SEMINAR ADDRESSES STREET DRUG ISSUE

Retired undercover drug unit detective Steve Walton will be in
Airdrie this April for a series of street drug awareness" programs.

Walton spent a decade of his 25-year career on the undercover drug
unit, seeing the ins and outs of the street drug trade. He managed
more than 120 undercover drug operations and 780 undercover drug transactions.

Walton's goal is to educate parents, teachers and young people on the
dangers of street drugs and inform them on what is out there today.

Bert Church Theatre will be the venue April 5, 7-9 p.m., for a
two-hour seminar with Walton, presented by the Airdrie, Crossfield
and District Youth Justice Committee.

He will also speak to Grade 7 students at Airdrie Middle School April
16, Ralph McCall April 17 and St. Martin April 18.

Walton has done presentations in Airdrie for the last five years and
each year he is asked to come back.

"We've had him in Airdrie for ... the last five years," said Donna
Norndon, of the Youth Justice Committee. "It's an ongoing thing that
we've sponsored."

Norndon suggests all Airdrie parents consider attending the seminar
at Bert Church.

"The town hall (presentation) is tailored for parents and
counsellors, adults and parents," she said. "He tells the adults what
is on the streets these days and what the signs and symptoms of
certain types of drugs are.

"This is just to give the parents a good idea of what goes on and how
dangerous these drugs are."

Walton personally attended more than 300 marijuana grow operations
and has been qualified in the criminal justice system as an expert on
street drugs. His education provides insight on street jargon,
consumption practices and the physiology of street drugs, the effects
of use, street pricing and patterns of abuse.

"It's a good overall eye-opening wakeup call for the parents and
teachers," Norndon said.

Walton has published numerous articles in Canada and the United
States and is the author of the award winning book First Response
Guide to Street Drugs, Volume One. Volume Two was recently published, as well.

"He's very knowledgeable and he brings pictures and slide shows,"
Norndon said. "It's pretty graphic. He was undercover for so long
that he's got some really horrendous stories."

The cost of admission to the Bert Church Theatre presentation is a
non-perishable food item for the Airdrie Food Bank.