SPEAKER CHALLENGES PARENTS ON DRUG ISSUES

Serge LeClerc brought a challenge to Barrierites Feb. 17.

A drug dealer for 21 years, LeClerc turned his life around in prison and has
since obtained university degrees in social work, criminology and psychology
and has worked extensively with students in a private drug and alcohol
facility in Ontario.

He spoke first on drugs available to children, with emphasis on cannabis
(marijuana) as a gateway drug, its THC content now much higher than a few
decades ago and now containing significant carcinogens.

LeClerc said drug dealers favour legalization of cannabis as they would then
sell more of their other products. He warned many youngsters who use
cannabis go on to use other drugs, notably cocaine. Two other gateway drugs
he identified are tobacco and alcohol.

One of many drugs LeClerc updated parents on was Ecstasy, usually used with
GHB or Rohypnol, date rape drugs for which recipes are readily available.
Ecstasy is cut with things like PCP or GHB, and use irreversibly affects the
brain and spinal cord.

LeClerc said the use of solvents is often viewed as "an aboriginal problem,"
but from 1990 to 1999, 10 per cent of Grade 8 students had been involved.

The drug epidemic is not an inner city problem, LeClerc stated. "Drug
dealers' target is the middle-class white population, including rural areas
and small towns."

LeClerc said British Columbia's justice system is lenient with drug dealers,
while B.C. tolerates the presence of Hell's Angels.

He said advertising executives contribute to children's vulnerability, as
kids on average watch three hours of television per day. For the first time
in history, the leading medical problem for teenage girls is starvation, he
charged. Speed helps cut appetite, he added, and the connection seems plain.

LeClerc provided a handout to help parents make kids less likely to use
drugs: Eating dinner together six or seven days a week brings a significant
drop in children's drug use, and a child who engages in two or more
extracurricular activities a week is 49 per cent less likely to consume
drugs, he said.

Community activities -- family dances, indoor supervised skateboard parks --
and drug-free schools also got the thumbs-up. Strong family bonds are also
key.

One sign a child may be using drugs is always school work, he said. "You
cannot use drugs and maintain good grades consistently." "If you suspect
your child of using drugs, trust your gut. Get professional help. There is
no shame" LeClerc urged parents to turn off the television and listen to
their kids, to avoid hypocrisy and to respect police.

The following day, he addressed Barriere's student population between Grades
6 and 12.