DRUG AGENCY ENLISTS YOUTH TO SPREAD MESSAGE

Can an agency that sprang from temperance roots in the early 1950s be
relevant today, when crystal meth use is on the rise and dealers peddle
their drugs to children?

The answer is yes, according to Karen Freeborn of the Alcohol and Drug
Education Service, which is encouraging teens to spread the word that drug
abuse can destroy young lives.

"What I'm getting from young people is that if an adult tells them to stay
away from drugs, they just roll their eyes. But if they hear it from teens,
they are more likely to listen," said Freeborn, the program and marketing
co-ordinator.

To that end, Freeborn is enlisting young people to help produce a website
promoting education and prevention, and to put on a show about the dangers
of drug use. Youth advisory committee members had their first meeting this
month and attended a drug and alcohol forum in Mission. The group will
continue to meet monthly, studying the problem of drug abuse and working on
the website as well as other projects.

The idea, Freeborn said, is to encourage young people to make good
decisions about their lives, and providing them with information is a key step.

"It's peers teaching peers," she said.

A group of young actors who Freeborn teaches through her Moonstone Theatre
Company is also involved in getting the message out. The group, called Now
That We Have Your Attention, has produced a series of monologues called
Hooked, which they perform at schools and will premiere locally June 3 at 7
p.m. at Port Coquitlam's Leigh Square.

Since it started in 1952 preaching abstinence to men and women, the Alcohol
and Drug Education Service has grown to become one of the province's key
agencies for delivering drug and alcohol education information to families.
On its website (www.ades.bc.ca) are fact sheets and information on
prevention workshops for educators and parents.

Headed by executive director Judi Lalonde, the agency recently moved to
203-2550 Shaughnessy St. On June 13, it will celebrate its 54th anniversary
with an open house and annual general meeting at Leigh Square and the new
office. To get involved, email info@ades.bc.ca.