LOCAL LEGION WANTS KIDS TO SAY NO TO DRUGS

In partnership with Community Safety Net, the Courtenay Branch of the
Royal Canadian Legion has produced a booklet that will teach Grade 5
students about drug safety.

The 144-page booklet, Drug Safety: Smart Choices for Life, was distributed
this week to the Valley's schools by the Comox Valley RCMP.

"What we're going to do is distribute it to the Grade 5 level as a
resource for students to take home," said Const Pierre Vezina, Comox
Valley RCMP spokesperson. "[The book is to] initiate conversation
about things like drugs and substance abuse and other topics."

The book has been a community effort with over 120 partners
contributing time and money to the cause.

The Valley has programs like D.A.R.E. (drug abuse resistance
education) for students from K-3 and Grade 6 and there are programs
for middle school-aged kids as well as the Party School Program for
older students but Grade 5 is an age group that has been missed, said
Vezina.

"Grade 5 was sort of that age group where we didn't have something in
the community already in place for them," he said. "Kids have to hear
it over and over again before it becomes true."

Included in the handbook, that also provides advice for parents, is a
video and interactive DVD game as well as the chance to win prizes
that include a new computer.

Copies of the handbook are also available at the Courtenay Legion on
Cliffe Avenue.