Pubdate: Sat, 21 Oct 2006
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Author: Jenn Marshall

TEENS GET HELP WITH DRUG ISSUES

Drugs and Alcohol Can Be Big Issues in High School.

Nanaimo secondary students now have a counsellor on hand to talk to 
about their problems or peer pressures surrounding these issues.

Since last October, the ADAPT Society (Alcohol and Drug Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment) has been sending drug and alcohol 
counsellors to all of the high schools in the district for a few 
hours each week.

Adrian Maisonneuve goes to Nanaimo District secondary school and 
Wellington secondary school in order to be more available to kids 
when they need to talk to someone or have questions about drugs.

"There's each of us counsellors at one of the high schools," he said. 
"The schools have been really great in the last year or so towards 
making us comfortable there."

He said having counsellors come in to the schools is important 
because that is where drug and alcohol problems are first recognized 
- - the symptoms of drug or alcohol use often show up in the form of 
grades dropping or classes being skipped frequently.

"We're in their schools and we can be there in that moment when they 
need to talk to somebody," said Maisonneuve. "My goal is just to have 
a very safe school for people."

What is worrisome to the counsellor is how pervasive drugs and 
alcohol seem to be in both schools - during school hours especially.

"The majority of the time I see pot becoming really entrenched in the 
every day activities of students," Maisonneuve said. "The smoke pit 
seems to be a really bothersome place for advancing the use of drugs 
and alcohol."

He said he talked with one 14-year-old girl who told him the subtle 
peer pressure is hard to avoid, because once you say no, you are put 
in a different light from the other teenagers.

"If everybody's doing it, it makes it hard to stay away from it," 
said Maisonneuve.

Students often come in to talk about problems with family members or 
friends as well, he said.

Maisonneuve tries to make his services available during all four 
blocks, coming in twice weekly at both schools.

At Wellington, he shares an office with the school liaison officer 
and at NDSS, an office in the counselling department is made 
available for him during his time there.

Lisa Peace, vice-principal at Wellington secondary, said having an 
alcohol and drug counsellor on the school premises has had a positive effect.

"One of the things that really works is that he's placed right in the 
school," she said. "It's a safe, trusting environment, it's confidential."

She said she has students who have received a drug suspension go to 
Maisonneuve and he provides them with help to work towards positive change.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine