Pubdate: Mon, 09 Jun 2003 Source: Richmond News (CN BC) Copyright: 2003, Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.richmond-news.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1244 Author: Trudi Beutel BOOZE, DOPE NOT COOL Drugs and alcohol can lead to death and destruction and that's a path Christy Clark is driven to change. B.C.'s education minister outlined her plans to close the doors of perception among teens that alcohol and drugs are cool. This attitude adjustment, she hopes, will be achieved through a new drug and alcohol awareness course, which could be implemented as soon as this fall. "Every child everywhere in British Columbia who graduates from our high school will have to have a core understanding of the impact of substance abuse," Clark told reporters Thursday. "We want to make sure that it is embedded in the (Planning 10) curriculum and that every child learns about it - before they get into a car and go to a grad party." If students don't pass the course, they won't graduate, Clark added. The curriculum is in the drafting stage now and could be ready by September. "I think we can do more as a society to make sure that kids have the information that they need to perhaps make better decisions," she said. "This won't be the cure-all, there's no question about that, but it's, I think, part of the puzzle." Richmond's Alcohol and Drug Action Recovery Team applauds the move. The team's prevention co-ordinator, Christa Mullaly, says the province's move to introduce the message into the curriculum will give students one more tool to understand the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. "Knowledge is power," she said. "They'll be making informed decisions rather than uninformed decisions." Mullaly said curiosity about drugs and alcohol starts early, almost as soon as kids leave elementary school. Although there's no evidence to show that drug and alcohol use is beginning earlier than in previous decades, Mullaly said the substances are more widely available than ever before. Because of this fact, experimentation begins during the early teens, she said. Richmond Coun. Linda Barnes, chair of the city's substance abuse task force, called Clark's new program "very good news." She said drug and alcohol abuse is similar to suicide a decade ago; it's often an issue that's not discussed. She hopes the new program will help kids understand the issues surrounding addiction - the causes and consequences. "The issue is not just about drugs, but about making good choices," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh