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.
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MAP posted-by: Derek