DRUG CARDS TELL IT LIKE IT IS

Alcohol, marijuana, crack, prescription drugs, tobacco, and chemicals
that most adults have never even heard of, are easy to come by.

And according to government stats, more and more young people are
experimenting with them at an ever-earlier age. But local group
Freedom Quest is having a very positive response to its set of "drug
cards" that show just how badly drug-takers can get burned.

Tammy Verigin-Burk is the Executive Director of Freedom Quest
Regional Youth Services, a West Kootenay Boundary organisation
sponsored by Interior Health that serves local youth and families
affected by addiction issues. She says the cards were developed for
and by local youth and young adults, who feel it is important that
there is information available that is " balanced, and not pro-use,
but still with a harm reduction component.

"Other cards do exist but our youth suggested the need for cards that
would really make people think about whether they wanted to use the
drugs," says Tammy. "This initiative came from young people who have
used the drugs themselves. They wanted cards that reflect the reality
in the Kootenays. So we got a mini grant, and with the help of a
summer student they came up with a list of all the drugs that are
being used locally, and then we had them produce all of the art."

Evidently the cards hit the spot as they have been purchased by
organizations across this region and into Alberta. Stacey Lock,
Program Coordinator for Nelson District Youth Centre, says she, other
staff and the 16 peer volunteers that work at the centre use the
cards all the time. "We use them if staff need help describing the
different types of drugs and their affects. The art was done by a
local youth and they are a handy size. The wording is simple and
concise. They don't sugar-coat the issue. Being properly informed
helps people make safe choices and know what they are getting into."

The explicit drug cards explain what each drug is, how it is used,
the effects, addiction potential and the risks. They certainly don't
pull any punches; the 19 cards list death, suicide, depression and
brain damage among the risks that face drug users. They also offer
parents a sobering reminder of the world of experimentation that is
an inevitable part of the transition from child to adult.

Tammy does nothing to dispel parental anxiety "I believe there is an
escalation in drug use at the moment that we really need to be
concerned about. I believe that prescription drugs are the biggest
problem. It's really easy for youth to use these drugs without
detection in the beginning, and they are freely available and very
addictive. We are seeing more youth becoming more heavily addicted,
more quickly than we did in the past."

Fifteen-year-old Victoria Griko is a peer volunteer at the Nelson
Youth Centre. She agrees that the drug problem is "pretty bad" in the
Kootenays, and that the drug cards fill a vital need. "I don't think
they make people not take drugs, but it helps them to know what to do
if they do take them, and that's important. Taking drugs is often
part of a phase where young people need to experiment. The cards warn
you about the bad things that can happen, and they tell you what to
do to keep yourself as safe as possible."

Drug cards are available at local libraries, schools, youth centres
and other outreach organizations. There are Freedom Quest offices in
Nelson, Castlegar and Trail, with satellite locations in Nakusp,
Kaslo, Grand Forks and Salmo.