THE MORE WE KNOW, THE MORE WE CAN DO

The recent series of local seminars on Street Drug Awareness are an
important step towards our understanding of drug abuse and how it can affect
us all. (See story on Page 3).

It's another one of those issues where education is key. The more we know
the more we can do about it down the road.

People, young and old, make a conscious choice whether or not they want to
consume illegal drugs, but the problem is many of these people only know
about the short-term effects of their decisions.

These kind of meetings give people a chance to learn the facts, and make
informed decisions about the danger they might be putting themselves in
later on.

While seeking pleasure is something we all want to do in our lives, the
temporary high from potentially harmful drugs isn't something to take
lightly.

Think about it. A 24-year veteran of the police force with extensive
training in the world of drugs had a long list of scary effects that can
result from the abuse of these substances.

They include: death, coma, fever, cerebral/pulmonary edema, seizures,
stroke, kidney failure, rapid heart rate and respiration, paranoia, violent
tendencies, and depression. Are these kind of things worth the risk?

It's not only people's personal choices to use drugs that is at issue here
either. There are many drugs used by sexual predators to make sure their
victims are easy targets.

It's simply frightening to know that there are people out there slipping all
these different drugs into the drinks of unsuspecting bar patrons, waiting
for the right moment to strike.

Again, it all comes down to knowledge. The more people know that these
things happen and that there are steps to take to protect themselves, the
better off we will be.

Tailoring the recent seminars to diverse groups (the healthcare, social
service and law enforcement community, parents, and students) was also an
effective way of getting the message out to more people. We can only hope
that the message will both sink in and spread.

- -K.G.