Pubdate: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 Source: Daily Gleaner (CN NK) Copyright: 2008 Brunswick News Inc. Contact: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3857 TEENS TO LEARN ABCS OF ADDICTION A dozen teens will add a lot more to their education this weekend than just reading, writing and arithmetic as they delve into the world of drug addiction. Positive Heart Living and the city police's Hughes Street neighbourhood action team are holding an educational and awareness course on youth addictions at the Victoria Health Centre today. Bonnie Priest, founder of Positive Heart Living, said the session is designed to give youth leaders the tools they need to recognize the warning signs of addiction, both in their peers and in themselves. The four-hour course will also teach the youth about how they can intervene when they spot an addiction problem. Among those who will address the youth will be Const. Jan Smith of the Fredericton Police Force, who's also with the neighbourhood action team. She said the old "Say no to drugs" message doesn't work. Teens need to be given other alternatives to deal with drug issues, Smith said, and chief among them is how to deal with conflict. Youth are aware of the issue of drug abuse, she said, but they're not really aware of why many kids get caught up in them. Drugs are an escape for many who don't know how to deal with conflict and stress in their lives, Smith said, so it's important to teach positive coping skills so they don't resort to drugs instead. "This is preventative," she said. The session will deal with a wide array of drugs, from street drugs to prescription drugs to alcohol. "A drug is a drug is a drug," Smith said. Society has become too casual about alcohol and pot consumption, she said. "We're becoming very complacent about marijuana," she said, noting it's still an illegal drug. Smith said she's pleased to find there are teens out there who want to reach out to their peers and help. Priest said it's important to establish a comfortable rapport between the teens and authorities. "We need to get the youth so they're not afraid of police," she said. Priest said this is the first of four such sessions. Twelve teens have signed up for today's session, which is the capacity of the course, she said. There are more identical sessions to come, she said, the next one being Feb. 9. "I've got two people signed up already for the next session," Priest said, adding people should register as soon as possible. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek