Pubdate: Mon, 05 Nov 2012
Source: Metro (Saskatoon, CN SN)
Copyright: 2012 Free Daily News Group Inc.
Contact:  http://metronews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5420
Author: Morgan Modjeski
Page: 2

BLADES TO EDUCATE STUDENTS ON DANGERS OF DRUG USE

A group of Saskatoon Blades will be putting down their hockey sticks
to educate Saskatoon students about the dangers of drug use.

Part of Project Faceoff, four members of the Blades toured Vancouver's
Downtown Eastside in late October and on Tuesday they'll start taking
what they learned to 22 schools in and around Saskatoon.

Detective Constable Matthew Ingrouille of the Saskatoon Police
Service's Intergrated Drug Unit travelled to Vancouver with the Blades
and said the message they'll relay is an important one.

"The biggest message we try to get across, is for kids to have
something on the tip of their tongue to be able say no," said Ingrouille.

"Education is really the key to any sort of campaign against deviant
behavior," he added. "Instead of a bunch of police officers saying,
'don't do this because it's wrong or because it's illegal', we're
teaching young people about why this is wrong and why we chose to make
this illegal and they can make an informed decision."

He said one way to avoid drugs is to surround yourself with
like-minded people and be passionate about something, pointing to the
Blades players pursuit of hockey as a good example.

"It's just about finding what you really enjoy doing, being passionate
about that and using that as your excuse," he said.

Duncan Siemens, who plays defense with the Blades said the experience
was an eye opener and he hopes he can help equip Saskatoon students
with information that will prevent them from getting involved in drugs.

"The big message is making them aware of what drugs can do and where
it can take you in life and how those people got introduced to the
lifestyle they live now-they didn't just grow up smoking crack-they
started somewhere," he said. "That's the big message, let kids know
what could come of it and their options when it does get introduced to
them."
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MAP posted-by: Matt