Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jun 2006
Source: Jasper Booster (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 The Jasper Booster
Contact:  http://www.jasperbooster.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/788

WORKING TOGETHER TO COMBAT DRUG USE

Jasper Booster -- Quite recently Booster readers may have read a 
piece entitled 'Drug trends scary' in this space. Because we believe 
the effect of drugs in this community is an important issue, this 
week's editorial deals with a similar theme. But this time the focus 
is more on the solutions and not so much on the symptoms.

It's clear this is an issue that is causing ever increasing concern 
locally, but the good news about that is the more people who aware of 
the problems and worried about them, the better equipped we'll be to 
deal with them as time goes on.

In our interview with longtime police officer and drug education 
speaker Steve Walton (see story on Page 1), the most important thing 
he talked about was the impact a cohesive community can have on drug 
criminals. His analysis of that side of the issue makes perfect sense.

It's only natural that people who sell drugs and make drugs are going 
to be comfortable doing their business in a place where the average 
person could care less abut their activities. If a drug criminal 
knows he's trying to make money in a town whose attention is closely 
focused on the issue of drug use and committed to working together to 
find solutions it makes life harder for them.

We need Jasper to be the kind of community that cares -- so what more 
can we do that isn't being done? A local committee or community 
action group with a specific focus on drugs could do considerable good here.

Hopefully law enforcement and social services would both be involved 
in some way and the group's job would be to update interested 
community members on local drug trends. More importantly, the group 
would work towards solutions to problems caused by drug use.

Drug education is one that is mentioned a great deal especially 
because the age of first time drug users is going down. The DARE 
program (which has both its proponents and critics) seems to be one 
of the few consistently applied drug education initiatives for youth 
in our schools. There are occasional talks booked for kids of other 
ages but consistent and ongoing drug education is lacking. Drug 
education needs to begin earlier and followed through consistently 
until the late teens.

Aside from drug education, there are others things that can be done. 
How about some form of community watch and business cooperation? It 
doesn't seem to be a secret that drug dealers often do their work in 
public, from the bar to the skate park. More watchful eyes reporting 
suspicious behaviour couldn't hurt.

More people could easily sit down and brainstorm many more ideas and 
that's the key point. The entire community has to be involved -- 
there must be partnerships made among local policy makers, law 
enforcement, parents social services and healthcare professionals, 
business owners, educators and, just as importantly, average citizens 
who share a concern for the issue.

It may sound cliche, but it's only when people work together that 
things get done more easily.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman