BOOK TO HELP TROUBLED YOUTH

A new drug and alcohol educational package by Alouette Addictions
Services should hit high schools in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows by
Christmas.

The program, part of an initiative aimed at prevention and assessment,
is to benefit youth and their parents and includes a new
self-assessment book by Alouette youth prevention officer Robb McGirr.

"The most important thing is -- we're not able to make contact with
every young person who may be involved with drugs and alcohol," he
said.

Teens can pick up the book at schools, at Alouette, or their parents
can grab a copy.

"They can take a look at themselves and ask some key questions."

The book took about seven months from start to finish, said Alouette's
executive director, Ron Lawrance.

"This whole package will be used as an educational package for anybody
working with youth in the community," he said.

The package includes the new self-assessment
book, Thru Your Own Eyes ... in Your Own Time;
Teen Drug Trends: A Parent's Guide in
Understanding and Responding to Teen Drug Use
(also by McGirr); Alouette's documentary Rewind
and a facilitators' guide, written by Maureen
Mason, social responsibility facilitator for the local school district.

"It really helps them begin to have a framework for a dialogue around
drug and alcohol use," Lawrance said.

McGirr, a former police officer, has worked closely with addicted
youth for years. As for his book, "if they get some value from it ...
we can get in contact with these kids."

It's designed as an early intervention tool, for kids who are just
beginning to experiment or are just beginning to notice the ill
effects of their drug habits.

"When I was writing it, we went through several drafts," he
said.

Some of the youth Alouette deal with were integral in helping him
tailor it to their understanding and language.

The book, along with the parents' guide, is currently available at
Alouette Addictions and should be in all high schools by the end of
the week.

The full package should be available early in the New Year, McGirr
said. Mason's facilitators guide goes along with Rewind to allow
teachers to conduct discussions on their own. "All of these things
were designed to make them less dependent on having the staff at
Alouette present, so we can reach a wider audience," McGirr said.