Drug abusers to have court monitored treatment program

Nova Scotia is launching a court-monitored drug treatment pilot program.

The program, which will be revealednext week, hopes to keep drug users out of jail and save tax money.

Ontario and somewestern provinces have already implemented drug treatment courts to help users with rehabilitation and reduce crime.

Amy Graves brother died after overdosing on drugs at a party a couple of years ago.

Ever since Graves has been fighting to change how we deal with drug abuse in Nova Scotia.

She saidthe initiative depends on essential infrastructure in order for people to seek treatment.

You can order everybody to seek addictions treatment or counselling but if the resources are not there that direction isn't much good, she said.

Judge Elizabeth Johnson sits on Edmonton`s drug treatment court, one of the first in the country.

According to their website, the program includes recognized drug treatment court concepts, the concept of problem-solving courts, and restorative justice.

She saidtheir program does more than just dump an offender in rehab and check up on them.

So the program looks at the whole person not just the addiction piece although the addiction piece is the most important aspect at least initially, she said.

Greg Purvis, the Director at Addiction and Mental Health Services in Pictou Countysaidthere is no difference if the abuser is forced or volunteers to go into the program.

The Nova Scotia government plans to reveal its court monitored treatment program next week.