STRAIGHT TALK FROM PUPPETS KEEPS KIDS ALERT

Students Hear Troupe's Message About Drug And Alcohol Abuse, And Aids

Watching a 4-foot-tall puppet talk about his former alcohol and drug
problem might seem strange to some.

But the students at Rosedale Heights Public School were hooked.

``Puppets are a wonderful way to get information across to children in a
way that is non-threatening and even fun,'' says Joyce Attis, one of the
puppeteers staging the show.

Attis is executive director of Concerned Kids, a charitable troupe that
stages shows to help children cope with some of our culture's most
troubling social issues.

Since its inception almost 10 years ago, the group has reached more than
203,000 students in Greater Toronto schools with a message about drug and
alcohol use and abuse, and HIV/AIDS.

At a recent show at the Thornhill school, the Grade 4 to 6 students were
captivated by the story of Eric, a 14-year-old who stopped using alcohol
and drugs after a near tragedy.

As the puppet related his story, you could hear a pin drop - though there
were almost 200 students sitting in close quarters on the gymnasium floor.

Eric, the blond puppet, told a story about how he and his friend Paul used
to do a lot of ``partying.'' One day, they had a party when his parents
were away. At the party, some kids started a contest to see who could drink
the most shots of liquor in a row. One boy became comatose. Paramedics were
called and the boy almost died of alcohol poisoning, the puppet says.

That gave out a ``strong message,'' says Grade 6 student Fern Opatowski,
11. ``You have to know not to just do what your friends want you to do. It
is what's in your heart that you have to follow.''

Adam Cilevitz, also in Grade 6, says the show had a big impact on the
students.

``It is important to know where kids can get help,'' he says.

Attis says the reaction of these students is typical.

``It is amazing the way they identify with the puppets. We had one group
with a Grade 8 kid who was really funny.''

The student was nonplussed by the idea of going to what he considered a
juvenile puppet show, she says.

``But then at the part when the kids can ask questions, he raised his hand,
asked a question and then slapped himself and said: `Oh, no, I can't
believe I just talked to a puppet.' ''

While most express the same positive reaction to the shows, some students'
questions are heartbreaking.

Once, a girl raised her hand and asked a puppet about HIV. Then she asked
if she could get AIDS if her father had sex with her.

Children have also asked whether a parent's weekend drinking was a sign of
trouble or how they could get their mom to stop smoking.

The troupe members deal with the questions as tactfully as they can. If
there is any concern about a student, school officials always follow up.

``We try to tell them that it is not their job to solve a grownup's
problem,'' Attis says.

All 30 members of the troupe are volunteers, working with a small grant
from the Toronto public health department's drug abuse prevention program.

The puppeteers go through an eight-week training course to learn how to use
the puppets and present the program. They do about 11 shows a week,
covering such topics as drug awareness, poison control and streetproofing
for kids from kindergarten to Grade 3.

The show about alcohol and drug use and abuse is aimed at Grades 4 to 6,
while the one on HIV/AIDS is aimed at Grades 5 to 9.

The troupe sends out material to teachers for use in the classroom before
the show and there is a follow-up program once it's over.

The puppets are worth about $1,500 and are handmade by a group called Kids
On The Block in the United States. They wear real children's shoes and
clothing to make it easier for kids to identify with them.