'HEART-TO-HEART' WILL TACKLE DRUG ISSUE

It's being billed as a heart-to-heart talk with parents about what
their kids are saying about drugs.

The Comite d'action des citoyens en securite publique (CACSP) and the
Securete du Quebec are co-hosting an informal information session at
the St. Lazare Community Centre on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

"The goal is simple," says CACSP moderator Gilles Boudreau. "Our
objective is to try to sensitize parents on what is being told to
their kids in schools by the SQ, Liberte de choisir and other groups
- - and what those groups are hearing back from the kids."

The aim of the evening is to provide parents with news they can use,
Boudreau added. Everyone will leave the meeting with an information
sheet listing the organizations and the contacts already available to
schools.

"Nobody going should feel they're being singled out by attending.
This is an opportunity to become more educated, to be provided with
more tools," Boudreau continued.

"Somebody said to me 'my kid is only five, does it concern me?' It
concerns every parent, because five years from now, that kid is going
to be 10. Why wait until there's a crisis?"

Talking points will include suggestions on how parents can broach the
topic of drugs with their kids or detect problems early, Boudreau said.

"We'll be discussing how parents should attune themselves to what's
going on in their childrens' lives, how to talk more as a family.
Kids are under pressure, but they're not going to come home and say
'here's what happened to me today.' We have to get back to the basics."

The symposium was one of CACSP's goals when it was founded, Boudreau
said. He can be reached at (514) 781-5201.