Alberta government invests in addiction treatment for Calgary

The Alberta government is pledging more money to help those struggling with addiction in Calgary by adding more recovery spaces that are completely free to use.
Officials say the $1.8 million in funding will be used at Calgary's Oxford House, an addictions treatment organization that offers clients safe, clean and sober places to recover.
"This funding will create 240 additional recovery spaces annually, meaning that every year up to 240 Albertans can access these pre-treatment beds," the provincial government said in a release.
"Pre-treatment support is part of a comprehensive recovery-oriented system of care. These pre-treatment spaces are free for Albertans with no user fees, as is the case with all publicly funded detox, treatment and recovery spaces."
Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Nicholas Milliken said the spaces will help support Albertans at a "critical stage" of their recovery.
"This is another important step in building a comprehensive system of care that saves lives while supporting long-term recovery," he said.
The government also says the pre-treatment beds at Oxford House will address a gap in the system.
"Oxford House is a safe haven for people who are serious about recovery. By providing peer mentorship and access to vital recovery housing services in a supportive environment, we are helping more Albertans maintain their sobriety, continue their pursuit of recovery and take their lives back," said Oxford House's executive director Earl Thiessen in a statement.
The funding for the spaces has been provided by the medical detoxification and residential addiction treatment expansion grant, which is part of the Smith government's $140 million investment over the next four years.
According to government data, 1,346 Albertans died from drug overdoses between January and November 2022.
In 2021, 1,621 Albertans died from overdoses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2023 prioritizes pocketbook help and clean economy, deficit projected at $40.1B
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.

Freeland's green economy spending aimed at competing with U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says clean energy and green technology spending may not have been the big-ticket items of the 2023 federal budget if it weren’t for the need to compete with infrastructure spending in the United States.
Federal government capping excise tax on alcohol after outcry
The increase in excise duties on all alcoholic products is being temporarily capped at two per cent starting next month instead of a planned 6.3 per cent increase.
opinion | The gun control debate in America has been silenced
In the wake of another deadly mass shooting in America, that saw children as young as nine years old shot and killed, the gun control debate is going nowhere, writes CTV News political analyst Eric Ham.
Was Stonehenge a giant calendar? New research suggests maybe not
Stonehenge's purpose has long been a mystery, with some researchers proposing that it may have been an ancient solar calendar. But now, new analysis suggests the calendar theory is unsubstantiated.
Kids would rather learn from smart robots than less-smart humans: new study
A new study published by Canadian researchers suggests that kindergarten-age children would rather be taught by a competent robot than an incompetent human.
‘Using waste material makes sense’: Mysterious artist Junko turns trash into giant sculptures
A mysterious, Montreal-based street artist named Junko is generating buzz in Metro Vancouver with futuristic, bug-like sculptures made from old car parts, scrap metal and tossed out shoes.
New research finds subtle brain changes in pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s patients
A new peer-reviewed study from the Medical University of South Carolina report in Brain Connectivity has found individualized brain fingerprints which can help diagnose early Alzheimer's disease.
Hamilton family raising awareness about Strep A after sudden death of toddler
A Hamilton, Ont., family is hoping to raise awareness about Strep A after the tragic death of their two-year-old.