SPEAKER WARNS STUDENTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SMOKING MARIJUANA

SURREY - Jerome Bouvier, who is paralyzed from the chest down as a
result of waterskiing while stoned at the age of 23, brought his
anti-drug message to Surrey this week.

"We're curious, aren't we?" Bouvier asked his audience of about 1,000
Grade 6 and 7 students at the Bell Performing Arts Centre Monday. "I
got curious."

He started smoking pot at age 14. "Pot has a lot of friends," he said,
listing cocaine, methamphetamine and acid. "I kept meeting all these
friends." By age 19, he said, he couldn't function without cocaine and
lost contact with his family.

Bouvier stressed to the students that they should listen to that
"little voice" inside that tries to keep them out of trouble.

Bouvier, who speaks with about 20,000 youths across North America each
year about the perils of drug abuse, was a special presenter at the
first of a series of forums on the subject this week sponsored by the
Surrey RCMP and the Surrey school district.

"I learned I shouldn't smoke and don't take drugs," said Elissa
Taylor, 11, after the speech.