DRUGS TOPIC OF SESSION

Pincher Creek Echo -- Around 30 people turned up for a Nov. 9 Community
Policing Committee information session on drug use and prevention at the
Community Hall, featuring Calgary RCMP Drug Awareness coordinator, Sgt.
Carmen McKnight.

McKnight presented a slide show illustrating the different types of drugs,
showing symptoms and effects of each and telling the crowd that a study
done years back showed the average age for first time use was 10 years old
for tobacco and 12 years old for both marijuana and alcohol.

"Nobody is exempt," McKnight told the crowd. "Some small communities have a
bigger problem than big cities."

Listing the effects of cannabis and other drug use, McKnight told attendees
that a study done on flight staff illustrated the fact that marijuana stays
in the system much longer than alcohol.

"Twenty-four hours after smoking a joint, eight to nine out of 10 pilots
crashed on a flight simulator," stated McKnight.

McKnight also spoke about methamphetamine use, noting that it's a growing
problem, especially in both northern Alberta and Montana and that "meth is
emerging as the number one drug problem around the world."

"One thing in our favour is that we are ahead of the game, the U.S. is to
the point where it's almost epidemic," said McKnight, crediting the RCMP's
development of a methamphetamine strategy involving increased public
awareness of the drug.

While McKnight listed some of the signs of meth use, including increased
activity, he told the crowd that there were "no set rules and signs" for
drug use.

Fielding a question on how to tell if your child is using drugs, he told
parents to look for changes in behaviour, truancy in school, change of
friends and grades going down.

"The biggest thing is communication and education," McKnight stated.

"You have to talk to your kids."

For more information on drug prevention, please visit www.nida.nih.gov,
www.aadac.com or contact your local RCMP.