Pubdate: Sat, 19 May 2007 Source: Red Deer Advocate (CN AB) Copyright: 2007 Red Deer Advocate Contact: http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2492 Author: Laura Tester GRIEVING PARENTS AIM TO RAISE AWARENESS OF DRUG PROBLEM Taylor Argent loved to play hockey and he always stuck up for the little guy. He was well-liked at school. He was a good kid who had loving parents to come home to each night. But then something got the best of him. Inside their well-kept home in Anders, Kim and Mike Argent remember how their youngest son's life changed forever. "It was a little over a year ago that he tried coke for the first time," Kim said. They knew something was up, so Kim ordered a drug test online. Taylor's results showed positive. "He swore he would never do it again." The couple found out that an older teen had introduced Taylor to the drug, which produces profound feelings of pleasure and can be highly addictive. Taylor used every three or four days. "He would go out and think he was just going to have a few drinks, but then it would never work out that way," Kim said. They tried everything to help their son, including sending him to counselling and AADAC. He also went to the private treatment centre near Tees. The in-patient facility opened last July for anyone with alcohol or other drug abuse problems. Mike said the five-week program gave their son the tools to move forward. "We got our son back for a while," he said. "He was a different person." "He knew he needed to go get help," Kim added. "But you know it's hard. You come back and you have all these other teens that drink and use (drugs)." Sometimes he became moody -- a telltale symptom of drug use. But the rest of time he was his easygoing self. On March 30, Taylor took his first hit of crack cocaine. Three days later, he was dead. Taylor was 17. He would have graduated from Hunting Hills High School this year. Taylor also left behind a 19-year-old brother Kaylin. Just weeks after their son's death, his grieving parents aim to raise awareness of what they say is a common problem in Red Deer. Mike and Kim said parents shouldn't think that drugs are out of their children's reach. It can happen to any child, no matter what neighbourhood they live in. "All we heard of was cocaine and ecstasy," Mike said. "If parents don't think it's prevalent. . . " They urge parents to act on their hunch, particularly as drug-using teens will attempt to hide the truth. They also urge parents to keep better tabs on their children. It's so easy for children to hide where the next party is when they don't need to use the phone at home. "The kids use text-messaging, they use their cellphones, they use the Internet. So they don't have a clue what their kids are doing," Kim said. The Argents want to share an HBO documentary on addiction with members of the public aged 14 and up. Mike had watched the special in the middle of the night and ordered it. Taylor promised to watch it with his parents, but it arrived the day after he died. Topics include What is Addiction, The Adolescent Addict and Understanding Relapse. The free videos will be shown at Carnival Cinemas on Saturday May 26 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. A couple of other segments will be shown on May 27 at the same time and location. "We know this is affecting so many people," Kim said. "If we can save lives, then it would be worth it." Attendees will also have the chance to make donations to the Central Alberta Recovery Centre near Tees in memory of Taylor. So far, more than $17,000 has been raised for helping less fortunate individuals get help at the centre. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek