Pubdate: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2009 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Barb Pacholik, Staff Writer A LOOK AT DRUG ABUSE WITHOUT 'SUGAR-COATING' The video shows an angry, teenage girl with a know-it-all attitude, continually dropping the f-bomb as she justifies her drug use. "I say, 'It's O f---in' K'," 18-year-old Kristie Swenson scoffs. "I'm a stoner," she proclaims. The clip, from an interview captured on film, appeared in the first season of the SCN, Regina-based television series Drug Class. On Wednesday as she stood before an auditorium of students at Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School, Swenson, now 20, admitted she is embarrassed by that particular scene, but has no regrets about participating in the series. "I see someone completely different; that's not me," Swenson says in a scene from the second season of the 13-part series, which premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on SCN. "Drug Class made me see myself for who I was -- no sugar-coating it. I did not like the girl I saw," Swenson told those gathered for the program's launch. "Somebody took over my body, and it scares me." "One of the good things, though, about everyone being able to see me act like an idiot is that, hopefully, it makes people look at themselves," she added. The Gemini Award-winning series, produced by Cooper Rock Pictures, weaves together stories of typical teens like Swenson struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, their parents' challenges, and the classes taught by Regina addictions counsellor Rand Teed. While the first season focused on the effects of drugs, this season will look at making changes and regaining control. This year will feature new youths, follow some of the previous ones, and include a new online element. Teed will be available for a live online (scn.ca/drugclass) chat for a half-hour after tonight's program. People posing questions may remain anonymous. A retired teacher, Teed has been bringing his drug classes to Regina schools for the last eight years. He teaches harm reduction, has a non-judgmental approach, and doesn't shy away from speaking about his own history of substance abuse. Teed believes the series is effective because it's not simply him talking. "When a kid or parent sees someone of that age talking about 'this happened to me' ... that makes it way less frightening," Teed said. While educational, Drug Class also includes a hard dose of reality. In one clip, a teenage girl says, "I laid down and passed out and woke up with some guy on top of me." A parent speaks emotionally about her feelings of failure: "My job as a parent is to protect." Swenson turned to drugs -- marijuana, LSD, ecstasy, ketamine, "pretty much anything" -- at age 17 to fit in at her Regina high school. She overdosed at one point and ended up comatose for eight hours. Even then, even after treatment in an expensive, U.S. anti-drug program, she was determined to continue using. Swenson said the video footage "doesn't lie," forcing her to take a close look at herself. Her life started improving about six months ago. "It's a long, hard process," she added. A hair stylist who devotes herself to training in the martial art Muay Thai, she hopes others might be helped by her experience. Producer Lori Kuffner applauded the youths and families who took part. "We'll never know how many people we're reaching," she said, adding that there's no doubt their stories have become the source of change for some. Shooting for the third season is already underway. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr