TEENS SAY CRACK EASY TO GET

Crack isn't just used daily at local high schools, it's readily available
to anyone who wants it, say local students.

A Grade 11 student at M.E. LaZerte high school in north Edmonton insisted
if he asked the right people he could find the drug at or near his school
in "five minutes."

"You know who the people are (dealing)," said the student, who didn't want
his name used and insisted he just says no to crack. "Crack's been around
for a long time. (School is) where you mostly get offered."

The student and two friends said they know students who smoke crack
habitually. They added that the drug is usually supplied by students or
dealers outside the school.

The boys backed up a conclusion of Dr. Louis Pagliaro, an associate
director of the University of Alberta's substance abusology research unit,
who told The Sunday Sun it would be hard to find an Edmonton high school
where crack wasn't being used every day.

Similarly, a group of 14-year-old Grade 9 girls from J.J. Bowlen Catholic
junior high, 6110 144 Ave., said they also have access to crack. One girl
admitted trying it once after buying it from a girl at a neighbouring
school. "It makes you tired," she said, adding of her friends, "We've all
tried it. They just don't want to admit it."

One of the girls said she could get crack at school within a "couple of
minutes (because dealers) usually have it on them."

Another said, "In every school you have (student) dealers." However,
Edmonton deputy police chief Colin Vann was shocked to learn the number of
high school kids who admitted to using crack during random Sun interviews
yesterday.

"I'm surprised at the reporter's finding," he said. "I was talking to the
superintendent in charge of our school resource officers and there's been
no information passed to him to support an increase of crack use at the
high school level."

Twin Grade 12 students at Archbishop O'Leary high school, 8760 132 Ave.,
said crack use at city schools was news to them. "I've never seen any and
never heard about anybody talking about it," said Cathy Pucci, 17.

Her sister Elena was insulted to be painted with the same brush as crack
users just because she's in high school. "It's making us look bad," she
said. "It's saying 'if you're in high school you're a crackhead.' "

Meanwhile, about one-third of city schools now receive a program from city
police officers called Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and kids will be
less likely to use drugs when funding comes through to offer the
sixth-grade program to more students, said DARE education coordinator Wayne
Newbert. "We're very aware of the reality some kids are experimenting by
Grade 6. (But) we never write them off as too late."

Justice Minister Dave Hancock called on parents, teachers and students to
take action in getting drugs out of schools. "Fix the broken windows. If we
want to own the community we have to take responsibility for the community.
You can't put a policeman on every corner."

Hancock encouraged students to call confidential Crime Stoppers lines to
inform police of ongoing drug activity. "Students should know that if
people are doing things that are illegal, if they're doing drugs in schools
it's detracting in their ability to be the best they can be.

"It's not something somebody else has to take care of."