YOUTH DRUG USE CONCERN IN CITY

Drugs and alcohol abuse among youth is becoming a more serious problem in
Yorkton, with younger and younger kids using harder and harder drugs.

Will Woods began working in the field of addictions in Yorkton in 1984.
Today, the coordinator of Alcohol & Drug Services for the Sunrise Health
Region, said he sees younger and younger kids coming through the door with
problems.

"The change I've seen is the age keeps going down," he said. "The age of
clients being referred has gotten younger."

Woods said it's no longer unusual to see kids 10, 11, 12, being referred to
counselling services not only for alcohol, but also marijuana.

"Alcohol used to be the entry point, and cigarettes for some," he said.
"Now a lot of kids are using pot first. It's become a drug of choice and
all of a sudden we're seeing more and more kids using it.

Woods said in some ways that's not surprising. The raised awareness about
alcohol has made it less accessible, and he notes a 13-year-old can more
easily conceal a bag of marijuana walking down the street, than they can a
case of beer.

It was a theme Kerrie Shearer a school counselor at Sacred Heart High
School in the city, picked up on.

"It's (marijuana) easier, and cheaper," she said. "It's easy to get and
cheaper to buy than going to get a case of beer."

Cameron Hoffman, is Shearer's counterpart at Yorkton Regional High School.
He too is seeing the problems first hand.

"I have huge concerns. Even alcohol is a huge concern for me. Lots and lots
of kids are using alcohol," he said. "... Pot too, and they're getting into
other drugs also."

The students he counsels ( the number of students seeing him have more than
tripled to 60 since he started at the school in September ( with problems
are split pretty evenly between those who drink alcohol, and those who are
into illegal drugs. It ranges from occasional weekend use, to levels where
schooling and family life is affected, he said.

"I get the extremes ... I'm kind of the last resort," said Hoffman. "A
kids' life can turn pretty upside down even using alcohol."

Hoffman said for more students than he likes to think, drugs and alcohol
are past weekend recreation, to something used before school, over the noon
hour, and after school. In fact, he worries the problem is getting out of hand.

"If we don't do something you'll soon need five people doing my job," he
warned.

Hoffman added there is no definable model of a student who might be using.

"It crosses gender. It crosses social classes. It doesn't have boundaries,"
he said.

Woods said the exact level of usage is difficult to measure and compare,
but he is certainly seeing more problems today.

"I'm not sure if the problem is getting a lot worse, or if it's more of us
are working together so we see it more," he said.

Certainly today the school system, RCMP, community groups and others are
working more closely together to help youth with alcohol and drug problems,
and that usually means referral to Woods.

"We're focusing in on these concerns, so I'm seeing more referrals from the
high school now," said Woods of the increased cooperation.

The RCMP Youth Liaison Officer has also helped raise the flag of a problem,
said Woods.

"She's (Cst. Trisha Etienne) right in there with the kids in the community,
and she notices things," he said.

One thing Woods has noticed himself is a growing misconception marijuana is
not a danger.

"There's a lot of misconceptions out there that it's harmless," he said.

The message is coming from some high places, including the federal
government, reasoned Woods.

"The government had talked about decriminalizing it and kids were hearing
it as legalizing it," he said, adding youth easily reason "if they're doing
that it can't be that harmful."

With the change marijuana would still be illegal, but possession of small
amounts would bring a fine, and not a criminal record.

Etienne picked up on the same theme of the federal government sending
inappropriate messages.

"The decriminalization of marijuana ... it's sending a message to our
youth, and it's the wrong message," she said.

And, it goes farther. For example she questioned why Liberal MP Sheila
Copps would say she did dope in university and questioned if there was
anything wrong with having done it.

"I want to scream," said Etienne. "Why is she making it acceptable for our
youth?"

Hoffman said parents too can send the wrong message. Too often allowing
under age kids to drink in the basement for a party, thinking it provides
some protection because they are at least at home, still sends the message
it's ok to drink.

"I just don't understand that," he said.

>From alcohol and marijuana at a young age can come a quick jump to harder
drugs, said Woods.

"There does seem to be more going on," he said, adding it's not a case of
trying to scare people.

At the same time kids can make the move to harder drugs, even though they
may know the harder drugs are more dangerous. "I think in the beginning
they have an idea the harder drugs are scary," said Woods.

However, the 'buzz' they get from marijuana or alcohol may fade, peer
pressure at parties may grow, and they are into other things, he said.

Woods relates one youth attending a party, who started with alcohol, then
marijuana and then onto harder stuff, all in the same evening. "By the end
of the night he'd taken a whole shovel full of shit," he said.

"Then he's standing in front of you, telling you, 'I think I've got a
problem'."

Shearer says seeing students walk through her door with drug and alcohol
problems is not unusual these days.

"I don't know if there's more, but they're very nonchalant about talking
about it now," she said. "They don't have concerns over secrecy anymore."

Tammy Plews, a social worker at St. Mary's School in Yorkton, sees
increased numbers even in her K-to-8 school.

"I think I'm more aware, more knowledgeable of the drugs, of their
availability and children's involvement," she said. "I think drugs are more
available to children, and probably more younger people are using drugs,
both socially, and to cope with what's going on in their lives.

"Children report to me it's easy to access drugs. Children know where to
access it if they want it."

Shearer said such access is creating problems beyond what was more
traditionally seen, which was kids drinking.

"I think we deal with things that are bigger now," she said. "Alcohol is
still a main drug to cope with in this area for sure, but I'm hearing
things like cocaine too. I hadn't heard that for a long time.

The mere word cocaine had Shearer with a vision of a certain type of person
using the drug, but that quickly changed.

"Now all of a sudden you're hearing about it from high school kids," she said.

Woods concurred cocaine is among the drugs he is hearing about more often.

"Some kids are starting to get into cocaine," he said, suggesting seeing
16-year-old users in Yorkton is no longer unusual. "And, I know there would
be kids younger."

One 16-year-old came to the office. He was taking pills that when Woods
talked to a local pharmacist were found to be eight times more potent than
morphine per milligram.

"There's needle use out there too, and lots of pills," he said. "They're
crushing it up (the pills) and doing injections use with that."

The drug problem in the city goes farther too, said Woods. It includes
various pills and other drugs such as crystal meth (Methamphetamine). Woods
added it's not confined to Yorkton either.

"Crystal meth is showing up in little communities too," he said, of the
synthetic speed. "Kids can get the recipe a lot of times off the Internet."

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant which dramatically affects
the central nervous system. The drug is made easily in clandestine labs
with inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients.

As a result Woods said many antihistamines are no longer sold over the "My
hope is in the future it will become mandatory," he said, suggesting it
would become the same as someone taking the Driving Without Impairment
program for anyone caught in excess of allowable alcohol levels while driving.

Getting to youth at risk, or already using drugs and alcohol at a younger
age is critical.

"We know from evidence the younger the onset of drinking the greater the
long term risk," said Woods. The potential for addiction and abuse is four,
or five times greater when starting at a young age with alcohol, rather
than at the accepted age of 19.

Shearer said she believes she is part of a team making a difference to
students at Sacred Heart High School.

"I know the kids not using anymore that were using," she said. "I know the
kids that weren't coming (to school) at all. They're coming now and getting
some pretty good marks."

Another initiative along the lines of education came about in the spring of
this year with the formation of the Yorkton Parents Drug and Alcohol
Awareness Committee.

Etienne said the committee came together out of parental interest.

"Some parents came into my office and asked 'what are you doing about drugs
and alcohol abuse in the the city?' I said, 'What are you doing?'" she said.

>From that exchange came the idea of the committee.

"This is a parent initiative," said Etienne, adding the committee is a
positive step. "I believe in what they're doing. They're educating the
parents. They're taking a stand ... These are our kids. That's why I think
it's important."

The Committee has several initiatives on the go, a key one being a series
of informational meetings.

"They're just the straight facts on drugs and alcohol," said Etienne. "This
is what it does to your body. This is why I should be concerned."

Etienne said it's important parents know the risks and what to look for .

"We're trying to give information to parents about what's going on," she said.

For example if a child is using a lot of tin foil, they may be making a
pipe. If you find burned spoons, or knives in their bedroom, it is a likely
sign of drug use.

Woods said the parent committee is a huge step in awareness, because it
illustrates parents are concerned.

"There's nothing worse than burying your head in the snow," he said.
Instead, it's important parents "get as much information as they can."

Woods also urged parents to stay in contact with their children's schools.

"We tend to do that pretty well through elementary school," he said, but by
high school the contact becomes less and less.