The Yukon Party will establish new treatment facilities for individuals afflicted with substance abuse if re-elected, says party leader Dennis Fentie.

'We're going to get a lot more serious in Yukon with respects to dealing with those who are suffering with substance abuse, and to do that, we must provide adequate treatment to those individuals,' Fentie told a press conference Tuesday.

The initiative will be closely connected to the $2-million Substance Abuse Action Plan released last October.

The treatment facilities and programming will also provide an option to judges dealing with individuals going through the new multidisciplinary community court which will be directed at offenders who suffer from addictions, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and other mental health problems.

'This allows us in the justice system to defer people in a different direction instead of warehousing them up there at Whitehorse Correctional Centre, which is serving absolutely no purpose and contributing to the enormous recidivism that we have in this territory, about 80 per cent,' said Fentie.

However, the party leader was unable to provide details on the number of facilities, the type of treatment programs or the costs involved with the election promise.

'There's always money involved, but that will be determined in terms of the exact amounts based on programming and the types of facilities we will be putting in place.'

Most of the money would be connected to the programming costs, he said.

A Yukon Party government would work closely with non-governmental organizations and first nation governments to determine what the nature of the programs should be, said Fentie, stating they are already the front line workers on issues of substance abuse.

The planning and implementation, however, would be connected with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Justice department.

The Kwanlin Dun First Nation and Champagne-Aishihik First Nation already have facilities and programming on the ground that could provide an example for the rest of the facilities.

Land-based programming to allow first nations suffering from substance abuse to learn about their culture and history may prove to be a prominent choice, said Fentie.

The new facilities, however, would work in conjunction with the programming that Yukoners are already able to receive in the South.

'Ideally, you'd like to do this kind of thing in every community. Is that possible? Probably not.'

The territory does have the capacity to deliver this type of programming, said Fentie, but there would also likely be a need to attract professionals from Outside.

He added: 'Of course there's always challenges in establishing facilities in any community to ensure you can support and maintain those facilities.'

The plan is meant to be a step in the right direction for those in need of help, he said.

'The only way to do this successfully is to be persistent and to provide the necessary tools to people, who will ultimately have to make the positive decision themselves and that's how healing and treatment really begins.

'We are going to provide the tools so individuals can make that positive choice.'

Vicki Durrant, the Yukon Party candidate for McIntyre-Takhini, said parents and youth have been crying for these types of facilities for years.

'Now we're ready to deliver something like that,' said Durrant.

She agreed first nations must play a key role in developing the programming.

'The first nations have to play a big role in developing the treatment program ... we have to take into consideration what their needs are.'

Acting NDP Leader Steve Cardiff said much of Fentie's announcement was old news and focused on the work already done under the Substance Abuse Action Plan's framework of prevention, education, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement.

'The NDP established those four pillars while Fentie was still in denial there was a drug problem in Yukon's communities,' said Cardiff.

He said the NDP has led the way on addressing substance abuse in the Yukon. It has hosted many town hall meetings and has been acknowledged for playing a key role in the implementation of the Yukon's Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods legislation which is designed to help shut down drug houses.

'We feel kind of flattered almost that we've fought for this and now (the Yukon Party) is rolling it all out right at the start of the campaign,' said Cardiff. 'Vote NDP and get the real thing.'