MIDDLE SCHOOL JOINS NATIONAL ANTI-DRUG PROJECT

Keeping Kids Safe

Stephenville parents and caregivers who to learn more about
preventing their school age children from using drugs or alcohol are
about to get some important help.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are partnering with Community in
Schools to introduce Kids and Drugs - a Parents Guide to Prevention,
at Stephenville Middle School.

"We want to give parents the tools and the abilities to understand
their children; to know what they're talking about; how to talk to
their children and also to know what drugs are available what drugs
are out there and how to deal with those problems," says RCMP Cpl.
Kimball Vardy.

He says the school is one of six across the country to take part in
this pilot project.

"Basically, it's for kids ages eight to 15, so the Middle School fit
right in there," says Cpl. Vardy. "That's the reason why it was
chosen for here - it was the target group."

Along with Cpl. Vardy, the five weekly workshops will be facilitated
by local parents Gerri Davison, Corrine Tulk and Wanda Wilson.

Ms. Davison says it's important for parents to talk to their children
about the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol at an early age.

"Once they get to 12 or 13, that's when these things start
happening," she says. "It's usually around this age they start trying
to have a cigarette, so the younger the better to educate them about
what's out there."

Cpl. Vardy adds children frequently emulate their caregivers, so
helping caregivers be positive role models for their children is
imperative in preventing children from getting involved with drugs.

He says parents also need to understand how the make-up of drugs has
changed over the years. He notes levels of TCH [delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol],
the active ingredient in marijuana, are stronger today than they
were two decades ago.

"It's not like years ago when it was probably six or seven per cent
TCH content," he says. "Now we're talking upwards of 20 per cent of
TCH in marijuana. Plus you've got all the pharmaceutical drugs now
and all the meth and different types of drugs available."

Comfortable atmosphere

Ms. Tulk says while the workshops are taking place at the school,
parents should not expect to sit still and just listen.

"It's going to be a lot of information coming at them, at the same
time we want it to be fun," she says. "It's not going to be a
classroom setting, we're going to make it as informal as we can make
it."

She notes parents will also have the opportunity to ask questions and
share their experiences with one another.

"When they come to this, we're hoping they're going to sit back and
go, 'hey, I'm not alone in this,'" says Ms. Tulk. "But another person
here is having the same problem and then people get talking, and you
have a ripple effect."

Kids and Drugs was developed by the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Commission and the RCMP. Ms. Tulk notes she, along with Ms. Davison
and Ms. Wilson, travelled to Alberta to receive their facilitator
training.

The workshops start this evening at Stephenville Middle School. Ms.
Tulk notes if somebody misses the first session, they are welcome to
come along to next week's workshop.

Communication is key

The faciliators of the Kids and Drugs - a Parents Guide to Prevention
program say open communication is key to helping children steer clear
of drugs and alcohol.

Here are a few tips for parents and caregivers to create an
environment of open communication with their children:

Spend time with children, whether it's at home or away;

Find the right time to talk, and be available when children want to
talk;

Get to know your children's activities and interests, along with
their friends and their friends' parents;

Be prepared and stay calm when difficult topics like drugs or alcohol
come up.

When starting a conversation with your children, it is helpful
to:

Try to avoid lecturing;

Keep a relaxed attitude;

Encourage your children to ask questions and to say what they
think;

Make an effort to understand your children's point of
view;

Do not expect to agree on everything;

Develop active listening skills;

Be as objective and succinct as possible when explaining facts about
drugs.

Source: Kids and Drugs, parent's booklet