TEENS TO LEARN ABCS OF ADDICTION

A dozen teens will add a lot more to their education this weekend
than just reading, writing and arithmetic as they delve into the
world of drug addiction.

Positive Heart Living and the city police's Hughes Street
neighbourhood action team are holding an educational and awareness
course on youth addictions at the Victoria Health Centre today.

Bonnie Priest, founder of Positive Heart Living, said the session is
designed to give youth leaders the tools they need to recognize the
warning signs of addiction, both in their peers and in themselves.

The four-hour course will also teach the youth about how they can
intervene when they spot an addiction problem.

Among those who will address the youth will be Const. Jan Smith of
the Fredericton Police Force, who's also with the neighbourhood
action team.

She said the old "Say no to drugs" message doesn't
work.

Teens need to be given other alternatives to deal with drug issues,
Smith said, and chief among them is how to deal with conflict.

Youth are aware of the issue of drug abuse, she said, but they're not
really aware of why many kids get caught up in them.

Drugs are an escape for many who don't know how to deal with conflict
and stress in their lives, Smith said, so it's important to teach
positive coping skills so they don't resort to drugs instead.

"This is preventative," she said.

The session will deal with a wide array of drugs, from street drugs
to prescription drugs to alcohol.

"A drug is a drug is a drug," Smith said.

Society has become too casual about alcohol and pot consumption, she
said.

"We're becoming very complacent about marijuana," she said, noting
it's still an illegal drug.

Smith said she's pleased to find there are teens out there who want
to reach out to their peers and help.

Priest said it's important to establish a comfortable rapport between
the teens and authorities.

"We need to get the youth so they're not afraid of police," she
said.

Priest said this is the first of four such sessions. Twelve teens
have signed up for today's session, which is the capacity of the
course, she said.

There are more identical sessions to come, she said, the next one
being Feb. 9.

"I've got two people signed up already for the next session," Priest
said, adding people should register as soon as possible.