PARENT INVOLVEMENT CAN MAKE OR BREAK DRUG HABITS

Kids who are unmonitored by their parents are four times more likely to try
drugs, DARE representatives say. But simply knowing that fact is easier
than actually doing something about it, says Chilliwack DARE instructor
Const. Len Van Nieuwenhuizen.

"The best anti-drug is having your kids involved in an activity that keeps
them busy, whether it's a dance club, or sports or Air Cadets," he says.
"And you have to be there. You have to be actively involved."

That means not just dropping off your child and picking them up an hour
later. He suggests parents find a way to stay involved with their child, a
way to be an important part of his or her life.

Just staying tuned into your children will help their confidence, he adds.

"They just need confirmation and validation that they're making the right
choices about drugs and violence," Const. Van Nieuwenhuizen says. "You can
give your child validation by attending their activities and cheering them
on in what they do."

With increasingly heavy workloads, that may be difficult for some families,
he says, but still important.

"Yes, it can be demanding if you're busy," he stresses. "But you have to do
that, if you want your child to grow up to be a good citizen." Const. Van
Nieuwenhuizen has seen the plight that drug addiction can lead to.

"Seven years ago, I was working as a police officer and was constantly
being called to deal with this couple who was into prostitution. I thought
there has to be a better way than to keep fixing the same problem over and
over again. And that's when I thought education would work better," he
says. "That's how I got involved."

And his help, along with other local police officers working with DARE,
couldn't have come at a better time.

"I think young people are facing more issues than I ever had to deal with,"
he says. "And because they have more issues, they need more support."

One issue that underlies the drug problem and works against all good
intentions by DARE and its proponents is how the kids are getting the drugs
in the first place.

"Most drug offers are made by family members or friends," he says. And
that's why the program is aimed at all ages of children, right from
elementary to high school.

While the program here is aimed at the Grade five level, they are also
qualified to intervene in situations involving kindergartners.

The best advice Const. Van Nieuwenhuizen can offer parents, aside from
staying involved, is to ask questions.

"If you don't know something," he says. "Ask for advice. We're here to assist."