Pubdate: Thu, 14 Jul 2005
Source: Nepean This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nepeanthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2614
Author: Christie Mailey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

BOARD GAME FORCES KIDS TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT DRUGS

Local News - A new game will be hitting schools all over the Ottawa 
Carleton District School Board next school year that will help 
children make the right decisions about drugs and alcohol. Inventor 
Barry Keane hopes Denial will raise awareness about the pressures 
young people face.

The idea for the board game stemmed from a drug awareness poster 
contest through Keane's church group. One of the entries showed a 
Monopoly-type board game and Keane thought it would be a great way to 
help parents talk to their kids about drugs and alcohol.

"The game is a bridge for parents and their children, or teachers and 
their students," said Keane. "But the kids make their own decisions 
to moral questions in a game format."

Denial, which is geared toward eight to 13 year olds, is a mix 
between Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and Snakes and Ladders. It takes 
about 45 minutes to play and it forces children to make tough 
decisions when it comes to morals. The Choices and Consequences 
cards, designed much like the Chance cards in Monopoly, cover topics 
including pregnancy, lying, peer pressure and substance abuse.

"The game is designed to push back their curiosity because the 
earlier they start experimenting the more likely they are to have 
problems later in life," said Keane. "It's a major problem. If it's 
not, then why are there 43 treatment centres in this city?"

Over 30 schools in the OCDSB have purchased the game and Keane has 
approached school boards in Kingston, Toronto, Peterborough and 
Belleville among others.

"I have delivered games to school boards that include over one third 
of a million elementary students," said Keane. "If the message is 
repeated and repeated early on then hopefully they can retain the 
information in real life situations."

Keane has marketed the game beyond school boards and now has Denial 
at Zellers. The game will be on the shelves until July 30. Denial 
will be sold at Giant Tiger as well as other test stores in October.

"I have had 10 year olds say it's more fun than Monopoly and 12 year 
olds say it's very educational. I am trying to convey the message 
that if we're on drugs we might do things we wouldn't normally do, 
like stealing, or things that will affect us later on, like not being 
able to travel to other countries. I am seed planting and trying to 
dispel a bunch of myths," said Keane. "It's saying go ahead kids, 
roll the dice, but know the consequences."
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