DRUG STRATEGY

Are you proud to live in Sooke? If so, are you frustrated when you see
the impact of drugs and alcohol on our community?

Are you tired of hearing news of a tragedy that has occurred as a
result of the use of drugs or alcohol?

Are you saddened at the prevalence of these substances within our
community, and concerned for our future as we cross our fingers and
hope things won't get too bad, and our kids will make it safely
through to adulthood?

The Sooke RCMP investigated 1,178 files in 2010 involving drugs and
alcohol, and nearly 6,000 in the past five years. Countless more occur
without being reported, and we all collectively bear the brunt of
their impact. So what can we do? I'm glad you asked.

The Sooke RCMP are seeking community-minded citizens to help
implement a new drug prevention strategy. Sooke is full of great
people who share the common goal of making this community as healthy
and developmentally sound as possible. Through prevention, we can
reduce the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse in the first instance,
and alter its progression in cases where it has already begun, to
reduce the prevalence of drug use and its impact on our community. In
so doing, our youth will walk unabated on a path toward fulfilling
their potential and we will all reap the rewards.

That's a win for our community's families because they will be able to
move forward with confidence that their kids will be safer, healthier
and have more hope for their future. It's a win for the community's
businesses because they will reap the rewards of a greater drug-free
influence, and reduce the frequency of bearing the social and
financial costs of graffiti, vandalism, thefts, frauds and other
business related crimes. It's a win for emergency responders, because
the frequency of bearing the social and financial costs of having to
react to the aftermath of poor decisions (ie. drunk driving,
overdoses, assaults, trafficking, domestic disputes, sudden deaths, to
name a few) will go down, allowing time to focus on more proactive
initiatives. And finally, it will be a win for everyone who lives in
or has occasion to visit Sooke for the simple reason that it will be a
healthier and more vibrant community.

Are you interested in being a part of this change? Are you wondering
what you can possibly do to contribute? It's not hard. It just takes
great people who want to make a difference. I know that we have great
people here. Give me a call, or send me an e-mail, and I'll fill you
in. It's been said that the best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
Failing that, the second best is today. Let's get started.

Cpl Scott Hilderley

Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Service