DRUG INFORMATION SESSION HELD

Police Urge Parents, Citizens To Get Involved

The amount of drugs on the streets in small towns like Placentia took
some parents and citizens gathered to listen to a presentation on Kids
and Drugs by surprise.

Sgt. William Dwyer from the Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness
Services (DOCAS) in St. John's was at the Placentia Lion's Club
Tuesday evening, Feb. 24, to provide information and to offer training
to parents on the topic of drugs.

Sgt. Dwyer provided a slideshow to the 10-12 parents and citizens
about the drugs that are available on the streets around the country
and the detrimental effects those drugs have had on those who've
become addicted. He talked about the seven groups of drugs available
that include cannabis, hallucinogens, narcotic analgesics, sedative
hypnotics, tranquilizers, stimulants and anabolic steroids.

Here in Placentia, according to Const. Josh Tower, some of those drugs
are available on the streets, including cannabis, cocaine, oxycontin
and ecstacy.

Sgt. Dwyer stated that drugs are behind 90 per cent of crime across
the country, a continually growing and changing problem. How to deal
with the issue was the focus of the information session.

RCMP would like to see their Kids and Drugs program get up and running
in this area and after the presentation, a sign-up sheet was available
for anyone interested to sign on to learn more about the program,
which can show parents how they can be more effective in communicating
with and preventing their school-aged children from using drugs.

"Parents are the biggest role models for children," said Sgt. Dwyer,
"which is why we want you to get involved."

The Kids and Drugs program offers parents training on how to talk to
kids about drugs, and goes hand in hand with other programs offered
that teaches children about drugs, like the DARE program offered in
schools and Lion's Quest, a community-based program.

For more information about the program, please contact Const. Josh
Tower at the Placentia Detachment of the RCMP at 227-2000.