GRADE 6 STUDENTS LEARN ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE

Cornwall - Trying to walk a straight line after you've had a few in
the presence of a police officer has never been so much fun.

Racing Against Drugs, a community-based drug and alcohol awareness
program, using the sport of racing to grab the attention of Grade 6
students, got off to a great start Tuesday morning. The program
entered its 11th year, and is open to schools across Stormont, Dundas
and Glengarry.

The focus of the program is to offer the students various alternatives
to drugs and alcohol.

"The police talked about drugs and Internet safety. We played games
like putting on (drunk) goggles and trying to walk a straight line. It
was really fun," said St. Andrews Public School student Darby Wheeler.

According to a 2006 national report about student drug use, 54.5 per
cent of students in grades 7 to 9 reported drinking alcohol in their
lifetime, and 41 per cent of these drinkers reported binge drinking at
least once.

About 18.2 per cent of Canadian students in grades 7 to 9 reported
using cannabis at least once in their lifetime.

Hence, the importance of Racing Against Drugs before student exposure
to illicit substances take place.

Classes were broken down to groups of 15, and rotated to 12 different
kiosks, where police gave kids the lowdown on various substances,
including cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.

The RCMP gave students the opporunity to experience an adrenaline rush
that does not include chemicals. The heart-pumping activity involves
racing remote-control cars to the finish line without losing control.
At the end of a complete rotation students participate in a final
race. The winning school wins a trophy as a reminder of their
accomplishment. Jean Juneau, RCMP Youth & community police service
officer, says events like Racing Against Drugs leaves a positive
impact with students.

"I have three Grade 12 co-op students with me full-time, who very much
remember Racing Against Drugs six years ago, so it does leave a
longlasting impact," said Juneau.

Blake Paquin, spokesperon for the Cornwall Community Police Service,
is beginning to see the results of a longstanding tradition. "We get
1,400 to1,500 students in S, D, and G, and now after 11 years we're
starting to see (results come) full circle, where students that have
come through before have siblings that are attending the same event,"
said Paquin. Racing Against Drugs takes place for the rest of this
week at the Cornwall Armouries.