SHAUNAVON DRUG PRESENTATION

Shaunavon - The Shaunavon anti-drug committee has made a special addition
to the high school's career day April 26 D a look at what may in the future
for students who use drugs.

Constable Colm Fitzgerald with the Shaunavon RCMP said a number of speakers
were brought in to warn teens about how drugs can alter their future. Sgt.
Grant Hignell, head of the province's drug dog division, told students
about how a drug dog can locate banned substances. The second speakers,
representatives of the Cypress Health Region's addictions services, spoke
about the process of getting help for drug problems, and a third D a high
school law teacher D told students and parents how to recognize physical
signs that someone might be using drugs. The presentations were given
during the day for students, and again that evening for parents and the
general public.

The message was fitting for a career day, Fitzgerald said.

"It's just letting the kids know this is what can happen. If you want to go
into a career, this is what you don't want to do."

It was just one example of what the anti-drug committee has done since it
was formed last year. The group's mandate is to have a drug-free community;
but Fitzgerald said he knows that isn't a reality at this point.

"One would be foolish to say there isn't drugs in Shaunavon, or any small
town," said Fitzgerald, who worked for undercover Vancouver's drug section
earlier in his career. "Do we have a chronic problem? No. I think our
biggest problem still is and always will be the alcohol. It unfortunately
is the jumping stone to marijuana, and then the harder drugs that seem to
come with that."

In the past year, the anti-drug committee has held a parent-to-parent
weekend, that featured the parents of meth-addicted child sharing his
experiences. Fitzgerald himself has given public lectures about the dangers
of drugs, and has brought in other speakers throughout the year. The group
is also hoping to schedule a presentation by a recovering drug addict.

On his 22 years of police work, Fitzgerald said he has seen how marijuana
habits lead to the use of harder drugs, and he frequently tells students
about that. Awareness about the reality of drugs - not the glamorized
pop-culture portrayal of drug culture - is what will stop kids from
developing a habit, he said.

"Right now it's to provide information to families, parents and kids alike,
about the dangers of drugs, what drugs are out there, who will sell them to
you, if you become addicted to a drug, what we can do to get you help, and
obviously the consequences legally and personally," he said.