TRANSFORMATION PARENTS NEEDED IN FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

Drugs are an enduring threat that gets more ominous with the passage
of time. Newer, cheaper, more potent and deadly than ever, illicit
drugs can hook a user, literally, from the very first taste.

Marilyn Erickson, a recovered substance user, is all-too-familiar
with the grip of drug addiction. Having managed to break free of her
dependency she remains an outspoken crusader against the abuse of
drugs, especially meth.

Erickson will speak during a Crystal Meth Workshop to be held on
March 17. The event is being organized and hosted by the Sooke Family
Resource Society and will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at 105-2145 Townsend Rd.

Erickson's bio indicates she is a co-founder and recent executive of
Crystal Meth BC and its successful community meth task force. She
focuses on helping others understand, cope with, and recover from the
abuse of stimulants.

The bio describes how she speaks with passion and compassion about
the young lives she sees touched by meth, the neurology of the drug
and the hope for successful outcomes in treatment. Erickson has
recently been honoured as the Community Leader of the Year in Victoria.

Parents need to know as much as they can in order to deal with the
threat meth poses to their children. They are invited to the workshop
called "Crystal Meth - Empowering Our Children." A strong knowledge
base and a practical approach to building resiliency in young
children will give parents preventative strategies to help young ones
resist the lure of substance abuse in the adolescent years.

Marilyn Erickson was in Sooke last Friday and spoke with the Sooke
News Mirror in advance of the March 17 workshop. She said the
influence of drugs is everywhere, daytime transit use, for example.
"I rode the bus out here," she said. "A group of kids got on after
school. It's the same wherever I go, whatever city I'm in. Somethings
don't change... kid's experiment. I guess the difference now is that
they're open about it.

"'You're partying this weekend, who are you partying with... what are
you going to do?' 'I'm going to try E (ecstasy) this weekend' it's
one of the top drugs kids are using now. Crack cocaine is back in schools."

Personal issues helped to set the stage for Erickson's own
introduction to drugs, something she had never been involved with
until she was 40 years old. The cycle would last until about seven
years ago when she managed to shed the yoke of dependancy.

Her points are succinct, her story is gripping, and her presentation
is a must for anyone even remotely affected by drugs and/or those who
may be using them. Above all... parents and other family members of
kids facing the temptation to give drugs a try.