DRUG EXPERT BRINGS THE DOPE ON DOPE

Everyone in the community needs to be educated to fend off the
invasion of illicit drugs that are finding their way into more and
more rural areas around the province says a drug expert from Calgary.

Retired detective Steve Walton toured several schools in the area last
week, speaking to both students and parents about the dangers of
drug-use, and their growing prevalence in rural areas like Fairview
and Hines Creek.

"A drug trend that we've watched very closely in law enforcement and
in drug education is what is referred to as the migration of the drug
criminal," said Walton.

"The sophisticated urban drug criminals have migrated from the large
cities, particularly Calgary and Edmonton, and they've filtered out to
you guys. What they bring with them is their drug culture -- the drug
problems of the cities are now your problems too."

"I believe that smaller centers are impacted more by drugs than larger
centres," Walton continued, "because if you have three meth addicts in
Fairview or Hines Creek, they can have a terribly disruptive effect on
the whole community, just the three of them."

Walton has definitely earned his title of drug expert - he is a
25-year veteran of the Calgary Police Service, and for 10 of those
years his job revolved around executing search warrants, wiretapping,
undercover operations and surveillance. He is also the author of the
best-selling book, "First Response Guide to Street Drugs."

Now, in his retirement, Walton travels around North America imparting
his vast knowledge of drugs and drug behaviour to kids, parents,
police, and first responders.

Hines Creek village councillor and Parent Council president, Dale
Stark, was instrumental in bringing Walton to the area.

"I saw Steve talk four years ago in Grande Prairie," said Stark. "I
went to one of his parent conferences and I realized I was
drug-stupid. I had no idea about drugs, and it really opened my eyes
to what is out there, and I realized there was a problem out here in
the rural communities."

Walton began his week-long tour of the area Monday at Hines Creek
Composite School speaking to children in Grades 3 to 6 about the
difference between good drugs and bad drugs.

"What the kids know these days has changed over the last 25 years,"
said Stark. When Walton asked the kids to identify some good drugs,
maybe 10 to 15 per cent of the kids put up their hands, but when
Walton asked them to name some bad drugs, 60 to 70 per cent of the
kids had their hands up, said Stark.

On Tuesday in Hines Creek, Walton spoke to the older kids in Grades 7
to 12.

"If I were to teach you everything there is to know about all these
drugs, it would take about 180 hours," he said to the students.

He provided an overview of all the major drug groups from inhalants
and marijuana to cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Using a
multimedia presentation Walton showed pictures and played interviews
with actual addicts to let the kids see first hand what it is to be a
drug addict.

Some kids gasped, and some turned away as hopelessly addicted people
with massive scars from chronic syringe use and from trying to dig out
'coke-bugs' from under their skin appeared on the screen, telling
their stories.

Then on Tuesday evening in Hines Creek and Wednesday evening in
Fairview, it was the parents' turn. Walton provided the drug overview
to the parents and additionally went into a cultural explanation of
drug-use and how it relates to youth culture.

The parents were also given tips on how to recognize drug use in their
own kids, and what warning signs to be wary of, including a look at
common paraphernalia utilized by drug users.

"I found that it was really informative and it gave the community a
lot of information that they maybe weren't aware of," said Mary
Bracken of the Fairview Drug Coalition. "It was the information that
went outside the realm of what you usually hear that really gave us
some new tools as parents and community members to look at our youth,
and not just our youth, but our co-workers and everyone," she said.

Stark said he was impressed with the turnout for all of Walton's
lectures, and said this is just a starting point for what he hopes
will be a more aware and educated public. "If we can save one or two
kids from trying drugs, this was a success," said Stark. "If we save
five or 10, then we've actually made a million dollars - we've saved
their lives and saved their career so they can actually do something
with their life,"

Walton's visit was made possible with the help of donations from the
municipal councils, recreation boards, agricultural societies and
various companies in the region.

Concerned or interested parents and citizens are also invited to join
the Hines Creek Parent Council for meetings every third Tuesday of the
month at 7 p.m. at Hines Creek Composite School, or the Fairview Drug
Coalition every first Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m. in the boardroom
at NAIT.

"We're starting to develop a really good base, and we're looking for
any interested community members to be a part of this and to get
involved," said Bracken.

"It's a problem and we have to figure out how to solve it," said Stark.