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 are guidelines you can use to determine if you have an alcohol problem. 1. Determine how much you’re drinking Start by counting… Read more »
What made you ask for help. Tell us about that process. A counsellor at school told me about Portage. I was not ready to even think about a treatment at that time, but it was still in the back of my mind. One night, I realized I didn’t want to live this life of addiction…. Read more »
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 sharing in order to save lives and support people who are potentially at risk. Suicide impacts numerous people everywhere in the world, making it… Read more »
ʺ At the age of 15, I was placed under the care of the Director of Youth Protection (Direction de la protection de la jeunesse). I was keeping bad company and no longer going to school. My parents couldn’t take care of me anymore. I went to a youth centre and that’s where I heard… Read more »
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 they may seem slightly less harmful than tobacco, e-cigarettes are fraught with several known risks and hazards still poorly understood. The e-cigarette device heats a… Read more »
“My name is Luc Desjardins and I am 59 years old. I attended the Lac Écho Adult Program in 1990. That’s more than 30 years ago now! By the time I started the program, I had absolutely no self-esteem or self-confidence left. I had become antisocial and had a serious problem with authority. I just… Read more »
“I am honoured to be able to give back to such a wonderful and meaningful program like Portage, and that I have members of the Portage family that trust me to represent them by telling my story. This was something I couldn’t have imagined doing a few years ago but with the help of the… Read more »
ʺIt takes a long time for a parent to realize their child has a substance use problem. After all, maybe their child’s behaviour is just par for the course for a teenager? Maybe they’re just going through a bad phase? I had started noticing changes in my son’s behaviour. He had a new group of… Read more »
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 crisis. While Oregon has become the first American state to vote for the decriminalization of all drugs, other examples have put into question whether decriminalization… Read more »
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 and has now extended its adolescent program in Eastern Quebec to cater to young adults aged 18 to 21 as of March 2021. The New… Read more »
