American trainers have been in Bermuda this week to mark the end of the first part of a new course for those wanting to become addiction counsellors.

The programme, run by Focus Counselling Services and sponsored by the National Drug Commission, started in Bermuda in January and has 16 people who have each done 34 hours of addiction studies training.

Focus?s Basic Addiction Studies is based upon the curriculum developed by NET Training Institute of Florida.

Focus executive director Sandy Butterfield said it would help the charity, which is stretched on staffing and funding, have more of an impact.

?We can?t hire as many people as we want to so by training our grass roots people we can increase those who are touching the lives of people we want to make whole.?

She urged family members, business people and others affected by addiction to get involved.

The course takes five years to reach Masters level.

NET training institute president Dr. Jean LaCour said the institute has trained more than 1,000 students in 14 nations including Egypt, India, England, Spain and Sweden.

?It is time for grass roots people to be trained because the problem is so great.?

Very often those who had overcome their addiction went on to help others said Dr. LaCour.

She and NET Training Institute director Charles LaCour met with the National Drug Commission and Bermuda Addiction Certification Board, and staff and directors of Focus.

She said anyone who interacts with youth would benefit from the training while the course will also appeal to former addicts.

?Among the students you will find people who are well known by law enforcement and in prison. They had negative reputations, they were socially destructive.

?But on their personal recovery they emerge with a sense of purpose and one of the main principles of recovery is service to others.?

NET Institutes addiction and prevention curriculum meets international certification standards for several jurisdictions including Bermuda, Florida and Georgia.