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Alberta’s Rehabilitation Services Depleted

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alberta addiction resourcesAlberta has run into a problem of depleted substance abuse treatment resources. It is becoming widely known that the oil industry of Northern Alberta has spawned a culture of rampant substance abuse problems. Oil jobs are incredibly high paying, but demand the worker to live in harsh northern conditions, usually in a work camp. This attracts a largely male demographic who find themselves living with little to no entertainment or recreation after their grueling work week, causing them to turn to drugs and alcohol for amusement.

The sale of alcohol in Alberta is becoming privatized, making a vast selection of liquor available to oil workers. The drug trade follows wealth, and is highly prominent through out Alberta, with a large presence in and around the oil sands. Illegal substances are more than accessible; they are routinely offered to oil workers.

The Alberta oil sands is notoriously a den of substance abuse and addiction, so much so that its rehabilitation treatment facilities are having to turn people away, put them on waiting lists or drastically shorten their programs. Throughout Alberta, whether someone is looking for a Calgary rehab program or an Edmonton addiction treatment center, they will find few facilities taking new clients. With the worker’s population and the availablity of addictive substances increasing simultaneously, the situation is becoming dire.

Government funded rehabs are maxed out and support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are carrying a large part of the weight of Alberta’s addiction problems. However, they are only intended to be supplemental support and cannot offer the safe recovery environment that inpatient rehab offers. Because of this, most substance abuse problems do not receive the attention they need, or they go entirely untreated, putting many lives at risk. Addiction treatment facilities and rehabilitation programs across Canada want to help aid the addiction crisis in the oil sands of Alberta, and those who struggle with drug and alcohol substance abuse problems in the oil field are encouraged to reach out for help as soon as possible.

The Problem of Addiction in Canada’s Oil Industry

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oil sands addictionThere is no question of whether or not Canada’s oil and gas industry creates jobs. In 2012, it employed 550,000 direct and indirect employees, according to a study done by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

But the darker underside of this oil culture is the working conditions it creates. The oil “pits,” or work camps, are overwhelmingly male dominated, built in remote places that are prone to extreme conditions, require workers to be on site for weeks at a time away from their usual support systems and provide little to no entertainment or recreation. Oil jobs also happen to pay an incredible amount of money, making these the ideal conditions for substance abuse and addiction problems.

A large legal controversy involving drug-testing at major oil companies alerted the public to this problem in 2011. Companies like Suncor, Canada’s largest oil producer based in Northern Alberta outside Ft Mac, are fighting for the power to randomly drug-test their employees as often as they see fit, but civil rights advocates and unions call the testing an invasion of the worker’s privacy. Suncor has defended its position, citing three deaths and a multitude of security incidents that involved drugs or alcohol at its facility since 2000.

These legal battles in Ft Mac news are creating public awareness of matters long known by employees of the oil industry. Oil workers recovering from addiction describe the battle for sobriety in the oil pits as nearly impossible. The pressure of long shifts over consecutive weeks builds until scheduled time off, when workers go into town with pockets full of money to burn. There, they have access to a range of addictive substances – every kind of liquor and drug on the market.

The oil companies do currently have the right to drug test in some instances, but this creates a trend of workers turning from marijuana, which can take weeks to flush from the body, to harder, more addictive substances such as liquor, cocaine and methamphetamines, which only take days to flush from the body. It is not long before these substances are abused by workers, on and off the job. It is not uncommon for drugs or alcohol to be used on site, even by workers who are operating large machinery.

The oil sands of Alberta near Ft Mac are notorious for this addiction culture, as it is the largest oil and natural gas producing province in Canada. However, the oil industry is expanding into other provinces as well, and if there were ever a time for Canada to develop a plan to combat future addiction problems before they are nationwide, it is now.

If you or someone you know works in the oil industry and is battling addiction, it could be that professional addiction rehabilitation is necessary. Addiction treatment programs that cater to the needs of those working in the oil industry are available to help you defeat your substance abuse problem.

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