Sault addictions worker calls for emotional management education for young people

Call for fundamental change in education Addictions worker in the Sault says young people need to be taught to how to deal with emotional pain before they turn to drugs.

The head of a Sault Ste. Marie recovery centre is calling for changes from both upper levels of government.

Randy St. John, who's with the Ken Brown Recovery Home, sent a letter calling on politicians from across the country to introduce lessons on emotional management at an earlier age, in hopes that kids won’t fall to drugs to cope with hardships.

"We're an 18-bed facility and we have a second phase that has eight beds. we are constantly full," St. John said.

"We generally have a waitlist between 20 and 30 people."

After 42 years working in addictions and recovery, he has an idea to help reduce the amount of people that need his services.

In a letter to several federal and provincial politicians, St. John says the key lies in a fundamental shift in education to teach emotions and coping strategies to young people.

"Almost every addict I ever met looks at stuff and says, 'Yeah, I, fear insecurity, loneliness, shame, guilt. I got all those,' but they never, ever knew how to deal with them," he said.

"Once they took their drug, whatever it was -- whatever that thing was – (it) took away that emotional pain. Why wouldn't they keep using it?"

Sault MP Terry Sheehan responded to our inquiry about the letter, saying St. John's idea is worth exploring.

"Although the education curriculum and health care are the jurisdiction of the Ford government, I can tell you that as a two-term school board trustee that I think the idea ought to be explored,” Sheehan said.

St. John said there’s never been more people with addictions issues than now -- and action needs to come immediately.

"I'm absolutely convinced that the more education these people would have (received) when they were very small, the less chance that they would have ever ended up here," he said.

In voicing his concerns to politicians across the country, St. John hopes that a change in philosophy will be considered.

While he would like to see emotions-based curriculum for youth, he said he ultimately wants government funding to focus more on prevention, rather than reaction, when it comes to mental health and addictions.