YOUTH POLICY WILL ATTACK DRUG, BOOZE PROBLEMS

PONTIAC -Spurred by a report that showed twice as many Pontiac
teenagers used drugs and alcohol in 2001 than in 1996, the council of
mayors unanimously agreed at its monthly meeting Wednesday, Nov. 26 to
form a working committee to develop a policy on youth.

The report released by the RRSSSO in 2001 and presented at the meeting
by Ariann Bouchard, director-general of the Maison de Jeunes, showed
drug and alcohol use by Pontiac teenagers more than doubled in the
period 1996-2001 to 15.5 per cent

Bouchard told the mayors that much of drug use occurs after school in
the afternoon, while the parents are still at work.

"Why, in Pontiac, is drug use among teenagers is going up," asked
Waltham Mayor Paul Ryan.

Bouchard said that one possible answer is the lack of infrastructure,
i.e. facilities to keep the youngsters off the street.

"We have to develop an infrastructure for the people," Bouchard
said.

"The Maison des Jeunes is one solution but it is not the only
one."

Allumettes Island Mayor Denzil Spence said that part of the problem
lies with the pace of change in the teenagers' world.

"The lifestyle of teenagers is changing faster than the community can
keep up," Spence said.

"there is a tremendous need for youth infrastructure in the MRC and in
each community."

Spence said it is more productive to have an infrastructure and
programs in place to keep youngsters on the right path than to deal
with the consequences of misguided youth.

"It costs about $100,000 a year to incarcerate one child," Spence
said. "(Keeping kids out of jail) can be a tremendous savings on the
taxpayers as a whole."

Fort Coulonge Mayor Raymond Durocher said Pontiac lacks a "social
conscience" when it comes to youth.

"It's a great place for tourism development, but what are we doing for
our kids?" he said.

"The problem is based on more than a lack of money."

Durocher suggested that the problem is growing because Pontiac lacks a
cohesive approach to the problem.

"I know I'm going to say a word you don't like - supra-local - but we
have to work together on this," he said.

"We have to make a public statement that our priority is
youth."

Calumet Island Mayor Paul-Emile Maleau brought laughter to the chamber
when he said the following: "Mr. Durocher, this is the first time I
back you up on supra-local."

Maleau was referring to the often heated debates in the chambers in
the past several years over what was or wasn't supra-local, including,
of course, the Fort Coulonge arena which Durocher worked hard to have
listed as a supra-local.

"I think we should go with Raymond to make this a supra-local ... but
not for the arena," Maleau said, again to laughter.

The resolution, carried unanimously, calls for the formation of a
working committee by June 2004.