COALITION FINDING NEW WAYS TO COMBAT DRUGS

The Whitecourt Community Drug Coalition Is Emerging With a New Sense
of Purpose and Community Support.

The Whitecourt Community Drug Coalition is emerging with a new sense
of purpose and community support. This fall, the coalition will be
looking at the current issues surrounding drug and alcohol abuse in
Whitecourt and implementing new solutions to help combat this serious
community challenge.

Some of the core issues the coalition will focus on include drugs in
schools, vandalism, theft related to drug use, under-age drinking and
the production of drugs such as marijuana and crystal meth in
Whitecourt, Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC)
counselor and coalition member Michael Quick said. These issues were
originally brought up at a coalition community meeting that was held
on May 10.

"Throughout the next year, the coalition will be working with schools
and industry on a variety of awareness campaigns," Quick explained.
"We're going to highlight the impact substance abuse has had on the
community as a whole, and educate students, teachers, parents,
employers and employees about their role in making Whitecourt a
healthier and safer community."

The group, composed of members from the Whitecourt RCMP, AADAC, Town
of Whitecourt and Aspen Health, is focusing on developing a sense of
both community and belonging and using these areas as the first step
to changing the impact that substance abuse has on the town as a
whole. The slogan, Invest in Your Community sums up the message the
coalition is trying to get across: "Whitecourt belongs to all of us.
It is our home and our community and therefore it is the
responsibility of everyone to improve Whitecourt by working toward
solutions for the problems of drug and alcohol abuse."

The first step toward this goal is a back to school barbecue, which
is being held on September 9 at the Wal-Mart parking lot between 11
a.m. and 3 p.m.

"It's for people to get a chance to learn about the coalition, how
they can get involved and just really put the coalition out there,"
Quick said. "We're not just a group of people who meet in a room and
discuss possible solutions. We are community members. We do want
other community members to be involved and come to a solution together."

Another community meeting will be held sometime in the next few
months to discuss problems and solutions relating to drug and alcohol
abuse.