The closure of drug rehab centre Fair Havens will condemn women to prison while men get the chance to says use the Drug Court programme says Opposition Women's Affairs spokeswoman Kim Young.

Many people were deeply disappointed to hear Bermuda's only residential drug rehabilitation centre for women was closing its doors to new admissions said Mrs. Young, but Government had been silent on the issue.

She said: "We might as well admit that for drug addicted women Alternatives to Incarceration will not be an option if there is no residential care facility available to them.

"Continuing care and after care for drug addicts is an important component to drug treatment and should be made available in combination with acute treatment.

"The concern right now must be for those women who will not be able to avail themselves of the opportunity to "kick" their habits and will be imprisoned for crimes they commit due to their addictions.

"Men will have options and women will not! I haven't heard any comment from the Ministers in this regard.

"The Drug Court concept is a great concept but it won't work if the support systems needed are not in place!

"Is Government going to offer to pay for women to go overseas for treatment to go along with the mandate of the drug court programmes?"

National Drugs Commission Chairman Malcolm Butterfield and Acting CEO Dr. Don Philip have failed to return calls to The Royal Gazette to answer questions.

The NDC, which is a Government quango, funds Fair Havens along with charity the Council Partners Charitable Trust (CPCT) to the tune of around $600,000 a year.

Both were caught out by the closure with Mr. Butterfield and CPCT both saying they did not know about Fair Havens closing the night before the announcement.

CPCT Chairman Gordon Johnson said he wanted to know what options there were for women now Fair Havens wasn't available.

However outgoing Executive Director Anne Vance said there was a possibility residential treatment could continue there.

She said: "There are a lot of negotiations going on with different parties. It could stay as a recovery home under another agency."

She said the Island needed a shelter for women suffering from chemical dependency, mental problems or homelessness.

Mrs. Young said: "The National Drug Commission and other organisations involved in drug treatment and education should be providing a strategy to get the word out that it is possible to quit and it is possible to quit in Bermuda!

"The cost of treatment abroad is very high and many will be denied this option due to limited funds.

Mrs. Young, a former Fair Havens board member, said: "Fair Havens itself says it has had `un-heralded successes' and we should be publicising that fact so others who are addicted will make the choice to quit by enrolling in this programme."

Low occupancy levels forced the Fair Havens board's decision to close down its long term residential treatment programme with no new admissions since July.

The recently expanded and revamped facilities will be used instead as a recovery home and shelter for addicts who have undergone treatment at other facilities.

Mrs. Young said Fair Havens' strict non-smoking policy led to some clients being booted out for sneaking a cigarette.

"Most of those involved in drugs know each other and the word would spread quickly about this which could account for some downturn in numbers.

"This non-smoking policy goes with their treatment programme at Fair Havens but other programmes for addictions like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous allow cigarette smoking, believing it is hard enough to give up the illicit drugs first. The cigarette smoking addiction could be dealt with at a later date.

"The many volunteers, corporate and private sponsors of Fair Havens must be disappointed having given funds to this particular residential treatment programme.

"Fairhavens had a lot of support from the community and this change in focus although still a necessity, must be disheartening."