MARCH ALL ABOUT LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE

PICTOU LANDING FIRST NATION - The people who marched Friday at Pictou
Landing First Nation's first Parents Against Drugs event didn't do it
to change the habits of longtime drug users. They didn't do it to
blame drug users or make them feel unwelcome.

It's all about awareness, said RCMP Const. Duma Bernard.

"We're not pointing any fingers," he said. "We don't judge. This is
about teaching a healthy way of life."

As a school resource officer in Cape Breton, he has a lot of kids come
to him and tell him they're using drugs.

"Not one of them is happy about it," he said.

Kids or parents who use drugs and want it to stop were welcome to
march.

"All they have to do is not want kids to do drugs," he said. "They
don't want kids to be involved. They don't want kids to be hurt."

Const. Bernard helped organize the province's first march of Parents
Against Drugs in Eskasoni First Nation last year, arising from
community anger about the effect of drugs on local young people. An
anniversary march was held last weekend, along with a similar event at
Wagmatcook, also in Cape Breton.

Now, Parents Against Drugs is moving to mainland Nova Scotia with the
support of RCMP and community leaders.

Drugs are not a big problem at Pictou Landing First Nation, but the
community wants to keep it that way, participants in the march said.

"It's a prevention walk," said addictions worker Fran Nicholas, as she
handed out T-shirts emblazoned with Parents Against Drugs. "This is
not about a problem."

Glancing around the school gym where the marchers assembled, she said,
"This is a very good turnout."

The organization's purpose may not be to point fingers, but there have
been 39 drug seizures at Eskasoni since the first march a year ago,
said Mi'kmaq legal support representative Barry Bernard. Parents
Against Drugs partnered with police and other agencies to create a
network of support for people willing to speak out about drugs, he
said. Dealers are noticed now, and reported, he said.

When the people of Eskasoni got angry, they joined together, which
gave them the strength of a group, Const. Bernard said.

Friday's walk concluded with presentations, a community supper and
children's dance.