Pubdate: Fri, 29 May 2009
Source: Lindsay Daily Post (CN ON)
Copyright: 2009 Osprey Media
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/EYweHoXP
Website: http://www.thepost.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2333
Author: Peter Fisher

PROJECT AIMS TO PREVENT DRUG USE

Drugs: Local Health Unit to Use $284,308 Over Next 29
Months

The federal government is supporting a project to help prevent youth
from using illicit drugs.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit has
been given $284,308 to kick off the Resiliency Project, which is
designed to implement and promote activities aimed at preventing drug
use among youth in Northumberland County, Haliburton County and the
City of Kawartha Lakes. The money, from the government's Drug Strategy
Initiatives Fund, will be used over the next 29 months.

"The project partners will recruit young people to participate in
youth council, and members of the council will be trained to counsel
their peers and provide them with the options of healthier life
choices," stated Northumberland-Quinte West MP Nick Morlock, who made
the announcement on behalf of his government.

The former Ontario Provincial Police officer added that drugs are
"absolutely" a problem in this area.

"Not only the amount of drugs, but the kind of drugs," he said. "Some
of them only take two or three uses before you become addicted."

Norlock said the chief of the Ottawa Police Department told him people
who are addicted to drugs commit eight times the number of crimes than
those who are not addicted.

"This program is designed to dissuade you from beginning to take
drugs. For those who are in the early stages, or addicted to drugs, at
least lead them away from the usage of drugs, which in and of itself
tends to in many cases lead to other antisocial issues and crime," he
said.

"Now that drugs are in our primary schools, we have to do something
about it and today's announcement is exactly that. This is, to me, one
of the most important pieces of the puzzle of how you remove drugs
from a community."

The anonymous Ontario Drug Student Survey includes students from Grade
7 and into high schools. It revealed some students are using drugs in
the fifth grade and up.

The Eastern Region, which includes City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton
and Northumberland County, showed an increase in Oxy-Contin and
tranquilizers, where the Toronto area had a decline in drug use.

The health unit worked in partnership with Rebound Child and Youth
Services Northumberland, The Boys and Girls Club of Kawartha Lakes and
the Haliburton Highland's Family Health team to develop the Resiliency
Project. The project also includes Point In Time Youth Services of
Haliburton County, Northumberland Drug Action Committee, Kawartha
Lakes Drug Action Committee, Haliburton Drug Action Committee, the
HKPR District Health Unit and the United Way.

Health unit project coordinator Bridgette McFarthing said she hopes
the project will last three years.

"We're hiring youth in the fall once we lay our foundation," she said.
"It's bringing together five agencies, three networks, reaching out to
youth and then youth starting up and coming together --so that takes a
bit of time."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake