STUDENTS RAISE DRUG AND ALCOHOL AWARENESS

There are two new workers in the Vanderhoof and Fort St. James Fort
Drug and Alcohol society offices.

Sasha Striegler Iannone, from Vanderhoof, and Alicia MacDougall are
spending their summer away from their university studies working to
help spread awareness and to help prevent alcohol and drug abuse.

This is Sasha's second year working for Fort Drug and Alcohol. She
worked in the Vanderhoof Office last year, and this year she is
working one month here, one month in Vanderhoof, and then she will
spend two weeks working in Fraser Lake.

Alicia is working in the Fort St. James office, but she is available
to work in the other offices if she is needed.

"My mom was a prevention worker so I was raised in a house where
taking a stance on the issue was very important," Sasha said.
"Watching my friends and my peer group really motivated me to help
prevent any more of that (alcohol and drug abuse) from happening, (and
I want) to help to improve the circumstances of those who are already
in that lifestyle."

Alicia grew up in Fort St. James, and she saw the affects that drugs
and alcohol her friends and other youth members.

"I know drug and alcohol is a really bad thing in a small town and
this town has many issues," Alicia said. "I wanted to know how places
like this deal with those problems and every little bit helps."

Sasha wants to eventually become a music performer and composer, but
she would also like to teach music and teach English in other countries.

"I don't have the experience in this job it gives me insight into
where my potential students are coming from and giving me skills to be
able to identify kids who are at risk," Sasha said.

"It will give me an understanding of why they (people) act a certain
way," Alicia said. "It makes you more open minded."

"Last year I did a whole bunch or research with different kinds of
drugs," Sasha said. "(I learned) what they do, and how they are
produced. I tried to put together some events (as well)."

The pair are working on a campaign blitz, and are trying to raise
awareness of what kind of drugs are big issues in the communities that
they serve.

Alicia is doing research and putting up posters.

"I researched cocaine and they are informational posters," Alicia
said. "I tried to make the catchy, and Sasha tried to make them funny.
Hopefully people will look at them and learn."

A lot of people that the pair heard from have said that if they knew
that a certain drug that a user was taking was made out of, they never
would have started using it.

"It is difficult because the users in the community are treated
poorly," the pair shared. "They need the support. If you are taking a
drug because you feel crappy, if people reject you, you are going to
do more not less."

A person who feels like they belong and have a place in society and
has people who care about them they are not the ones who are going out
and doing drugs. It is the ones who are having a difficult life
because their parents are fighting, abused, etc, they said.

"We want to get out that there is other things to do in the
community," they said. "(There needs to be) activities to do besides
drugs."

A quote that the pair has heard states that kids aren't bored because
there is nothing to do, they are bored because they are doing nothing.