SCHOOLS REACT TO DRUG PROBLEM

At a time when the federal government is moving toward decriminalizing
possession of marijuana, school trustees are left shaking their heads at
the mixed messages being sent to Canada's youth.

Earlier this year trustees sent a letter to minister of education Christy
Clarke about how permissive marijuana use is a significant threat to the
health and education of children in BC. "Marijuana may be a benign drug for
adults, but it's a far different story for adolescents," said school board
chairwoman Pauline Galinski.

A recent meeting between School District 47, the RCMP and the municipality
concluded that the issue of drug use among youth is a significant problem
for the community and schools.

In Powell River, school trustees are not satisfied the high school
completion rate, which showed 32.2 per cent of 18-year-olds not graduating
in 1999. They're alarmed by findings of the McCreary Centre Society's study
that states marijuana use by BC secondary students has increased from 25
per cent in 1992 to 40 per cent in 1999.

A recently released high school retention project by Team Soapbox agrees
with those findings. The report surveyed 381 youth in the North Island
region, which includes Powell River, and concluded a large percentage of
students are doing poorly or dropping out of school due to frequent drug
use--in and out of school.

Recently a forum was initiated by the school district to increase awareness
about the issue among service providers. Members of Team Soapbox attended
and passed on their findings about why students leave school early.

As for the effect of marijuana on young people, Galinski points to a study
by University of British Columbia addiction specialist Dr. Ray Baker. He
says marijuana compromises short-term memory, cognitive ability and
personal initiative.

"These are disastrous side effects for young people who are working to
achieve success in school and launch themselves into the next stage of
their lives."

The Peak begins a series today about drugs and Powell River's youth. The
series starts off with the story of Krystal Meade--a Powell River teenager
who became an addict and her journey to recovery.