Pubdate: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 Source: Coaster (CN NF) Copyright: 2007 Coaster Contact: http://www.thecoaster.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3280 Author: Greg Knott GHOSTS IN THE HALLS Students Participate In Unique Awareness Program Their friends and classmates didn't realize they were dead. Dressed in black and with their faces painted white, seven students from Bay d'Espoir Academy participated in a unique program designed to bring awareness to the effects of drug and alcohol abuse on young people. Dubbed White Face Day, no one except the staff and the students involved understood the significance of the young people in the white faces. The young people involved were not allowed to speak to anyone throughout the day. Each of the students involved represented one of seven young people in the province who died directly from the effects of alcohol and drug abuse from 2003 to 2005. "These are seven kids who got drunk or high and died," said Cst. Kevin Dunleavy of the RCMP detachment in Bay d'Espoir. "Either they were in snowmobile accident, went through the ice, they drove while they were drinking, they committed suicide, they overdosed. One kid...walked in front of a moving vehicle while he was intoxicated." The curious classmates and friends were left to wonder what was happening until late in the afternoon when they given a presentation by Cst. Dunleavy. The event was a joint presentation by both the RCMP and the Bay d'Espoir Crime Prevention Committee. Eileen Kearley of the Crime Prevention Committee said they have had close calls with young people in their area in the past and hopefully this young people understand more clearly the effects of substance abuse and bring the issue directly to them. "We wanted to show you some of the real impacts," explained Cst. Dunleavy who said the presentation was designed to be a reality check and would hopefully help people wake up and realize this is a major problem. He showed a short video that he described as the most realistic portrayal of what happens at a car accident. In the video a young man is taken into police custody after crashing his car while driving under the influence and killing a number of his friends and injuring others. "It will happen in this community, if it hasn't already happened in the past," said Cst. Dunleavy once the video was finished. Cst. Dunleavy quoted a report released by the Department of Health and Community Services in 2003 (Newfoundland and Labrador Student Drug Use Survey) that said 64 per cent of students had said they had use tobacco, alcohol or illicit drugs in the 12 months prior to the survey. Cst. Dunleavy said the statistics suggest that three out of every five students in the gym that day had consumed alcohol. The report also noted that more then half of the students consumed alcohol, just over one third used cannabis (marijuana) and slightly more then one quarter smoked cigarettes in the year prior to the survey. Around five per cent of students had reported using cannabis almost every day in the 30 days before the survey. The final topic covered was methanphetamine or crystal meth. Although it hasn't been found in this region yet, it is becoming increasingly popular across the country, and has found its way to Newfoundland. "It is the most destructive and addictive substance," said Cst. Dunleavy. He warned students to stay clear of the drug known by a variety of names including speed, meth, crystal, crank, ice, glass and crystal meth. The drug is highly addictive and people can become hooked after only one use. One of the dangers people are worried about is that crystal meth has been found in other drugs commonly used. Some marijuana joints and ecstasy pills have been found to be laced with crystal meth, sometimes making users unaware of the added danger they are exposed to. Cst. Dunleavy showed a number of graphic pictures showcasing the effects of the drug on the human body. Pictures depicted rotting teeth and gums caused by the chemicals in the drug. Others showed large open sores caused by the drugs and sometimes by users themselves by clawing at their own skin. Cst.Dunleavy finished the presentation by introducing the seven white faced students and explaining the circumstances of the deaths of the real people they represented. As each student stood up he asked all the students what it was like to not be able to talk to their friends all day and explained that is the reality for some people that have lost their friends. Mervin McDonald who described the presentation and video as intense represented the young man who died after walking into the street and being hit by a car while intoxicated. "If you lost them today, what would it be like to lose them forever," asked Cst. Dunleavy. School principal Shawn Fowlow said this presentation was one of the few times when they had everyone's attention. He said at the beginning of the day as he walked through the hallways with three students dressed in black and with faces painted white, it was a very eerie feeling knowing what they represented. While this was their first White Face day, the Bay d'Espoir Crime Prevention Committee hopes to be able to bring the presentation to other schools in their area and eventually all throughout the Coast of Bays region. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statistics on youth substance abuse (Source: 2003 Newfoundland and Labrador Student Drug Use Survey) - - 58 % of adolescent students surveyed in Newfoundland used some alcohol during the course of the year. - - 35 % of students reported using cannabis (marijuana) in the course of the year. - - 18 % of Newfoundland students in 2003 with a driver's license drove a motor vehicle within an hour of having used alcohol. 20 % of students drove a motor vehicle within an hour of having used cannabis. - - In 2003, 24 % of students in grade 9, 43% in Level 1, and 66% in Level 3 had engaged in sexual intercourse. 39% had unplanned sexual intercourse had unplanned sexual intercourse while under the influence of a substance on at least one occasion during the year. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath