DRINKING AND DRUGS CAN BRING DEADLY RESULTS FOR TEENS: ACTIVIST

Former paramedic Norbert Georget held up a body bag in front of a
packed Quinte Secondary School gymnasium Tuesday and told students
he's not trying to spoil their fun.

"It's the last place I want to see you," he said near the end of his
75-minute Smart Youth Power Assembly touching on teenage drinking and
driving, substance abuse and peer pressure.

Georget told students he has used the body bag for a student who had
attended one of his presentations. The student was killed in a drunk
driving incident.

"Over 90 of my students ended up in a body bag," he said.

Georget also showed photographs of bodies lying in a morgue.

"I don't believe in scare tactics. This is facts," he said.

The Saskatoon paramedic quit his full-time job several years ago and
started his youth power assembly as a hobby.

It has turned into a full-time commitment and he speaks to thousands
of youth across North America.

He has already delivered his message to more than one million
students in 2,000 public schools throughout North America.

His presentations at Quinte and at St. Paul's Secondary School in
Trenton Tuesday morning were financially sponsored by QuintEssential
and Bayshore credit unions. It was his first visit to the Quinte area.

Using an array of graphic photographs taken at accident scenes
involving alcohol, videos and movie clips of drug users and chilling
tape recordings of accident crashes and discussions with parents of
victims, Georget tried to get his message across that it's OK not to
drink and it's OK not to do drugs.

Students listened intently to every word spoken by Georget as one
could almost hear a pin drop during the assembly.

Grade 12 student Andrew Lawrenson said he found the presentation
"very informative" and will try to spread the message to his friends.
He even purchased It's OK not to drink and It's OK not to do drugs
bumper stickers.

"It's not a good thing to drive under any kind of impairment and this
is only reinforcing that," he said.

Grade 10 student Angelina Christopher called the presentation
"awesome. It was like a reality check. It makes you think."

Georget told students they are not born losers or winners. They are
born choosers and it's their choice whether they get behind the wheel
after drinking or doing drugs or getting into a vehicle where the
driver has been drinking.

Georget said more people are killed by drunk drivers than die from
crime. Every five hours in Canada, someone dies in an alcohol-related
accident, he said. Eighteen per cent of car crashes involve impaired
drivers who took drugs, with pot being the drug of choice.

Georget said crystal meth is not only becoming more prevalent but
it's also the "worst drug" ever made.

"Three things will happen if you do drugs. You will go to jail, get
sick or die."

He urged students to "run away" if they're at a party and they see
someone using crystal meth.

"Who you hang around with will make or break you."

Georget told students if they're currently smoking or drinking "and
disrespecting your body," they may have already started down the path
to using crystal meth.

"If you take drugs laced with crystal meth, start digging your grave."

He pleaded with students to hand their keys to someone else if they
have been drinking, to fill out their organ donor cards "and kiss
your mom or dad."