Pubdate: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 Source: Daily Press, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2001 Daily Press (CN ON) Contact: http://www.timminspress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1001 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) TIMMINS TEENS PLAN TO ATTACK DRUG PROBLEMS IN CITY HEAD ON Staying connected with life: that's the goal and motto for Youth Against Drug Abuse (YADA). The groups goal is to decrease drug abuse and its harmful effects by helping youth make healthy choices and stay connected with life. I'm really against drugs, said YADA member Cora-Lee Morin. You lose out on the natural high and joys of life. You don't see the world in the right perspective, but with a dazed mind. Morin is one member of a core group of 12 Timmins teens supported by seven agencies concerned with the well being of youth. Youth need to know theres other youth who want to try to help them and that there are other things to do in the community, said YADA member Tanya Champagne. YADA arose from the Timmins Youth Needs Assessment (TYNA) project. The project began with an intensive survey of Timmins youth on a variety of topics in 1998. Among other things, the youth who took part in the survey answered questions about their attitudes and experiences regarding substance abuse. The survey found 41.4 per cent of the respondents had used drugs. The number provincially is 36 per cent. Seventy-nine per cent of local respondents admitted to using alcohol, compared to 67.5 provincially. Six recommendations were made. After a public presentation a number of organizations stepped forward to form the TYNA sub-committee on substance abuse. They all said they believed that youth centered strategies are the best way of creating healthy youth communities, TYNA co-ordinator Athena Brown said. A lot of information supports that. Youth knows what works and what doesn't for their own community. TYNA recruited interested teens and after reviewing the survey information with the committee, researched the problem with a university student as co-ordinator. The committee looked at what other communities in the province have done and what strategies might work in Timmins. Brown admitted it will take a collaborative effort from many groups and individuals in the community to implement YADAs plans. The sub-committee and YADA are in the midst of recruiting community stake holders we hope will buy into the plans, she said. Community support will indicate which plans go through first. Weve got big plans in the works, but well do what we can now with the idea of building on it year to year. The first step was an information booth at the Welcome to Timmins night and the design of a pamphlet. The group will begin fund-raising efforts to produce the pamphlet as they await stakeholders response to participation in larger initiatives, which are being kept secret until support develops. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl