COPS TEACH POT EDUCATION AMID CONFUSING LAWS

WOODSTOCK - With the recent confusion around pot laws, local police are
making sure kids have the facts straight.

This year's Racing Against Drugs program is directed towards educating youth
on the legalities and harmful effects of marijuana.

"With all the media hype, kids may be misinterpreting the pot law and think
marijuana is legal," said Oxford Community Police Const. Bob McDonald, who
helped organize the event. "But it's not legal. Because of this confusion,
we want to make sure kids know the facts and also know the harmful effects
of the drug."

Held at the Woodstock Fair Grounds, Grade 6 and 7 students from across the
county are taking part in the week-long event dedicated to teaching kids to
make smart decisions when it comes to drugs, alcohol and smoking.

McDonald said it is important to get the message out to students as young as
10 years of age because drugs are showing up in elementary schools.

"It's not predominant, but you have blinders on if you think drugs aren't
present in elementary schools. Also, people dealing drugs at the high school
level will try and do the same thing at the elementary level. Not educating
is the wrong thing to do."

The Race Against Drugs program is run by the RCMP and travels to 20
communities in Ontario every year.

Approximately 2,700 local students will pass through the Oxford Auditorium
this week, which has been transformed into a room full of race cars and mini
race-tracks.

Students spent a couple of hours out the school day participating in
presentations, including testing their reaction time with electric race cars
to looking at a tar-covered lung, to playing jeopardy,

"It's based on racing and kids go through the different pit stops," said
RCMP Cpl. Ray Valiquette, who brought the event to Woodstock. "We teach them
how to say no and give them the knowledge of what the dangers are so they
will make the right decisions. But we make it fun at the same time."

Rianne Dobbs of Hillcrest Public School said the event is fun but also
realizes the seriousness of the message.

"Sometimes you hear about kids having drugs," said the 12-year-old. "I
haven't seen any at my school, but you know they are around."