THREE MORE CHARGED IN SCHOOL DRUG BUST

Student tips lead to Adult's arrest. High school principals,
counselors agree trafficking and usage are growing problems

Two more adolescents and an adult were charged yesterday after a major
drug bust this week at two South Shore high schools.

The adult, who was charged with possession, was arrested after his
name was mentioned by several students as one of their drug suppliers,
said Pierre Chouinard, an agent with St. Jean sur Richelieu police.

In a separate incident, the man was charged more than a month ago with
drug trafficking, Chouinard said.

On Wednesday, police arrested 31 students from two schools - one in
Iberville and the other in St. Jean - for drug trafficking.

St Jean police said they believed the problem of student drug
trafficking is common in the province.

Yesterday, Montreal school principals acknowledged drugs are a problem
at all high schools.

They noted that marijuana, for example, isn't usually sold by students
on school grounds. Teenagers are more likely to get drugs outside
schools: from siblings or through dealers at parks or at metro
stations, they said.

"We saw it in the metro," said Gerald Morel, who retired as principal
of Ecole Secondaire St. Henri last year. "So we would accompany our
students to the metro after school. Our presence obviously shamed (the
dealers)."

In 2000, Montreal police busted 15 students on suspicion of selling
marijuana and LSD to their classmates at Ecole Secondaire Jeanne Mance
in the Plateau Mont Royal district.

A year later, eight students and two adults were arrested for drug
possession and trafficking at Macdonald high school in Ste. Anne de
Bellevue.

Montreal police said they have no statistics on where teens most
frequently buy drugs.

Community workers, who weren't as quick to rule out schools as
possible venues for drug dealing - said teens are also getting drugs
from older siblings and parents.

Apart from the availability of drugs, workers said they're more
concerned about the alarmingly young age of today's users.

Jo-Anne Cooney, a counselor at the Project Pride drop-in centre in
Notre Dame de Grace, said she's seen children as young as 11 seek help
for drug problems.

Barbara Victor, a director of school services at Jewish Family
Services, which runs drug-prevention programs in high schools, agreed.

"What we're seeing is an increase in younger people using drugs,"
Victor said. "They're very young and very immature."