DRUG AWARENESS MEETING DRAWS LITTLE TURNOUT

It's an almost impossible task - getting those parents who really need to
hear the message to come out and listen, but it won't stop Brocklehurst
secondary parent advisory council chair Arnie Kidner from trying.

Seven parents attended the first drug and alcohol awareness meeting
sponsored by the Brocklehurst PAC on Thursday night. The meeting was held
in response to a rising rate of drug-related suspensions throughout the school.

The problem is not just at Brocklehurst, but in all areas of the city, with
drug-related suspensions having tripled over previous years. The problem is
going to persist, say Brock principal Maureen Hove, until parents become
more involved - a need that was made evident by all the empty seats.

"The environment a youth grows up in may affect the choices they make.
Remember, we are all role models for youth," says Chris Lincoln, drug and
alcohol counsellor with the Phoenix Centre's Osprey program.

There are several reasons drug use is going up at schools, he said, and his
thoughts are echoed by Brock counsellor Jack Fennell. One of the primary
reasons, Fennell says, could have to do with the smoking areas. In recent
years, schools have decided to move the smoke pits off school grounds and
out of sight of staff and supervisors.

Smoking areas at Brock are along the roadway, he added, and provide easy
access for those dealing drugs to drive by and do some business.

"Do we need to move smoke pits back where it can be supervised?"

Another suggestion was to create an in-service day for staff to learn more
about what drugs students have access to and how to detect them.

"We did a survey of students and the No. 1 thing they said was if the kids
know they are more apt to get caught, they're less likely to use at school."

One parent wanted to know why children use drugs in the first place?

"Peer pressure and peer influence," are two of the biggest factors, Lincoln
said, but the terms get thrown around so frequently, they end up having
little meaning.

They're searching for a sense of belonging, he added. Young people who are
lost tend to need to find acceptance in a certain crowd. "Some people use
it to escape abuse or a traumatic experience; some use it for fun. You have
to ask, 'What are you leaving behind when you're using that you have to
deal with when you're clean and sober?'"

Young women in his program have admitted they sometimes use drugs to make
them more talkative. They're able to say and do the right things when
they're high, Lincoln explained.

"Many others use drugs to test boundaries, to see how people react."

To put a stop to this rising rate of drug-related suspensions, Lincoln
said, teachers, parents and community members are going to have to look
outside the box.

"We have to look at alternative plans. We can't just suspend everyone."

What it's going to take, he added, is getting these children involved in
healthy lifestyles, deriving positive experiences from healthy choices,
including athletics, dance, music and art.

It might even take making parent involvement a mandatory part of
post-suspension treatment, he said.