STORE HELPS FIGHT WAR ON DRUGS

A&P in Timmins is helping to fill the void in drug abuse education
program funding left when the federal government stopped it in 1993.

On Wednesday the Timmins store and all A&P stores in the province began
donating profits from the sale of THE MAGAZINE not for adults to the
Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police for drug abuse program funding.

The monthly magazine for seven-14 year olds is very popular, with 50,000
paid subscribers across Canada, and reaches about 60 per cent of its
target group.

Its an upbeat exploration of teen and pre-teen issues through music,
movies, television, trends and fashions.

A&P and subsidiary Dominion and Ultra Food and Drug stores in 35
communities will sell the magazine at 1,600 check-out counters, which
make more than two million transactions per week.

The program has drawn rave reviews from representatives of Timmins
Police Service.

We cant commend the A&P enough for their partnership with the Ontario
Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), said Timmins Chief of Police
Denis Lavoie.

Besides destroying lives, drug abuse is a major concern for the large
number of thefts committed to support drug habits, said Sgt. Martin
Wallingford of community policing.

The OACP has been struggling financially to support programs.

Since the federal government pulled out of drug abuse programs, we've
been hard pressed to keep them going, said Superintendent Ron Taverner,
chair of the OACP drug abuse committee. We hope this is the first of
many partnerships we can enter into.