Pubdate: Fri, 04 Nov 2005
Source: Similkameen Spotlight (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Similkameen Spotlight
Contact:  http://www.similkameenspotlight.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3484
Author: Carter Haydu, Associate Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

COUNSELLOR TEACHES SOBER REALITY

Coming soon to your child's classroom, a man determined to stop Princeton 
students from taking drugs.

"The students are going to get the story the drug users and pushers in this 
town will never tell them," says drug and alcohol counsellor Paul Huycke.

How does this drug fighter plan to get through to your children?

"By being up front. I don't believe children are idiots, stupid or too 
young to understand. They have working brains, and will learn to say no to 
the scum making profits off their health."

Drug dealers beware: Huycke has little sympathy for those who make a buck 
in the illegal drug trade.

"In my opinion, selling drugs makes someone a little lower than an ear 
wig," Huycke says, adding dealers and pushers feed off the misery of others.

"Even cannibals at least kill their victims before eating them."

He used to work in the Princeton schools as the drug and alcohol counsellor 
before retiring a couple of years ago. With no counsellors currently 
mandated to provide preventive program in schools, Huycke says the school 
board really wanted him to step in and deliver his anti-drug message.

"The need to educate the students is just as critical today as three or 10 
years ago - maybe more so."

He has no reservations about coming out of retirement.

"I'm really pumped. I just want to get at it."

His return to the counsellor position became official after the Oct. 13 
Princeton and District Child and Youth Society public meeting. Members 
approved seed-funding for the Preventative Youth Initiative.

Huycke's in-depth understanding of substance abuse is an asset with his 
chosen profession, but it certainly came at a cost.

"I'm a drug addict/alcoholic. I've been sober for 30 years."

He says the fall came early for him. The young kleptomaniac with 
undiagnosed ADD was sentenced to 1 1/2 years of reform school at age 11 
because he derailed a train. That was not his only time incarcerated.

The wayward teen spent one month in a Montreal jail at age 14 and received 
an indefinite reform school sentence at age 15. Before his sentence was 
finished, Huycke ran away.

He got by with several jobs in Toronto, including being dope runner for a 
biker gang.

At 17, Huycke worked in a Quebec mine. Actually, he had several jobs, but 
his increasing alcohol dependency made it impossible to stick with anything.

"I'd start a job, work and drink until they were ready to fire me, then I'd 
quit. That went on for the next 15-16 years."

Eventually, Huycke says he was a divorced single father/drunk unable to 
care for his son without extensive help from others.

"I spent most my time in the bar talking about what I would be doing rather 
than actually doing it."

Finally, Huycke hit bottom. He entered treatment in Calgary. He was sick, 
and willing to either get sober or die. After 13 months, Huycke was off 
alcohol and discovered his knack for helping others stay sober.

He worked at the treatment centre and attended night school for seven years 
before enrolling in Mt. Royal College's social work program.

Following completion of the program, Huycke managed a Drumheller centre 
(that he helped create) for three years.

His current wife, Merrilyn, convinced him to apply for the Princeton Drug 
and Alcohol Society and Services position.

After several years of serving Princeton residents and helping students 
stay sober, he retired in 2004. Now a professional urine and alternate 
specimens collector with his own company, Reality Check, Huycke is eager to 
get back into the classrooms."I think it's gonna' work out just great."

Huycke, who spent a good many years clutching the bottle, isn't ashamed to 
share those less admirable moments from his life with others. He says those 
days are past, he just tries to do his best and hopes he ends up on the 
right side.

"And I think I have."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom