ENSURING THAT KIDS KNOW THE RISKS

Program Tells Youths About Life'S Hazards

Grade 4 student Alyssa Bachus is huddled over a quiz with her
classmates.

A question asks, "Can binge drinking lead to problems such as car
crashes, poisoning, fights, unplanned pregnancies and various STDs?"

They answer yes.

"I learned that here. If someone that I know did that, I could tell
them that's not right to do," the Port Lambton student said in a busy
room packed with her peers from across Lambton County.

About 1,200 students in Grades 4 to 6 will stop at the Racing Against
Drugs program being held at the River City Centre this week.

The annual event, hosted by the RCMP and community organizations, is a
preventative safety fair meant to promote healthy lifestyle choices in
adolescence. Each booth tackles a different facet: drugs, drinking and
gambling along with the pitfalls of MSN chat, tattoos and piercings.

"Our aim is to really give the kids the correct information. We know
they're going to be asked to make decisions very soon," said RCMP Cpl.
Ray Valiquette.

Port Lambton student Brendan Johnston, 9, learned why it's not a good
idea to drink and drive. "You can get in accidents and you'll face the
consequences dying and not being able to walk," he said.

The underlying message of the fun day complete with mini car racing
and interactive sessions that let kids test out an emergency stretcher
bed is that it's OK to say no.

The Lambton Drug Awareness Action Committee was one of the main
organizers. "We're concerned about the drug use in the schools and the
peer pressure that's out there in the younger set," said chairperson
Art Speed.

Sarnia Police, Lambton OPP and Sarnia Fire Rescue had booths on hand.
Terry Easterby, a county health promotion officer who works in
substance abuse prevention, said alcohol is the number one drug
because it's accessible and socially acceptable. Alcohol, marijuana
and tobacco are the most commonly used drugs among students in Grades
7 to 12, according to the 2005 survey of Drug Use Among Ontario
Students by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

"The youth of today tend to make risky choices. They do things they
normally wouldn't do to find out who they are," Easterby said.

JoAnne Marshall, a Grade 5 teacher at St. Anne in Sarnia, looked on as
a funeral home rep gave a presentation about a boy who died after
using crack cocaine for the first time.

"I think we have a tendency to want to protect our children from the
issues. But I think it's best to inform them to help them make better
choices."