STUDENTS LEARN DRUG LESSON

Yesterday, La Verendrye School students learned a whole lot about
illegal drugs.

Their instructor, RCMP Const. Dave Higgs, talked to a room filled with
Grade 7 and 8 students in an information session on common street drugs.

Amongst the "oohs" and "aahs" and the occasional exclamation from the
kids, Higgs went through some of the illegal drugs Portage RCMP
encounter most often in Portage la Prairie.

"Dave (Higgs) was kind enough to come and share some information about
drug awareness. We feel the best prevention method is education, and
we encourage our students to be smart and make good choices," said
teacher Blair Hordeski. "We try to give kids the tool to make good
choices."

The information session follows activities held during Manitoba
Addictions Awareness Week (Nov. 18-23) where Hordeski organized
activities, emphasizing the danger of drinking and driving in particular.

This presentation was for Grades 7 and 8 because these are students
who are past the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program (which
is for Grade 6 students).

"Basically, I want kids to be comfortable to ask questions in a
structured setting so their questions can be answered by someone who
knows the information," said Higgs.

He talked extensively about marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and
methamphetamine (or meth) and their derivates, about the reasons why
people take them -- their high -- and their dangerous side effects.

Before starting, Higgs warned students as an RCMP officer, he can't
and won't turn a deaf ear on anyone's admission of guilt, as the
substances he was talking about are illegal in this country.

There was a display set up on a table with different compartments for
the different drugs and a model of the drug and the objects often used
to administer a dose of it. Most students were drawn to the display
and pointed at the different pretend drugs. Though some students came
out joking about having learned how to take this or that drug, when
interviewed, they turned serious.

"I thought it was very educational. I learned a lot," said Kara
Parent, 13.

Parent, along with her friend, Hanna Delorme, 12, were dis-gusted by
some of the effects of drug abuse Higgs talked about, such as teeth
falling out and a man who thought he had bugs under his skin so he
scratched it so much it became a wound that later became infected.

"The choice is up to you. Probably everybody in this room will come to
a fork in the road .. You have to make a choice," said Higgs
addressing the teens.