CONCERNED CITIZENS JOIN FORCES

In response to widespread concerns, the newly formed Airdrie regional
drug impact team is taking a proactive approach to the issue of drug
use in the community.

Bringing together representatives from a wide variety of resources --
Airdrie Emergency Services (AES), RCMP, AADAC, social services, youth
organizations, North Rocky View schools -- the team aims to provide
education, raise awareness and offer prevention and intervention
initiatives in regard to such drugs as methamphetamine.

"It's an interdisciplinary group of people," team member Suzanne
Rieger said. "It's all a completely voluntary organization."

Although the devastating effects of methamphetamine have not yet
reached epidemic proportions in the community, the regional drug
impact team wants to take steps to stop any drug problems before they
start. As such, the project-based team will be focusing on the whole
spectrum of drug abuse and how best to educate the public.

"We didn't want to nail it down to one drug -- and of course, alcohol
is a drug," Rieger said.

As an AES member, a local business woman and a mother, Rieger sees
the drug issues from both professional and personal perspectives and
she wants to be able to make a difference in her community.

"We have kids and we understand the impacts," she said.

The team's next meeting is in mid-May and Rieger said that public
input and community involvement will be welcomed down the road. In
the meantime, she said, any type of corporate or individual
sponsorship and support would be appreciated.

"We're very limited at this point in time as to funding that we
have," she said.