Pubdate: Mon, 30 Jun 2008
Source: Daily Gleaner (CN NK)
Page: C7
Copyright: 2008 Brunswick News Inc.
Contact:  http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3857

DRUGS CONTINUE TO DESTROY LIVES

The First Step To Fixing A Problem Is To Recognize There Is One.

Those involved in the battle against drug abuse at St. Mary's First 
Nation deserve applause following recent efforts there to give the 
problem a public face.

Provincial Court Judge Graydon Nicholas, a respected member of the 
judiciary and a native Canadian, spoke on the issue last week at 
Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School during a day-long 
event set to coincide with the United Nations International Day Against Drugs.

Nicholas said drug use is a threat to every community, but is 
particularly true on reserves.

"Within First Nations communities the problem is magnified because we 
tend to live isolated lives and don't see what is going on in the 
greater communities," he said.

"People need to know the effect of drugs in both the greater 
communities and globally."

According to the United Nations, tobacco kills five million people a 
year, alcohol about 2.5 million; and illicit drugs around 200,000 
persons a year worldwide.

Those are shocking statistics.

Nicholas, a provincial court judge since 1991, said he regularly sees 
the effects of drugs in his courtroom as users often cross the line 
to find ways and means to support their habits.

St. Mary's First Nation worked in collaboration with the Foundation 
for a Drug Free World, in organizing the first such event put on by a 
Canadian reserve.

Organizer Jessica Paul said the key to battling the problem on 
reserves is to get more natives involved and to take a stand against drugs.

Information packages provided by the foundation were distributed to 
all 250 homes on the St. Mary's First Nation prior to the forum 
Thursday. Paul said it's important to give community members the 
facts about drugs.

"These packages we distributed have the most accurate and truthful 
information I have seen and talk about a lot of the things that 
people just don't talk about.

"And it's important to get that information out there," Paul said.

Education is the key.

People need to be reminded of the dangers that go hand-in-hand with 
illegal drugs and the potential impacts they can have on families, 
specifically, and communities in general.

Drugs sometimes kill.

But they're also responsible for destroying millions of lives each year.
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