Pubdate: Mon, 03 May 2021
Source: Cowichan Valley Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2021 Cowichan Valley Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/cowichanvalleycitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4349
Author: Cristina Adam

SAY NO TO DRUGS THE BEST MESSAGE

I have not heard any reporting on what type of drug education our
children are receiving in schools. Considering the high number of
deaths due to drug overdoses just this year alone, that is 500 in B.C.
in the last three months, I would like to know if the schools have any
drug prevention education and if so, what is the message?

Recently the granddaughter of a friend of mine who is in Grade 7
stated that her teacher said, "if you're going to do drugs, do it safely"
=2E

If this is the typical message from schools, then I am
broken-hearted=85and the future is bleak for our children and for
society as a whole. Let me tell you in no uncertain terms there is NO
way to take drugs safely. Most drugs are highly addictive, even after
a few doses, and once hooked the user is likely hooked for life.
Treatment centres report very low success rates over the long term.
Marijuana, although now legal, is still the gateway drug it has always
been.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Yes, this sounds
simple, but is full of common sense. I was in high school when drugs
came on the scene, and the simple message, "Say No to Drugs" and an
explanation of why, with strong law enforcement, held back the
floodgates for a long time, but somewhere along the line we as a
society grew complacent, actually enabling substance abuse by our laws
and attitudes and now death lurks in every community.

Remember how we managed to bring down the rates for smoking. We smoked
everywhere - in hospitals, schools, planes, on the job and in
restaurants. Then a strong anti-smoking program began, including
schools, and over time it wasn't cool to smoke anymore. I recall Grade
5 students being asked to sign anti-smoking pledges.

Can we get our will back as a society and give a clear message, saying
"no" to drugs, and never, never giving up the fight.

Cristina Adam

Mill Bay
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MAP posted-by: Matt