TEN-YEAR-OLDS TO GET DRUG QUIZ

A Health Canada survey that asks students as young as 10 years of age about
their knowledge of cigarettes, alcohol and a number of illegal drugs has
been approved by Coquitlam school board.

The confidential survey is part of a national study to provide information
on smoking behaviour of students in Grades 5 to 9 and also collects data on
student's drug and alcohol usuage. Results will be compared to data
collected eight years ago.

Statistics Canada will supervise data collection and will require parental
permission for children to participate.

Most of the questions pertain to cigarettes and alcohol, with a view to
determining if, how and why children smoke or drink, and how behaviours
have changed since1994. The latter part of the survey questions childrens'
knowledge of inhaling or 'huffing' substances such as glue and gasoline and
of illegal drugs including ecstasy and heroin.

Two trustees voted against it. In the meeting Port Moody trustee Keith
Watkins said Stats Canada should be charged for access to students. "It
would be nice to receive some indemnity for the time it will take. We might
want to ask for compensation." He suggested a contribution to scholarships.
Coquitlam trustee Barb Hobson said she had concerns about the names of
drugs in a survey aimed at children. "I don't even understand [some of the
terms] and I wouldn't let my children take the survey at this grade level."

Melissa Hyndes, chair of District Parent Advisory Council, concurs. "I do
agree that 10 years is far too young. But am I naive? I don't know -- but
to give that particular survey, the way it is written, is not appropriate
for 10-year-olds.

"Some parents would be very upset if they saw the survey and that their
children were being asked to answer those types of questions." Although
children are influenced at younger and younger ages to use illegal drugs,
Hyndes said that parents aren't necessarily in denial if they think their
10-year-old is ignorant of some of the words in the survey. The school
district's anti-drug inoculations don't begin until Grades 6 and 7, she said.

"Let them have one last year of innocence, please," Hyndes said.