DRUG CONFERENCE GOOD STARTING POINT

Make No Mistake - Some Eyes Were Opened

Thursday and Friday at the Hooked on Hope conference.

Locals had a first-hand look at how easy some drugs are to make, how
powerful the modern substances are and the devastating effects
addictions can bring.

The Taber Community Against Drugs and the Taber Police Service deserve
a ton of credit for bringing the conference to town, an opportunity
many took advantage of on Friday at the Heritage Inn.

The day included top-notch speakers Steve Walton, Dr. David Cook and
Alvin Law, each of whom had the audience on the edges of their
collective seats throughout their talks.

Taber also attracted the interest of Iris Evans, health and wellness
minister, and Premier Ralph Klein's wife Colleen, who is co-chairing a
provincial task force on crystal meth.

Our town is attracting a lot of attention as it attempts to battle a
drug problem that is perhaps not as serious as those found in other
communities but disturbing nonetheless.

Friday's drug conference, and the preamble Thursday's luncheon
provided, mark an important step in the process here.

Taber Community Against Drugs has got the ball rolling and spread its
message as far as it can.

Now, it is up to the rest of the citizenry to help boost the drug task
force, spread the message and fan out to cover the entire community.

As conference-goers heard over and over again during the two days, it
does take an entire community to battle drugs.

Agencies like AADAC, the Taber police, our schools and now TCAD, can
certainly offer help and valuable assistance.

However, it is clear the entire community needs to chip in.

Parents, coaches, businesses and other concerned citizens need to
realize the role they all play.

Naturally, it all starts in the home, with realistic and frank
discussions between parents and their children about illegal drugs.

Parents however, do not always have the capacity and expertise to deal
with the issue effectively.

In these cases, there are agencies like AADAC, TCAD and the police to
turn to and help parents develop a strategy.

In the end, if everyone works together, a difference can be made in
Taber.

It is up to everyone to be a part of the process and chip in where
they can.

As Mayor Ray Bryant said on Thursday at the luncheon, it would be nice
to put a protective barrier around Taber, one that screened out all
the drug traffickers and users trying to enter our town.

That, of course, is not realistic, but what can be done includes
educational campaigns to prevent future drug use and extending a
helping hand to those already hooked.

Help is attainable, education is available and teenagers and young
adults need to be made to realize there are other options to deal with
their problems than using drugs to dull the pain.

That was a common theme among Friday's three main speakers, a message
that must be spread throughout Taber.

So, in the coming months, jump on board with TCAD, find out where you
can make a difference.

Reach out to a troubled teen and make a difference before a situation
gets worse.

If everyone helps out where they can, Taber can become as close to a
drug-free community as it can be.