Pubdate: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 Source: Intelligencer, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2006, Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.intelligencer.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2332 Author: Henry Bury DRINKING AND DRUGS CAN BRING DEADLY RESULTS FOR TEENS: ACTIVIST Former paramedic Norbert Georget held up a body bag in front of a packed Quinte Secondary School gymnasium Tuesday and told students he's not trying to spoil their fun. "It's the last place I want to see you," he said near the end of his 75-minute Smart Youth Power Assembly touching on teenage drinking and driving, substance abuse and peer pressure. Georget told students he has used the body bag for a student who had attended one of his presentations. The student was killed in a drunk driving incident. "Over 90 of my students ended up in a body bag," he said. Georget also showed photographs of bodies lying in a morgue. "I don't believe in scare tactics. This is facts," he said. The Saskatoon paramedic quit his full-time job several years ago and started his youth power assembly as a hobby. It has turned into a full-time commitment and he speaks to thousands of youth across North America. He has already delivered his message to more than one million students in 2,000 public schools throughout North America. His presentations at Quinte and at St. Paul's Secondary School in Trenton Tuesday morning were financially sponsored by QuintEssential and Bayshore credit unions. It was his first visit to the Quinte area. Using an array of graphic photographs taken at accident scenes involving alcohol, videos and movie clips of drug users and chilling tape recordings of accident crashes and discussions with parents of victims, Georget tried to get his message across that it's OK not to drink and it's OK not to do drugs. Students listened intently to every word spoken by Georget as one could almost hear a pin drop during the assembly. Grade 12 student Andrew Lawrenson said he found the presentation "very informative" and will try to spread the message to his friends. He even purchased It's OK not to drink and It's OK not to do drugs bumper stickers. "It's not a good thing to drive under any kind of impairment and this is only reinforcing that," he said. Grade 10 student Angelina Christopher called the presentation "awesome. It was like a reality check. It makes you think." Georget told students they are not born losers or winners. They are born choosers and it's their choice whether they get behind the wheel after drinking or doing drugs or getting into a vehicle where the driver has been drinking. Georget said more people are killed by drunk drivers than die from crime. Every five hours in Canada, someone dies in an alcohol-related accident, he said. Eighteen per cent of car crashes involve impaired drivers who took drugs, with pot being the drug of choice. Georget said crystal meth is not only becoming more prevalent but it's also the "worst drug" ever made. "Three things will happen if you do drugs. You will go to jail, get sick or die." He urged students to "run away" if they're at a party and they see someone using crystal meth. "Who you hang around with will make or break you." Georget told students if they're currently smoking or drinking "and disrespecting your body," they may have already started down the path to using crystal meth. "If you take drugs laced with crystal meth, start digging your grave." He pleaded with students to hand their keys to someone else if they have been drinking, to fill out their organ donor cards "and kiss your mom or dad." - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine