INTERVENTION, NOT SUSPENSION, FOR STUDENTS ON DRUGS

A new pilot project will use intervention instead of suspension to
deal with drugs at local schools.

Paul McNaughton, principal of CABE and district alternate programs,
said about a quarter of this year's 351 suspensions were due to drug
and alcohol incidents.

"Last year, there were 216 drug- and alcohol-related suspensions in
the school district. Two years ago, there were 153. It is a
significant problem that is happening at the schools," McNaughton
said at Tuesday's school board meeting.

"Suspensions do have fundamental flaws that most of us are probably
aware of -- lack of supervision for students when they are at home."

Once kids are back at school after a suspension, McNaughton said
there is usually no direct follow-up on the root problem.

"Off the side of their desks, people try to talk about drugs and talk
about programs, but there's no consistent response across the school
district in how to address those issues," he said.

As an alternative to school suspensions, a district-wide program
launched Tuesday to target "pre-contemplative" youth, or those who
don't think they have drug problems.

Through this program, students caught for drug infractions at schools
will be required to attend a full-day intervention session.

Every second Tuesday, a maximum of 12 students will follow a
group-based curriculum created by the SHARE Family & Community
Services Society.

With guidance from a school counsellor, an itinerant youth worker and
a SHARE facilitator, the group will focus on self-assessment and education.

In the afternoon, students can choose either to continue with
self-directed drug intervention activities or finish homework
assigned from their school.

Once the students complete the day-long program, a follow-up process
begins at their own schools.

McNaughton said the program isn't perfect, but he hopes to garner
enough feedback to create a more sustainable solution.

"I really want to emphasize that this is just giving us some data so
that we can move forward with something that's more permanent. We
need some kind of structured system and I think we need some kind of
targeted support," he said, adding that the program stemmed from a
Port Moody Secondary initiative developed last year in collaboration
with a former Port Moody police officer.

Assistant superintendent Julie Pearce showed support for the program,
since students who use drugs often drop out of the school system.

"What happens, I believe, before we've had any kind of an
intervention is that if a student continues with that kind of drug
use, you'll find they fade out of the system," Pearce said.

"They don't register the next year or second semester rolls around
and . they fade away. That's where we lose track of them."

McNaughton said he hopes kids will hear about the reputation of the
program and will want to participate.

"In terms of chronic users and where people go if they don't have
intervention, it's what's best for the kids. There's no doubt about
it," he said.

"If we could somehow do this, it's going to help our student
population as well."