PARENTS LEARN 'THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS'

Parents need to present their children with clear choices and
consequences when it comes to drug use--either don't do drugs, or get
out of the house.

Dare to Care spokesman and public speaker Dwayne Peace was back in
Fairview last week to talk to parents about drugs and about how
conscientious parenting techniques can lead to drug-free kids. The
Fairview Drug Awareness Coalition sponsored Peace's return and he
took the opportunity to speak to parents on Wednesday evening and FHS
students on Thursday morning and afternoon.

Peace is a retired Calgary police officer with 25 years on the force.
He was also a resource officer in several Calgary schools after his
retirement, both of which helped him develop the skills and knowledge
to talk to parents and kids about some of the biggest challenges
facing today's youth, including drugs.

Peace delivered what was essentially the same presentation to the
youth and adults over the two days, but the adults experienced the
full, uncensored presentation on Wednesday night which included
common signs of drug-use in kids, common methods of how kids hide
their drug-use and tips on how to present choices and consequences to youth.

About 26 people attended the session, many of which were drug
coalition members.

"Unfortunately," said Peace, "the parents that really need to be here
tonight, aren't here."

He laid out some of his core beliefs that are the basis of his presentation.

"Parents are not aware of youth activities, because if they were
aware, incidences would be drastically reduced," he said, noting that
many parents try to be their child's friend rather than a parent, and
are not willing to accept that their children can in fact do wrong.

"It's time to take the Superman cape off," he said.

"I believe that if you give kids a choice to choose from, they will
choose, but if you tell them what they're supposed to do, they will
rebel," said Peace, emphasizing that consequences for the wrong
choices need to be connected to actions and must have an educational
component "that will assist in lifelong intelligent decision making."

Peace also went into brief overviews of several common drugs that
kids can be exposed to everyday. He talked about marijuana,
methamphetamines, ecstasy and GHB (date-rape drug, roofies) among others.

Today's marijuana is not like the drug of the 60s and 70s, Peace told
the parents. The active ingredient in modern marijuana is far more
concentrated because of hydroponic growing methods, he said.

There is also a greater risk of today's marijuana being laced with other drugs.

Peace also talked about the addictive properties of methamphetamines
and commented on just how dangerous the substance is, showing clips
of users and images of the scars left by so-called 'meth-bugs'.

Parents also viewed a video which starred several U.S. high school
students who were shown the consequences of their actions through
simulated real-life situations. The first girl was found to have
drugs in her possession and was charged and jailed for it. Another
girl was raped at a party after taking unknown substances. One of the
boys was pronounced dead after taking ecstasy and several other drugs
at a party, and another was put into a long-term coma.

The video went on to follow another group of drug-using teens through
a morgue, as they were shown real organs from people who had died as
a result of inhaling solvents. The teens in the video were apparently
rattled as were several people in the audience as they watched. The
local high school students were showed the same video the next day.

Peace wrapped the presentation up by taking comments and questions
from the parents, and also heard from FHS principal Aaron Lloyd who
spoke of Peace in the highest regard.

Lloyd told the parents not to be under any illusions because many of
the topics breached by Peace were actually realities in Fairview,
whether it's drugs, teen pregnancy or recreational alcoholism, and
many of these instances could be rectified if parents stopped
enabling their children.

Peace encouraged the parents to share what they had learned that
night with other parents and to bring five others the next time he
came back to Fairview.

Those Fairview parents will not have to wait that long for a drug
education though as FCSS will be holding an information session March
18 on how to drug-proof your kids at the Audit and Safety Building
across from the Fairplex at 7 pm.