EDUCATION CRUCIAL ASPECT OF PREVENTING DRUG ABUSE

This is the third of four Saturday editions in which the News Bulletin
is taking a look at Nanaimo's drug and addiction problems. We'll
examine what the city's drug situation is, what resources exist, what
police are doing and what more the community needs.

Nanaimo's programs to help those addicted to drugs are important, but
equally crucial are the programs aimed at preventing drug abuse before
it starts.

"The bang for your buck truly is with educating our kids," said Cpl.
Dave Cusson, with the RCMP's Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Service.

This year, Nanaimo RCMP have partnered with Nanaimo school district to
plan out a coordinated approach to drug awareness education in schools.

"Last year, we kind of did our own thing in the schools and it really
wasn't coordinated," said Cusson. "There's more messaging going out.
We're looking at a K to 12 approach."

Nanaimo auxiliary constables will do some basic social responsibility
education for children from kindergarten to Grade 4, teaching them
basic safety concepts such as not getting into cars with strangers.
Then in Grade 5, Nanaimo RCMP officers will deliver the 10-week DARE
(Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.

"We used to deliver it in Grade 6," said Cusson. "But we're finding we
really want to meet with the kids before they're exposed to drugs,
alcohol and tobacco. We want to get to the kids before they have an
opportunity to experiment."

Cusson said students are taught the basics about drugs, alcohol and
tobacco and their effects, advertising strategies to get them to
consume products, and wise decision-making skills.

After each lesson, students are sent home with a corresponding
exercise package that parents can discuss with their children.

"It's about the relationship between police, home and schools," said
Cusson. "DARE 5 is kind of our cornerstone prevention program."

Officers go back to students in Grade 8 with some more in-depth
information about drugs like crystal meth and ecstasy. Then in Grade
10, students take a trip to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for the
PARTY program, where they are taught about the consequences of risky
behaviour by nurses, paramedics, physicians, rehabilitation
specialists, police officers and injury survivors. Graphic details are
not spared.

Finally, Nanaimo RCMP finish off their anti-drug education with the
DRIVE program for high school students, which starts off with the
re-enactment of a crash scene, including actors in makeup and real
emergency personnel and vehicles.

"One program alone can't make all the difference," said Cusson. "We're
always looking at ways to build assets in kids."

He said from a police perspective, enforcement and prevention are both
necessary tools in order to create healthy, law-abiding citizens.

"We just give them the facts, so they get the truth from somewhere,"
said Cusson.