ODD SQUAD TO TALK DRUGS TO YOUNG HOCKEY PLAYERS

Promising hockey careers can come to an end for a variety of reasons.
Some, such as injuries, are obvious. Others, such as drug abuse, often
aren't so visible.

The Pee Wee AAA team of Cloverdale Minor Hockey is addressing the drug
abuse issue by bringing the Vancouver Police Department's Odd Squad to
Surrey for a presentation tomorrow morning (Monday).

The presentation is at the Clova Cinema, 5732 - 176 St. at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets are $6 in advance by calling 604-574-4447, or $7 at the door.

"Eleven and up is an ideal age for drug prevention, as the kids will
start, or have already started high school," said Ann Hoy, a parent of
a player on the Pee Wee AAA team. "Some parents talk about teenage
hockey players taking drugs in the dressing rooms or outside the rink
before the game."

The Odd Squad is a non-profit society formed by a group of police
officers who film the lives of drug addicts while working the streets
of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and use the film clips at
presentations to show youths where an experiment with drugs could land
them. "Parents aren't up to date on today's drugs like ecstasy or
crystal meth, which didn't exist when they were teenagers," said Hoy.
"With prevention information, they can prepare their kids to make the
right decisions when the time comes."