CHURCH RAISES DRUG AWARENESS

An Airdrie church is partnering with local RCMP this weekend to promote drug
awareness in the community.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is holding the drug
awareness presentation at the church Saturday at 7 p.m.

"We would like to offer (the presentation) to the community -- to be
able to recognize when kids are using drugs, to get treatment and help
for that," LDS spokesman Clement Ferland said. "We like to serve the
community and serve others."

The evening will include an hour-long presentation by an RCMP member,
with a question-and-answer period at the end of the hour.

As part of the RCMP's community policing objectives, the police
service is involved in problem-solving partnerships and in offering
prevention programs to the community.

As such, the RCMP have drug awareness services at different locations
across the country. Their mission is committed to making communities
safe and healthy by reducing drug abuse.

"We thought it would be great to have a presentation to offer parents
and kids about drugs, to be aware of drugs and people selling drugs,"
Ferland said.

"We'd like to open this to the community" he added. "Everyone is
welcome."