POSITIVE PEERS TAKING SHOW ON THE ROAD

SYDNEY MINES - Positive Peers, a group of energetic 11-year-olds, is
taking its show on the road.

Breanna MacDonald, Jaimie Keeping, Meaghan Fortune and Hannah Swan,
Grade 6 students at Jubilee Elementary in Sydney Mines, wrote and
performed a play on the dangers of drugs as part of their class's
health studies course.

Their teacher, Laura Jean Howley, had her students break off into
groups, choose their own topics and decide on a presentation style.

"These four students decided to take their project a step further,"
Howley said. "They did a lot of research and created a drama about
OxyContin, peer pressure and what can happen to people who use the drug."

When Const. Hank Lamond of the Cape Breton Regional Police North
Division saw the performance, he booked the group to present their
play to students in other elementary schools on the Northside.

"It was amazing to watch how these youngsters included so much in
their presentation," Lamond said. "They touched on so many of the
problems associated with drug use and brought it all together with a
fitting conclusion in a way that younger students can understand."

All four girls, who are best friends, agreed that the most immediate
concern for them as students was to discourage their friends from
trying OxyContin or any other drugs.

"We've heard a lot about OxyContin from the news," said Hannah Swan.
"We got a lot of information from books and from the Internet. We
learned about the different kinds of drugs, what they look like and
how much they can cost."

All agreed that the scariest thing about drug use is lack of control
and what drugs can do to a person's body.

"You never really know what's in them," said Breanna MacDonald. "It
can make people do things they don't normally do."

Jaimie Keeping added that kids don't know that they could die from
taking drugs.

"Even if they only do it once, they could die."

For Meaghan Fortune, the big thing was kids not knowing how much
taking drugs can hurt them.

"Kids want to be accepted and this could mean doing something you
don't want to so you can have friends, but they aren't real friends."

The quartet is looking forward to taking the play to other schools.

In discussing health issues, their teacher said the students talked
openly about peer pressure and the fear of being labelled a loser
because they wouldn't be pressured into taking drugs.

"We discussed a wide range of topics related to the medicinal use of
drugs, illegal use, cost. Also, steroid use and body size and weight
and how that can effect a person who decides to take drugs," she said.

"We had open discussions and it was the students who picked the
topics. They are really keen to learn and be aware of the harm caused
by the illegal use of drugs and the importance of a healthy lifestyle."