Source: Sidney Morning Herlad

Drugs and murder: parents speak out

By ADAM HARVEY

Before Graeme and Chris Bernauer lost their adopted daughter to a
murderer, they lost her to heroin.

Rebecca Bernauer and her family went through hell while she got
clean, after four years of dependence on an array of substances:
marijuana, pills and finally heroin.

To try to save others from a similar experience, the Bernauers have
broken their public silence to speak in favour of the Life
Education Centre's new high school antidrug campaign.

It seems better thought out than the usual, simplistic, "just say
no" mantra," Mr Bernauer said. "This seems to be more about
teaching the skills to say no if they want to say no. That can be
awfully hard when you're pressured."

The Bernauers saw how difficult it was for Rebecca to stop using
drugs. At first she didn't want to, then she couldn't. She began
working as a prostitute to pay for her habit and in June, three
months after getting clean, the 18yearold was murdered. Rebecca's
naked body was found in a Darlinghurst laneway.

For the first time, the Life Education Centre is focusing on high
schools. Officers will provide information on tobacco, alcohol and
marijuana to try to dispel myths such as that dope is herbal and
safe, said the centre's director of research, Dr Terry Metherell.

Other myths are: most kids smoke tobacco or marijuana (only 7 per
cent of Year 8 students smoke or use, Dr Metherell said); it is
impossible to become addicted to marijuana (National Drug and
Alcohol Research Centre figures show 90 per cent of longterm users
are dependent); and it is safe to smoke dope occasionally (there is
no safe level of smoking any substance).

"Kids like Rebecca Bernauer had little or no drug education in
junior or secondary school," Dr Metherell said. "The values Rebecca
adopted were those of the group she took up with."