DRUG-AWARENESS MEETINGS NEED SUPPORT

Is there really not very much willingness in the community to learn
more about potential drug-abuse problems?

Monday night's informational evening, hosted by Alberta Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Commission, drew only four interested people.

AADAC personnel, rather optimistically, said if such seminars help
only one person, they are worthwhile.

Certainly, that is true, as if even one of those four people in
attendance can spot a potential problem with their child before it is
too late, that is a big positive.

However, we here in Taber have to start taking this problem a lot more
seriously.

As one man mentioned at the information night, people here have died
because of drug abuse. Families have lost children due to drugs right
here in Taber.

We all know drugs are available within town limits. We all know drugs
are available on the streets, at house parties and even in our schools.

Simply put, we cannot just stick our heads in the sand and pretend
everything is OK.

It is not enough to just hope our children will never succumb to the
harmful impacts drugs can have.

It is not enough to let them go out into the world every day without a
little more knowledge, the kind of knowledge parents could pass on
after attending events such as Monday night's gathering.

Everyone has busy schedules. We all have people to see, places to go
and jobs to be done on time.

In today's world, it seems like there is always something tugging on
us for our precious time.

But in the end, what is more precious than our children?

We, as parents and community members in general, need to take in all
the information available to us in Taber's battle against drug abuse.

To be certain, drug-abuse issues have popped up in Taber. Even a small
town nestled down here in southern Alberta can have big-city drug concerns.

Maybe our drug issues are not as bad as they are in other Alberta
locations but let's face it - we all need to wake up.

Maybe Monday night would have represented just the wake-up call some
in this community may have needed. It is just too bad they were not
there to listen.

AADAC officials, the Taber Community Against Drugs group, the police
and other concerned citizens are desperately trying to get the message
out to Taberites.

It would not hurt if a few more of us took the time out to actually go
and listen.