EDUCATION THE KEY TO PREVENTION FOR YOUNG DRUG USERS

(This is the final installment of a four-part series that looks at the drug
trade, its impact on the community and prevention.)

Anyone who has sat through a drug awareness seminar has no allusions about
the harmful effects of substance abuse.

Not only are crack, crystal meth and oxycontons harmful to their users,
they can also be very detrimental to their family and surrounding community.

An estimated 90 per cent of break-ins and thefts are linked to drug users
trying to support their habit. By the end of 2003, Kenora Police reported
more than 1,000 crimes against property, including 432 thefts of items
worth under $5,000.

But what can we do about it?

When it comes to protecting property, the answers are relatively simple.

The OPP Rural and Agricultural Crime Team member Const. Dave Withers says
residents should prevent theft through deterring thieves, delaying their
access to property and detecting their entry.

Withers advises property owners to take a walk around and identify items
that are vulnerable, such as boats not secured, tools not locked away or
valuables left in plain view. Gateways that delay a hasty exit or locks
that prevent a quick grab may well help to prevent property losses, he
adds, noting that good lighting around the house is a good idea. Where
practical, alarm systems can also help detect perpetrators, he said.

When it comes to protecting our children, the answers are more complicated.

Gang activity is also associated with the drug trade, as Kenora has become
a northwestern Ontario hub for a drug pipeline that uses the Trans-Canada
Highway. Incidents related to the Indian Posse, Manitoba Warriors and
Kenora Indian Bashers have been reported in the area within the last year.

As the community joins forces with school boards, councils, First Nations
and police forces to stem their spread, local residents must also play an
important role in supporting their efforts by reporting suspicious
activity. Without the cooperation of the community, police can do very little.

For those hooked on the new generation of harder drugs, the financial costs
of rehab are substantial, while the emotional costs are daunting, to say
the least.

Crystal meth has a 93 per cent addiction rate, but as few as eight per cent
will ever break the habit, says Const. Rheal Gosselin of the Tri-Force Drug
Unit.

Since local parents and business people have been known to mortgage their
homes, trying to pay for drug treatment programs, it's no wonder there is
such an emphasis on awareness and prevention programs.

Among students, drug-use patterns most often start with either alcohol or
marijuana in the teenage years.

On average, most children in Kenora have had a drink by the age of 13 and a
joint by the age of 14. By the time they reach senior grades, more than one
of five students in Ontario will drive within an hour after smoking a
joint. Another one in four will get into a car, where the driver was
impaired by drugs or alcohol, according to statistics gathered by the
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health last year.

In Kenora-Rainy River, three of four students in Grade 7 to OAC reported
using alcohol, including 38 per cent who reported five or more drinks in a
sitting, or binge drinking. One in three of those students reported they
had used marijuana, according to the survey of more than 1,200 students by
the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.

For most educators, the key point to the anti-drug, anti-drinking or
anti-gang message is the same: know your child.

The Ontario Drug Awareness Partnership says young people who are mentored
are 46 per cent less likely to initiate drug use and 27 per cent less
likely to use alcohol.

Connexions teacher Dave Tresoor referred to an anti-gang seminar he
attended which pointed out the obvious, that members are seeking a sense of
value and belonging they don't get anywhere else.

Public school board superintendent Jack McMaster notes that students are
aware of the zero tolerance policy implemented in accordance with the
province's Safe Schools Act. In early December, 10 high school athletes
were suspended for drug and alcohol use during a team trip. Another six
high school students were suspended last spring, after they were caught
smoking marijuana on school property.

Early signs of trouble include: mood swings, truancy or absenteeism, lack
of motivation or drive, break in routine, new friends, lack of focus or
concentration.

For those using hard drugs, the first high will never be matched, no matter
how hard you try, says Gosselin. Over time, it will take more of a drug to
get the high, which means it will cost more money to get less of a fix, but
the depression or crash afterwards will get deeper, he adds.

Symptoms of withdrawal from harder drugs such as oxycontin or crack can be
especially severe, he notes, which leads to the failure of most recovery
efforts. "I don't know of any successful addicts in society," Gosselin says.