DEALERS TARGET TEEN SMOKERS

Six years ago smoking areas were moved off high school grounds.

Today, the smoking pit is back at Westsyde secondary in an effort to
discourage drug dealers from trafficking to students.

The move is a step backward, says Kamloops-Thompson school trustee Kim Van
Tine. He sees it as reactive instead of proactive.

But Terry Sullivan disagrees. The superintendent says it's within his
rights as superintendent to temporarily allow the smoking area on school
grounds if the health and safety of students and staff is at risk. He's
taken this measure once before, he says, and he will stand by it.

"The decision comes as part of my own experience as a principal, where I've
had to face down people on the school grounds. Those situations are
dangerous for our staff and, by bringing (students) back on school grounds,
we have a much stronger hand to deal with those individuals."

Westsyde principal Maureen Hove says she's been concerned about the
location of the smoking area since she came to the school in August.

The smoke pit, she says, used to be on a narrow public path leading from
the school parking lot to Westsyde Road.

"It is narrow, secluded and vulnerable to strangers," she says, adding it
was also difficult for other students to use the path considering how
congested it became at lunch.

The smoking area has now been moved 40 feet, she says, and she's pleased
with the results.

"This way we can better protect our students' safety . . . it's certainly
in view of the school now, and in view of our counselling wing."

Van Tine, however, argues the sale of drugs and the presence of strangers
on school property is a police matter and shouldn't be up to teachers and
principals to regulate.

"We can't expect teachers to break up these situations. That's what the
police are for."

Sullivan admits it's not ideal, but with rising drug use among teens it's
simply too big of a problem for the RCMP alone.

"Over 52 per cent of secondary students in Canada are using marijuana . . .
I don't think the RCMP across the province can respond to the magnitude of
the problem we have."

Despite the creation of a district drug prevention and intervention worker,
Sullivan admits drug-related suspensions are once again up this year, as
are school property crimes.