Pubdate: Mon, 20 Sep 2004
Source: Clearwater Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 Clearwater Times
Contact:  http://www.clearwatertimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1448
Author: Jeff Hodson

STATISTICS SHOW DROP IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE

For the first time in seven years, drug- and alcohol-related suspensions
within School District 73 have leveled off.

"The good news is that for the first time in seven years there has not been
any increase, the bad news is that there hasn't been any decrease either,"
said Superintendent Terry Sullivan.

Statistics about drug and alcohol suspensions will be presented to trustees
at Monday's school board meeting.

"We don't feel that these stats really give us a dead reckoning of the level
of abuse. . . . But it is the only indicator we have right now." While
alcohol stayed fairly stable during the seven-year period - oscillating
around 50 suspensions a year - drug use has increased from 73 suspensions in
1997-98, up to 237 in 2003-04. Total suspensions peaked at 296 in 2002-03
and dropped by one to 295 in 2003-04.

"Even though it could be leveling off socially - because it looks like it's
doing that across Canada and Australia as well - it still means that we have
to be vigilant," said Angela Lawrence the drug and alcohol coordinator for
the school district.

Lawrence, along with Sullivan and student services director Karl deBruijn,
was the impetus behind the district's new Drug and Alcohol
Prevention-Intervention Action Plan.

The plan calls for a four-pillar approach - prevention, enforcement,
education, and harm reduction - to dealing with drug and alcohol in schools.

And despite shock stories about crystal meth and other high profile drugs,
the biggest concerns for Lawrence remain alcohol, nicotine and marijuana.

"Alcohol is more damaging than heroin, cocaine and a lot of other drugs
combined," said Jim Cullen, a University College of the Cariboo professor
who specializes in additions.

"But because [alcohol] is legally sanctioned, and because it's socially
permissible, it doesn't get the attention it deserves.

"Why don't we look at the kids that are barfing their guts out on the lawns?
. . . Let's talk about drinking responsibly."

And Lawrence agrees. The problem, she says, with traditional attempts to
curtail teenage alcohol abuse was the preaching of abstinence. While adults
can drink all they want, kids are told not to drink. And if they do start
drinking, support is unavailable to them because they're not supposed to be
drinking.

"Kids have not had any support around harm reduction," Lawrence said.

"We know that [kids] are going to drink and some of them are going to drink
quite a bit. Some of them are going to die."

Rather than preach abstinence, Lawrence has adopted a strategy based on harm
reduction.
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MAP posted-by: Josh