the police
don't consider the drunk a criminal, but rather a social
problem.

"Those put in police cells require extra personnel
in addition to the officers assigned to the shift.'

Most of the police work in the city is- alcohol re-
lated. And a large percentage involves the chronic
drunk who usually gets picked up several times a week.
The processing of inebriates occurs at the expense of
other police duties, with no return on their investment
due to the shortage of rehabilitative services.

A year-long study by the RCMP in 1974 showed that
20 individuals accounted for more than half the drunk
arrests in Whitehorse.

Nixon said many police officers in Canada have long
recognized that the police station's drunk tank is —
simply one phase of the "revolving door syndrome" -
drinking, followed by arrest, jail or hospital, then a
return to drinking.

"We see: the practice of jailing the chronic drunken-

ness offender as expensive for society and often damag-
ing for the offender.

"The police realize that, at the very least, in-
carceration doesn't benefit ee offender or encourage
him to change his behaviour.'

Metro Toronto Police Inspector Jack Marks said in a
recent interview, "It's important to get these people
out of the jail and into an environment in which some of
them can be rehabilitated. And even those who aren 't
helped can at least be reated in a more humane way.

A better environment than jail for sobering up the
drunk and getting him on his way to rehabilitation will

goon be available in the Yukon.
_ The YTG is opening a detoxication centre in White-
horse this winter.

Bill Cline, YTG Alcohol and Drug Services supervi-

sor, feels that the new 10-bed facility will serve as a

oint for the chronic drinker.

«

New Detoxication Centre For Whitehorse

"Tt'll be a place where a person can recover from
the immediate effects of intoxication in a warm and
friendly non-punitive atmosphere.

"They won't be processed or put through a procedure.
They will simply be made comfortable and asked to believ
that in this eelesey BEROS PEST. the staff is willing to
help them." |

Cline said the person may not make a decision to
seek help the first time, but perhaps he will on his
following visits.

"The important thing is that the person will have
the opportunity of seeking help."

When an intoxicated person first enters the new
centre coffee and juice will be available, and he will
be given the opportunity to wash and, if necessary,
change into clean clothes. Following this, he will be
encouraged to rest in a quiet place, and when he is
ready he will be given wholesome meals.

Members of the staff will be on hand at all times
to talk to residents, gain their conficence and discuss
what a particular individual's most pressing problems
are and the best way to cope with them. This will form
the basis, in many cases, for making the choice of where
to refer the resident either before leaving or when he
leaves the centre.

Residents will spend considerable time talking with
one another. This kind of peer interaction is understood
to be reassuring. Apparently, it is encouraging for one
man with a drinking problem to see another take a first
step toward its solution, particularly after many years
of destructive drinking.

Help and friendship will be found through social
contact ranging from selfhelp groups such as Alcoholics
Anonymous to treatment centres such as Crossroads. Both
these groups will work closely with the staff of the new
centre.

Cline said not every person who enters a detoxica-
tion centre is willing to accept a referral. Nor do
those who do accept a referral always follow through on
it. Not everyone who follows through is helped in a
permanent way.

However, he said, enough people are being helped to
make detoxication centres a sufficiently worthwhile
alternative to skid row and jail that provincial
governments all across the country are establishing
centres.

tartin:

GRAS tags Eins

Wed. Oct. 1 1:15 p.m. "Conrack" (c) starring Jon Voight

Fri. Oct. 3 1:15 p.m. "Where the Red Fern Grows" (c)
7:00 p.m. starring James Whitemore

Sun. Oct. 5 8:00 p.m. "Scream Blacula Scream" (c)
starring William Marshall

Mon. Oct. 6 1:15 p.m. "Scream Blacula Scream" (c) star-.

ring William Marshall

Wed. Oct. 8 1:15 p.m.-"'The Executioner" (c) starring
7:30 p.m. George Peppard

Fri. Oct. 10 1:00 p.m. "Day of the Jackal" (c) starring
7:00 p.m. Edward Porter

Sun. Oct. 12 8:00 p.m. "Not Now Darling" (c) starring
' Leslie Phillips

Mon. Oct. 13 1:15 p.m. "Not Now Darling" (c) starring
- Leslie Phillips

Wed. Oct. 15 1:15 p.m. "Black Christmas" (c) starring
7:30 p.m. Margo Kidder. RESTRICTED

Fri. Oct. 17 1:15 p.m. "Poseiden Adventure" (c) starring
7:00 p.m.- Gene Hackmen

Sun. Oct. 19 8:00 p.m. "High Plains Drifter" (c) starring

Clint Eastwood. RESTRICTED

Mon. Oct. 20 1:15 p.m. “High Plains Drifter" (c) starring

Clint Eastwood. RESTRICTED

Wed. Oct. 22
-m. Glenn Saxson

1:15

7:30
Fri, Oct. 24 1:15 "Charlottes Web" (c) ANIMATED

7:00

9:00

.m. "Django Shoots First" (cJ atarrane

Sun. Oct. 26 8:00 p.m. "Laughing Policemen" (c) starring
Walter Mathau :

Mon. Oct. 27 1:15 p.m. "Laughing Policemen" (c) starring
Walter Mathau

Wed. Oct. 29 1:15 p.m. "Harrad Summer" (c) aERPEEOe
7:30 p.m. Laurie Walters

Fri. Oct. 31 1:15 p.m. "White Dawn" (c) ertine Warren
7:00 p.m. Oates

Caiides ) Meaning

~ CHILDRENS MATINEE MOVIES wILt BE A AGAIN OVER THE
WINTER MONTHS WITH THE SHOWS STARTING AT 10:00 A.M,
ADMISSION cHARGES WILL BE ADULTS - $1,25 - STUDENTS anp
CHILDREN INCLUDING PRE-SCHOOLER 25 CENTS, THIS WILL BE
oN SATURDAYS oNLY. IN FUTURE THE SECOND MOVIE ON FRIDAY
EVENING — ADULT TICKETS WILL ONLY BE SOLD,

IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IF ALL SOFTBALL UNIFORMS

INCLUDING HATS BE RETURNED TO THE REC. HALL,

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Cassiar Taku Group.

Phone 778-/276
BOX 12