TRUSTEES TACKLE RISE IN DRUG USE

Citing a disturbing increase in student drug use, the Kamloops-Thompson
school board gave solid endorsement on Monday to a communitywide anti-drug
use strategy that includes parents.

"The level of drug use by young adults in the community was certainly a
revelation to many and it certainly was to me," said school superintendent
Terry Sullivan, who prepared the plan of attack.

Sullivan noted in his report to the board that drug-related suspensions have
increased. There have been more than 200 in this school year alone.

His committee on child and adolescent drug use recommends a multi-level
approach to the problem, with subcommittees proposing various strategies on
education and prevention, intervention and treatment, and detection and
enforcement.

"There is no clear indication of where all this leads as the school district
is only one component of a community effort," he said.

Among the recommendations:

* To introduce or enhance existing programs, such as the Prevent Alcohol and
Reduce Trauma in Youth (PARTY) at secondary levels, the Drug Awareness,
Reduction and Enforcement (DARE) program at intermediate levels, and the
Lion-Quest program for building skills for kindergarten through Grade 5.

* Hire a prevention intervention worker, possibly as part of a pilot project
at a high school with a salary shared among provincial ministries, and a
community drug and alcohol liaison.

* Focus on the development of assets for all students (The report states:
"By using problem-solving, decision-making, refusal and assertiveness skills
effectively, in a combined effort, learners can select healthy drug-free
behaviours based on accurate information.")

* Explore the feasibility of in-school versus off-site suspensions.

* Establish a district liaison committee, including outside involvement, to
work with the RCMP to re-examine the Drug Free Zone program.

* Develop a comprehensive education campaign.

After a couple of trustees voiced concern about one recommendation urging
the use of senior students as paid hall monitors, it was revised to clarify
that it is merely a recommendation.

"They're not embedded in stone," Sullivan said of the list of
recommendations. "They're meant to get us started, because we have walk
before we can run.

"It's taken us 30 years to get to this level of drug use across the country
and we're not going to get out of it in a few days. We're in for the long
haul."