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A Three to Six Month Rehabilitation Program Tailored to Youths’ Needs
Portage has been tailoring its addiction rehabilitation programs to the specific needs of young people and their families for many years now. Its residential centres offer variable-length therapy programs that...
The Cost of Substance Use in Canada: A Very Real Impact
A recently published report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) states ʺIn 2020, we estimate substance use (SU) cost people in Canada more than $49 billion...
Why asking for help doesn’t make you a bad parent
Illicit drug use among youth can stem from various factors including social pressure, curiosity, anxiety, depression or a desire to experience strong sensations. Despite these common motivations for drug use,...
How to Tell if You Have an Alcohol Problem in 4 Steps
The health risks linked to excessive alcohol use are well-known and have been the focus of numerous awareness campaigns. But it's not always easy to assess your alcohol consumption. Below...
Suicide Prevention Week 2023
The 33rd annual Suicide Prevention Week will take place from February 5th to 11th. Held under the theme ʺPrevention is Better than Deathʺ, the campaign seeks to promote dialogue and...
Vaping and Wax Pens: New Ways of Consuming Among Young People
They are practical, odorless, less expensive, easy to get and more discreet. Electronic cigarettes have become ubiquitous in Canadian society and among young people in just a few years. Though...
The Decriminalization of Drugs: Are All Drug Users Guilty?
Are all drug users criminals? The debate came up once again in Canada following a request by several public health researchers and police forces dealing with the current devastating opioid...
Addiction Services: Have 18 to 21-Year-Olds Emerged From Their Adolescence?
Recent questions about caring for young adults battling drug and alcohol addiction are changing mindsets about where these young people belong in social and health services. Portage considered this matter...
Mental Health and Addiction: Access Services in Dire Straits
There is a strong connection between addiction and mental health disorders and the two are often mutually sustaining. People with this dual diagnosis often have to contend with a lack...
Seven Ways to Start Talking About Drugs With a Youth
It’s not easy for parents to start a conversation about drugs with their children. But youths become vulnerable targets as soon as they set foot in school, where they quickly...
Substance Abuse and Mental Illness: A Dual Diagnosis
May 2020: Mental Health Awareness Month In honor of mental health awareness month which has now come to a close, Portage is shedding some light on a common form of...
Why alcohol isn’t the answer for coping with COVID-19
As quarantine continues to establish itself as the new normal, the majority of us are experiencing unfamiliar concepts. Boredom, free time, and unfamiliar anxiety, to name a few. With all...
How to take care of your mental health during COVID19
Quarantine is mentally and emotionally challenging, that's for sure. Given the current state of the world, staying home is the new normal. For some, it can bring up feelings of...
7 Signs That You May Have a Drug or Alcohol Problem
How do you know if your drug and/or alcohol use is considered excessive? Acknowledging that you may have an issue with addiction and seeking help can be very difficult. Here...
Portage Art Workshops
For many years now, Portage has made art workshops available to the residents of its rehabilitation centres. The workshops promote creative freedom in a non-judgmental environment. I recently met with...
Edible Cannabis : “Second Wave” of Cannabis Legalization to Take Effect in the Fall
Edible cannabis products (such as candies and cookies) will be authorized for sale starting in October. This “second wave” of cannabis legalization raises concerns surrounding the appeal and dangers of...
E-Cigarettes: marketing and addiction?
In an interview with the TVA Nouvelles news channel on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, fourteen-year old Elizabeth explained how she became addicted to nicotine through vaping, at one point consuming...
Tailoring services to transgender youth: the fight against exclusion and substance use
The Portage drug rehabilitation centre in Cassidy Lake, New-Brunswick has been adapting its services to the needs of transgender youth since 2016. Discrimination and social exclusion often lead transgender youth...