WAGING WAR ON DRUGS IN RURAL SCHOOLS

A former Vancouver youth street worker and a Central Alberta school
division are giving students and parents the tools to fight substance abuse.

The strongest tool in the box is dialogue, says George MacLeod, a
substance abuse co-ordinator for the Chinook's Edge School Division.

He said the problems of kids and parents in large urban areas aren't
much different than those of their rural counterparts.

He said the only difference is the population base.

"The same drugs are getting used."

He said the methamphetamine (crystal meth) problem is larger in B.C.,
but it's growth is alarming in Alberta, especially in Edmonton,
Calgary and Red Deer.

"There's little bits of it in the smaller centres but not as much.
However, if you live in Sylvan Lake or Delburne you can drive into
Red Deer and get it."

The best tool for dealing with drug use is simple dialogue, MacLeod said.

He said getting kids to open up is the key to unlocking their problems.

Scare tactics don't work, said the former Vancouver street worker and
Burnaby school district abuse counsellor.

He started working the streets for the B.C. government dealing with
gangs, violence and drugs.

MacLeod's classroom now is far flung since it covers the province's
largest rural school district.

He's involved in intervention and prevention programs with kids as
young as Grade 6.

He said parents can play a vital role.

He focuses on why people turn to drugs and alcohol.

MacLeod said suspending kids for using drugs isn't the answer.

He said the Burnaby school division would suspend a kid for five days
and the kid would spend the five days doing drugs.

"That's really punishing them."

He helped develop a program called Choices that instead would educate kids.

Another program was developed to work with kids who didn't want to quit drugs.

"I can't make them quit."

He said kids need information and dialogue to help them make
decisions. Hopefully, the education will assist them in realizing
drugs aren't the answer to their problems.

MacLeod was recruited by Chinook assistant superintendent Pieter
Langstraat two and a half years ago.

Since he was hired, MacLeod has spoken to more than 600 students and
more than 300 parents.

He's also trained 250 staff to work with students who are
experimenting with drugs or have addictions.

Langstraat said that before MacLeod was hired, some 15 students were
expelled in 2002 because of substance abuse problems. That number was
cut to two in 2004 and last year there were no expulsions. The
division has about 11,000 students.

"Rather than turfing kids, we're keeping them in school and working
around their issues."

He said kids don't have to be in trouble to get involved in the program.

"It's a program that works with kids and where they're at and not
where adults want them to be.

"The kids themselves are referring kids to the program. That to me is
a form of success.

"You know how difficult it is to get kids to talk to adults about drugs?"

He said there's a lack of parents talking to kids about drugs.

"Most parents don't know how to talk to kids about drugs. Let's face
it, many kids know more about the drugs than their parents."

MacLeod hopes to get parents on the same level of knowledge about
drugs as their kids so they can have a conversation.

"Parents don't know their kids are using drugs until the first time
they're caught," he said.

MacLeod's work for the division gained him provincial attention.

He was a finalist last week in the Alberta Venture magazine's
eAwards, which recognizes the efforts of inspiring employees across Alberta.

He didn't win but says the kids are winners when he can get them
talking among themselves about the evils of drugs.

"It's not me saying that trying to scare them. I just try to bring it
out and let them reflect on it."