Pubdate: Wed, 15 Nov 2000
Source: Richmond Review (CN BC)
Copyright: 2000 Richmond Public Library
Contact:  Unit 140 5671 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C.
Fax: (604) 606-8752
Website: http://www.rpl.richmond.bc.ca/community/RichmondReview/
Author: Martin van den Hemel

ANTI-DRUG TEAM TAKES YOUTHFUL FOCUS

Drug prevention workers in local elementary schools? That could 
happen if council and school board agrees with a recommendation by 
the Richmond Alcohol and Drug Action team.

Local school board chair Sandra Bourque said Wednesday team 
representatives will be appearing before trustees at the next school 
board meeting to suggest funding for six drug prevention workers. The 
source of the funding would be money the city receives from the Great 
Canadian Casino.

"We need to look at...what we can do to help kids make better 
choices," Bourque said. "Just putting a fear of drugs into kids 
doesn't work."

The issue of youth and drugs came up late last month at an education 
committee meeting where stakeholders, including trustees, students 
and parents, discussed the safety audit released by the auditor 
general. It dealt with safety of children in schools and discussed a 
wide range of topics including bullying. Trustees voted to refer the 
report to staff to determine what the local school district needs to 
address local needs.

But committee participants pointed out the audit didn't touch on the 
issue of drugs.

A school district curriculum counselor advised the education 
committee during the Oct. 23 meeting that more students appear to be 
using harder drugs.

According to minutes taken at an Education Committee Meeting, Rob 
Inrig "advised the committee that counselors have noted a change in 
the drugs of choice being used." While the marijuana and alcohol 
continue to be popular, "more students appear to be using harder 
drugs."

Inrig told the committee he feels the need for "additional community 
services, such as adolescent detox(ification), and stressed the 
enormity of this societal problem."

Some student representatives explained some parents "refuse to 
believe their children are involved in drug use, possibly because 
they don't know how to deal with the issue."

Bourque said the availability of drugs, the pressure to use them and 
the wide array are all concerns.
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MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer