Serenity Ranch is located near Red Deer, Alta. (www.serenityranch.ca) An Edmonton MLA is supporting a recommendation that the government regulate and inspect private addiction treatment centres following the death of Taylor Argent.

NDP MLA Rachel Notley said the government should follow up quickly on the recommendations made last week by a judge overseeing the public inquiry into the death of the 17 year old at a privately-run treatment centre in 2007.

"Government needs to step in and start regulating and inspecting any kind of centre that purports to offer any kind of addictions treatment. For all intents and purposes this is medical treatment and it should be seen as that," said Notley, who represents Edmonton-Strathcona and is the social policy critic for the NDP.

She said the government should begin with a thorough review of all addiction treatment centres in Alberta.

'The government should very quickly act to get out there and review the centres that exist now.'— Rachel Notley, NDP MLA Edmonton-Strathcona

"I think that the first step should be that the government should very quickly act to get out there and review the centres that exist now, establish these standards and report them publicly and transparently," said Notley.

Argent was struggling with addictions when he checked into the Central Alberta Recovery Centre — now called Serenity Ranch — near Red Deer, Alta., in 2007.

He had previously completed a program, but he had a relapse and returned.

Two days later, Argent drank some antifreeze he found in a garage on the grounds.

The next morning, staff called for help when they realized something was seriously wrong, but it was too late by the time a doctor figured out what happened.

Inquiry report finds poor training, weak oversight

Provincial court Judge J. A. Hunter, who conducted the public inquiry, found that key staff members lacked any addictions training, and one one even doubled as a janitor.

He said there was no evidence that the government was overseeing the centre when Taylor was there. The centre is now accredited by an American-based company.

Hunter recommended that the provincial government should license all such facilities and inspect them on an ongoing basis.

Kim Argent, the boy's mother, hopes the Alberta government will start regulating the centres as soon as possible.

"I know in other provinces they have policies and procedures in place and that the government does have regulations to follow. We would like to see that happen in Alberta," said Argent.

The Alberta government has not said what action it will take on the inquiry's recommendations.