GROUPS TARGET DRUG ISSUE

Project Resiliency - Langley schools' drug awareness committee - is
tackling substance abuse in the community.

Efforts to to help Langley students fight substance abuse are gaining
steam.

A website designed by local students, a planned educational forum for
parents, and the establishment of a school outreach position are just
a few of the early results realized by Project Resiliency.

Project Resiliency was formed by Langley School District's Secondary
Students at Educational Risk program to address substance abuse in
Langley schools.

There are no hard statistics on how many students are using illicit
drugs or abusing alcohol or prescription drugs, said Students at
Educational Risk program coordinator Barry MacDonald.

But anecdotally, it is known to be an issue educators, students, and
parents are struggling with everyday, he said.

The focus and purpose of Project Resiliency is to bring together the
expertise in the Langley community and school district to help tackle
the issue through a variety of approaches, MacDonald explained.

"We want to develop a coordinated community response that will
ultimately lead to a decline of substance abuse in our community now
and into the future," he said.

The Students at Education Risk program was formed about four years ago
to address concerns over students who are completing their studies.

Some of those concerns were around students' home life, and the
knowledge that drugs played an important factor in kids not finishing
school, MacDonald said.

As MacDonald was working on a response to those concerns and
developing Project Resiliency, Langley school trustees
"serendipitously," expressed concerns over substance abuse, he said.

In April, the school board asked for a report on drug awareness
programs in schools, and for recommendations to help tackle the
current issues.

In July, trustees approved the development of a strategy to create
student awareness of drugs and drug abuse.

"It was a nice dove-tailing of priorities," MacDonald added.

Recently, Family and Youth Services Society loaned a staff member to
the school district to provide outreach support for community youth
struggling with a variety of issues, including substance abuse.

Project Resiliency is also preparing a substance abuse website -
designed for youth, by youth. Planned to be launched by the end of the
year, the site will include substance abuse resources and information
as well as artwork and poetry.

The project is also working with Parents as Partners to establish an
information forum for parents. The Drug Awareness Forum: Facts for the
family, Hopes for the future will be held March 2, 2005, at Brookswood
Secondary School and March 10, 2005, at Aldergrove Community Secondary
School.

The forum will concentrate on the designer drug methamphetamine.
Commonly known as crystal meth, it is at "epidemic proportions in
major centres around the world," MacDonald said

Project Resiliency does not just focus on the problem, MacDonald said,
it will also look at what can be done for students after they kick
their substance abuse problems.

The four guiding pillars of Project Resiliency are: healthy
lifestyles, preventing through education, addiction treatment, and
restoration or, MacDonald explained, "getting back on track."

The advisory committee and task force of Project Resiliency gathers
together addiction experts from across the community, including
provincial government services, local agencies, law enforcement,
parents, teachers, and Langley Township.

Langley Trustee Alison McVeigh was recently appointed to the task
force.

McVeigh was the trustee who originally asked for the report on Drug
Awareness programs in schools.

"My original intent _ was to mostly create awareness about the problem
and to do what we can to bring education to students and their
communities," she said.

"I don't think one individual group can solve a community problem,"
she continued, adding, "The role of the district is the educational
program."

Currently, programs such as the TCO Squared Group and DARE - Drug
Abuse Resistance Education are presented in elementary schools
throughout the district.

In local secondary schools, drug abuse is addressed in students Career
and Personal Planning curriculum, and RCMP liaison officers are often
used to develop and deliver programs.

"I think we're doing as much as we can in schools, but we can do
more," McVeigh said "We need to start earlier."

"The next step is to keep meeting and form a strategy and create a
plan," she said.

Those who want to be involved in Project Resiliency can call MacDonald
at the School Board office, 604-534-7891.