EDUCATION IS KEY IN DRUG PREVENTION

You got to get them while they're young - that is the strategy frequently
followed by drug dealers as well as drug counsellors.

Steven Hakes, addictions counsellor at Quesnel's Native Friendship Centre,
said children have to be educated early on, starting in grades 4 and 5.

Reasons to educate children early are many.

First, there is the effect that smoking marijuana has on the brain,
especially on those of developing young children.

Hakes said the brain cell membrane, the coating regulating what enters and
exits a cell body, is composed of 90 per cent fats, also known as lipids.
And tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC, is fat-soluble. The
active ingredient of marijuana can thus enter a brain cell unhindered.
Chemical transmissions of brain cells are slowed as a result, Hakes said,
and a child's development is ultimately impacted, leading to a lack of
motivation and lethargy.

The problem with pot, Hakes said, is that "it is ingrained in our society."
And the laws regulating it "don't do a thing."

"Punishment is not a solution," Hakes said. 'We have to realize that people
using drugs are not bad people."

Hakes said that "all drugs should be legalized."

That way the quality of drugs, especially that of synthetic drugs, can be
monitored, and deaths can be prevented.

"Because they are criminalized they are underground."

And when Hakes speaks about drugs - hard drugs - he includes alcohol. He
said that in his previous work as a social worker and presently as an
addiction counsellor, he has seen the destructive impact alcohol can have
on people.

Educating children about the effects of drugs has to come at a deeper level
than just presenting them with facts about their harm.

Children, especially teenagers, often see drugs as a cure and a welcome
refuge from the insecurities of growing up, Hakes said. "Adolescence is
characterized by a need to belong."

During this age a shift frequently takes place in children: they become
less attached to their families, and conflicts between parents and their
children can result. At the same time, the pressure from peer groups
increases. And that pressure, Hakes said, can be "immense, incredible."

"Attitudes and values - that's the only way to change that," Hakes said.
"Families need to be aware of that. We are all teachers. It takes the whole
community to raise a child."

However, Hakes said that it is natural for children to experiment. And that
often means trying something that authorities, such as adults, parents and
teachers, forbid.

But Hakes also said that it is important to define the distinction between
experimenting and getting in harms way. And that is the purpose of education.