DRUG AWARENESS

Former Police Officer Shares Expertise

The Airdrie, Crossfield and District Youth Justice committee (YJC)
presented renowned speaker Steve Walton at Bert Church Theatre
Thursday in an evening of drug education and information for local parents.

In an effort to get parents to work together with their children on
drug prevention, Walton, a retired vice cop, spoke to parents about
the threats and problems associated with drug use among teens. The
focus of the presentation was to educate parents on the old and new
generations of drugs, specifically the most dangerous new drug --
methamphetamine and one of its forms, crystal meth. According to
Walton, many of today's youths are far more aware of these narcotics
than are their parents.

"What I do is introduce (parents) to the world of drugs the way that
their children see it," he said. "I think it helps. It helps
everybody -- the kids, the parents -- if they're willing to learn. I
see it as an expansion of a knowledge base."

Walton doesn't seek to preach whether drugs are right or wrong, but
rather provides parents the tools with which to help their children
make an informed decision on drug usage.

"My position is drug use is a personal choice," he said, "but my
observation was as an undercover cop that a lot of young kids decide
to use drugs, but they don't know what the possible consequences are."

Although somewhat disappointed with the turnout -- fewer than 100
parents were in attendance -- Donna Nordon, YJC secretary-treasurer,
said that parents who did attend showed genuine interest in the subject matter.

"The questions were very good -- it seemed like there were parents
who genuinely had concerns that they wanted answered," Nordon said.
"If they take it home to their kids that's the main thing."

Walton will also make a similar presentation to Grade 7 students
throughout the city later this month, with the aim of getting across
one clear message: trust those who love you, not those who provide
drugs for you.

"Kids are willing to intrinsically trust their drug dealer," Walton
said. "I tell them, 'Trust your mom and dad, they have your best
interests at heart. Don't trust your drug dealer, because they have
their best interests at heart.'"

Thursday's presentation to parents differed from the one Walton gives
to students, as the attention span among young people on such a
subject is usually quite a bit shorter than that of their parents.

"I know as an educator there's a tendency for a 12-year-old to zone
me out because I'm an old guy," he said. "I'm not there to try to
bore them to tears, so in the youth program they get a bunch of
information thrown at them in a very short time.

"I have some graphic photographs that they see," he added, "and I
show them a graphic video sequence which is interspersed throughout."

Walton, a 25-year veteran of law enforcement, is author of the
award-winning and best-selling book First Response Guide to Street
Drugs, Volume 1. His second book -- Club Drugs, Designer Drugs, and
Preditorial Chemicals: First Response Guide to Street Drugs, Volume 2
- -- is now on shelves.