A JOB WELL DONE

IT'S not too often that a story about teenagers and crystal meth has
a positive outcome. So we are proud of the four teens featured on
page 3 of our Wednesday edition.

Rilee Burrows, 15, is quoted as not having felt so happy in a long
time as she watched a young boy make disgusted faces while flipping
through an anti-crystal meth magazine created by her and three of her
Keith Lynn Alternative classmates.

Burrows, Jennifer Aitken, 17, Sarah Fly, 17, and Kristen Nash, 18,
worked together to turn their own negative drug-related experiences
into something positive. While doing so, they experienced a sense of
empowerment that only a job well done can produce.

All having had various experiences with crystal meth use in the past,
the girls developed a magazine depicting the effects of the drug on
the user in a graphic, poetic and edgy format to prevent others from
going through what they did.

The girls strongly believe that early education of youth - starting
in Grade 5 - is the key to drug prevention.

We agree. The transitions in the following years experienced by
adolescents are intense, putting some of them at risk. Therefore,
opening eyes early is an opportunity to keep kids grounded while
they're growing up.

Who better to make suggestions about what it will take to prevent
youth from trying crystal meth in the first place than those with
first-hand experience?

These girls are primed to speak out. We know their likely audience
will more readily listen to them than us. We hope our two North Shore
school boards will make effective use of their enthusiasm.