INFO SESSION REVEALS WHAT YOUTHS ARE SAYING

Youth in Lethbridge are drinking more, but smoking less. The number
of pot smokers has been fairly consistent for the past five years,
but aside from marijuana, there are fewer kids doing illicit drugs.

When they're asked about what's important to them, young adults aged
15 to 24 in this city say there are too few places for them to go and
hang out, and that some of the places they can go don't feel like
safe places to be.

They're also worried about garbage and the environment and decry the
education system. They wish it was easier to get decent jobs, and
have plenty to say about public transportation.

By early July, representatives of this demographic will bring
recommendations to city council from a Youth Summit held here on St.
Patrick's Day. They won't say what's on their wish list; only that if
council is willing to act on it, it could soon become easier to be a
young adult in Lethbridge.

A crowd of about 40 (mostly adults) attended an information session
Thursday at the Lethbridge Public Library to hear the results of the
Alberta Youth Experiences Survey (what teens reveal about substance
use), hear highlights from the local Youth Summit, learn the latest
about a new drug treatment centre in Lethbridge, and hear what they
can do to help make kids more resilient.

"The really interesting thing about this survey that always comes out
is that a lot of times our perceptions about what youth are doing in
our community are very different from what youth are actually doing
in our community," said Gwen Reimer, an addictions counsellor with
AADAC who presented an overview of the Youth Experience Survey.

In other words, most kids perceive the level of pot smoking, tobacco
use and crystal meth use among their peers to be much higher than it
actually is. But on the other hand, they slightly underestimate how
much boozing is going on.

"Alcohol has always been a primary focus of AADAC," Reimer said, "But
what we've learned about the rates of drinking among youth has caused
AADAC to refocus on alcohol."

Perceptions may be skewed, Reimer said, but they are
important.

"We have to look at how can we change perceptions, because if they
think their peers are using, they're more likely to try it
themselves."

The main risk factors that set kids up for substance abuse are age
(the younger they start, the more grim their odds); their friends'
behaviour; family history and discord; and poor connections to school
life.

The best-protected youths are those who have parents monitoring their
activities (but not harassing them); those who have good social
skills; who have access to and participate in pro-social activities;
get decent marks in school; and have good connections in their
school life.

Tom Mountain, director of the city's new Youth Residential Treatment
Centre, said construction is underway to renovate the old Young
Offenders' Centre and the eight-bed facility should be open by early
summer.

Trevor Brown, a youth facilitator in the city who was an organizer of
the Youth Summit, said young people are looking for ways to belong,
to express themselves and to make a difference in the community.

"Labels was a big one for youth," he said. "They feel they're
victimized by stereotyping and denied certain things because of that."