National Addiction Awareness Week runs from Nov. 19-25, and the Tlicho Government has a packed schedule of events planned for its communities.

One of the highlights in Behchoko will be a youth-led addictions workshop, which will give its young participants the chance to lead the conversation.

SA国际影视传媒淵oung people bring that creativity and they have potential that they can offer to the community,SA国际影视传媒� said Bipin P. Dhakal, director and lead counsellor at the Tlicho Friendship Centre, where the workshop will take place. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 why we decided to bring these youth together and see what they have to say about addiction and substance abuse, and how it impacts them, their family and the community.SA国际影视传媒�

The workshop will run from Nov. 21-23, with local child and youth counsellors Annagretha Kambarami, Ebube Ojukwu and Onyx Walker on site to provide support and supplementary information.

By the time registration ended on Nov. 14, all 20 spots had been filled, making this the biggest iteration of the workshop since the pandemic.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have already gotten overwhelming support and participation from the youth,SA国际影视传媒� Dhakal said.

Participants will be between 11 and 24 years old. According to Dhakal, some of them are SA国际影视传媒渁lready on their sobriety journeySA国际影视传媒� and eager to SA国际影视传媒渢ell their stories.SA国际影视传媒�

Together, the participants will spend three days learning about addictions, stigma and support.

They will also divide themselves into three groups, based on their interests and skills, to create a poster, a short video and a skit to promote addictions awareness. They will present their handiwork to the community on Nov. 24.

SA国际影视传媒淭he idea here is to give that self-confidence to the youth that we can do something for ourselves, we can do something for our peers, we can offer something to our community in the area of addiction awareness, and we can be part of the solution,SA国际影视传媒� Dhakal said. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 the empowerment and engagement weSA国际影视传媒檙e looking for.SA国际影视传媒�

Dhakal, who has lived in Behchoko for 10 years and been with the Friendship Centre since 2020, contends that itSA国际影视传媒檚 important to take an aggressive approach to tackling addiction in communities like Behchoko.

SA国际影视传媒淚f you look at Indigenous communities, with colonialism and all the trauma, it is very important that we address this issue in a more intense way, like what weSA国际影视传媒檙e doing in remote communities like Behchoko,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

He added that this is particularly true considering that young people in small communities spend significant amounts of time on the internet, where they can be exposed to misinformation about addictions.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou would think itSA国际影视传媒檚 more common down south, in urban areas, but thatSA国际影视传媒檚 not the case,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚n small communities where they have internet access, they are more engaged in these internet-based activities. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e getting some misinformation through that.SA国际影视传媒�

Dhakal is optimistic BehchokoSA国际影视传媒檚 youth-led addiction workshop will have a positive effect in the community, and he hopes to keep young people engaged with similar programming in the near future.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e hoping this is just the beginning,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淥ur dream is to have a youth group within the community and that theySA国际影视传媒檒l continue to engage in these kinds of activities.SA国际影视传媒�

He also noted that any young people with questions about addictions can approach their school counsellors, as well as those working with the Tlicho Community Services Agency, and at the Tlicho Friendship Centre. There are also online and phone-based counselling available.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have resources and help available in the community,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檙e not alone in this journey. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e here to support you.

SA国际影视传媒淩each out for help if you need it. The change agent for your healing journey is yourself. If you want to change that cycle, for you and for your family, youSA国际影视传媒檙e the person who can do that. You have that potential.SA国际影视传媒�