PRESSING A DRUG-FREE MESSAGE

Reacting to recent concerns about illegal drug use at EDSS, the Elmira
high school hosted another anti-drug presentation for its students.
This time out, students got to hear firsthand accounts of the perils
of drug use, courtesy of a former addict.

Julian Madigan, a renowned speaker on drug abuse, addressed roughly
300 students Mar. 24.

Citing real-life stories and personal accounts as a drug-user, Madigan
stressed that "being your own boss" is the key to living a
substance-free existence.

Madigan said often it is peer pressure that drags young people down
into a life of misery and addiction - depths that only a few manage to
climb out of.

"Often people do drugs because they consider it a form of recreation.
Young people pop drugs because they want the high, but they don't
realize that they eventually come crashing down."

Madigan also stressed that there are many misconceptions about some of
the softer drugs - such as marijuana or ecstasy - that are now in
prevalent use among young people. Ecstasy, for instance, is not just a
short-term buzz: it can have damaging and harmful long-term impacts on
an individual's heath.

Strung out on drugs himself for many years, Madigan recalled the life
he led as a young man "under the influence," explaining how he
eventually alienated the people around him and let go of everything
that he ever held dear to his heart.

However, Madigan went on and eventually saw the light, regaining his
love and appreciation for life - he said he now looks to his son for
inspiration, and knows that he is truly one of the lucky ones.

The seminar was the second drug-awareness event in recent weeks
following an incident involving EDSS students using cocaine. School
principal Gary Ayre said there had been suspicions among staff that
the use of illicit drugs had become widespread at EDSS.

The high school's activities director, Dave Conlon, said the point of
this week's anti-drug presentation was to give students a clear and
strong message that illicit drugs are harmful.

Providing students with a firsthand look at the negative effects drugs
have on individual lives has been a good strategy to nail home the
point, he said.

"The seminar given by Julian Madigan provides a really strong message
to kids and gets them thinking about what the effects of using drugs
can be on their lives," he said.