PARENTS TALK DRUGS

A former police officer will be giving parents a shot of reality,
during an alcohol and drug seminar next week.

Dwayne Peace, who served on Calgary's police force for 25 years, will
share the latest in tricks, trends and trips local teenagers could be
exposed to.

"I have seen a lot of great kids make bad choices because they
weren't aware of the consequences," he said. "I'm hoping that, armed
with knowledge, parents can help their children make the right decision."

Salvia is the latest drug fad teenagers across North America are
latching onto and the hallucinogen is entirely legal, he said.

Teens can brush off the drug because it's legal and all natural -
some even post their trips on the video-sharing network, YouTube.

"What some kids don't know is you can get a really nasty trip from
it. The kids I've talked to said it scared the crap out of them,"
Peace said. "Think being a part of a Freddy Krueger film and having
him chase you instead of just watching it."

Peace will talk to parents, Feb. 3 between 7 and 9 p.m. at the Zion
Evangelical Missionary Church, about how to tell if their children
are experimenting with drugs, effects, fads and legal consequences.

It's an information session parents shouldn't ignore, said Robbin
Alexander, a family school wellness worker at Westglen Middle School.

The event, which is free to attend and for adults only, is about
being proactive, she said.

"Drugs are out there and parents need to learn how to deal with it."