Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jun 2015
Source: Daily Press, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.timminspress.com/letters
Website: http://www.timminspress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1001
Author: Thomas Perry
Page: A4

EFFORTS TO KEEP KIDS DRUG FREE ADMIRABLE

Timmins Police Service continues to be at the forefront of efforts to
keep local children from getting involved with illegal drugs.

Its DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program - delivered to
students at the Grade 6 level - has been having a positive impact in
our community for a number of years.

And now Timmins Police Service has begun to reinforce that message at
the Grade 8 level with its Keeping It Real program.

"The instructors are a little bit more serious about telling the
students about the challenges they are going to face going into high
school," Chief Gauthier noted during a recent interview.

"This initiative is a direct result of some of meetings I had with the
high school principals. What they were seeing is that they were having
problems with Grade 9 and Grade 10 students."

Getting educators and police officers involved in these programs that
show just how negative an impact drugs can have on the lives of young
students is very important.

Just as important, however, is ensuring that parents are on board and
that they know the potential dangers their children are facing in
today's modern world.

The Straight Talk on Drugs being delivered by Timmins Police Service
at the Porcupine Dante Club Tuesday night is designed to do just that.

"Kids still smoke marijuana but speed (methamphetamines) has become a
very big problem," said Timmins Police Service Const. Matthew Beerman,
who spearheaded the Straight Talk on Drugs session. "Also, now kids
are taking marijuana and they are using butane to break it down and
turning it into a substance called dab or shatter which is a highly
concentrated form of marijuana and it is very dangerous. High
experienced users can take it once and end up in the hospital on an
overdose."

As part of Tuesday's presentation, two parents, George Couchie and
Gary Leduc, will share their experiences of having to deal with
drug-addicted children. Yvonne McClinchey from South Porcupine
Addiction Services will also speak about the various support agencies
that can assist parents.

While next week's Straight Talk on Drugs is targeted toward parents of
junior high and high school students, it is a message anyone with
children should take to heart.
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MAP posted-by: Matt