DRUGS IN SCHOOLS

More Smoking Than Drinking

"As a blanket statement, I can tell you that there are drugs in every high
school."Drugs are present in every high school in Ottawa.

"As a blanket statement, I can tell you that there are drugs in every high
school," Sgt. Patricia Ferguson of the Ottawa Police Service told a crowd
of 50 who attended a public meeting about the policing concerns of
Stittsville residents at the Stittsville arena hall on Tuesday, June 16.
The meeting had been called by city of Ottawa Stittsville/Kanata West ward
councillor Shad Qadri.

But Sgt. Ferguson also revealed a couple of other surprising trends. One
is that more youth are using drugs than drinking alcohol.

"I think you'd be surprised that more kids are smoking drugs than using
alcohol," she said, explaining that youth opt for the drugs because they
are easier to get than alcohol and it is easier to conceal drugs than
alcohol. Younger kids start off with marijuana prior to any alcohol use,
she added.

The other recent trend is a growing lack of support from parents with
regard to marijuana and cannabis use by their children. Sgt. Ferguson said
that school officials and the police are frustrated because parents are
not seeing marijuana use as a serious offense.

"Parents don't see it as the same problem as 10 years ago," she said but
added that it should be since the marijuana is a stronger drug these days.

"It's not legal but there is nothing safe about it," Sgt. Ferguson said,
calling it a "gateway drug" to other drug use.

She urged parents to talk to their children about the dangers of drugs.
She said that signs that parents should watch for to indicate drug use by
their children include a child being lethargic, changing friends, showing
a lack of interest and asking for money.

Although she could not provide any figures, she said that there are
arrests for possession of marijuana.

"An arrest does not mean your problems are going to stop," she warned.