General Information on Regina
Regina is the second most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan and its capital city. With a population of close to 195,000 residents, Regina is also the 18th largest metropolitan by population in Canada.
One of the many planned cities in Canada’s west, Regina is the commercial and cultural center for southern Saskatchewan. In recent years, Saskatchewan’s agricultural and mineral resources have been in high demand. There is also an abundance of parks and green spaces in the city, although Regina’s current beauty is entirely man-made.
Regina’s economy centers largely around oil, natural gas, and potash. Farming and agriculture, especially of wheat, also remains a significant contributor to the local economy, as well as the provincial government. Regina has a strong cultural and artistic environment, with much theatre, music, and dance companies.
Drug Addiction in Regina
Crime rates in the city are rather high, although it has experienced some declines over recent years. The most commonly abused substances in Saskatchewan remain alcohol and marijuana. The rate of alcohol addiction in the province is approximately four percent (or about 31,000 people over the age of 15), and the rate for alcohol abuse is approximately 8.5 percent (or 64,000 people over the age of 15), the highest in Canada. The rate of illicit drug addiction is approximately 0.8 percent, or 6,000 people over the age of 15, on par with the Canadian average.
To combat the growing drug addiction problem in the province, former Premier Lorne Calvert launched a $10 million, three-year initiative in 2005—“Project Hope”. The project established new programs and services across the province. In Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, initiatives included a 12-bed brief detox center, new prevention staff and resources, additional youth outpatient and outreach services with cross-trained addictions and mental health workers, and support for a drug treatment court.
As of October 1, 2006, 60 youths had received drug addiction services at the Regina interim unit, and Regina’s drug treatment court opened October 3 2006.
At Sobriety.ca Foundation, we keep up-to-date on all the latest drug addiction research so that we can offer the best drug addiction treatment programs possible. New research allows us a better understanding of alcoholism and drug addiction, resulting in better counseling, treatment, aftercare, and, ultimately, a more successful recovery process for you.
