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"My counsellors gave me ... confidence and the tools to guide myself into the life I had before addiction." Noel. Noel, left, with Judge Bentley, from Drug Treatment Court |
His
street name -- and drug alter ego -- was "Spanky."Noel first
tried marijuana when he was seven years old. A singer, he began performing
professionally at 11. In the music world, drug use was commonplace. By
his mid-20s, he was hooked on crack.
His
career sputtered. His marriage fell apart. Finally, in 1998, while in
jail for being under the influence, he says, "I decided I'd had enough.
I couldn't take it any more."
Fellow
inmates told him about the Drug Treatment Court (DTC).
The
first of its kind in Canada, Toronto's DTC is an alternative to incarceration.
It provides strictly monitored court-supervised treatment for heroin,
cocaine and crack addiction for non-violent offenders.
DTC
aims to reduce addiction and high criminal recidivism rates for its clients
and help them face related social and medical problems in their lives.
The
Centre delivers the treatment, which includes individual and group counselling,
from the initial intensive phase of care through to relapse prevention
and after-care. Clients "graduate" when they're drug-free, and
have achieved stability in areas such as housing and employment.
In
September 2000, Noel became one of DTC's first graduates. Today, he says,
"I've been clean and sober for two years. I've got a good job. I
can buy things for my daughter."
When
the Centre asked him to mentor others, he says, "I said 'yes.' My
counsellors gave me esteem and confidence and the tools to guide myself
into the life I had before addiction. If my being clean can do that for
others, I want to make a difference."
And
Spanky? "He was always inside me. But now," Noel says with pride,
"he's gone."
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For general information on addiction and mental health:
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