Pubdate: Tue, 08 Feb 2005
Source: Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal
Contact:  http://www.ash-cache-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3157
Author: Wendy Fraser, Lillooet News
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?217 (Drug-Free Zones)

OTHER SCHOOL'S MAY FOLLOW A.S.S.'S DRUG-FREE EXAMPLE

Now that Ashcroft Secondary School is a drug-free zone, can Lillooet 
Secondary and other Gold Trail secondary schools be far behind?

Kaye-Lynn Smyly, president of the student council at Ashcroft Secondary, 
and vice-president Damian Couture appeared at the Jan. 25 school board 
meeting in Lillooet to explain the drug-free zone program to trustees.

After the students' presentation, trustees unanimously supported Trustee 
Dave Watkins' motion to endorse in principle the drug-free initiative.

Smyly told the board that a clear majority of students in a school-wide 
vote supported the proposal to implement the drug-free zone. She said a 
poll revealed that 75 per cent of students believe there is a drug problem 
at Ashcroft Secondary.

"It is essential that all students at our school be made aware of your 
support in upholding their decision to rid the school of substance abuse as 
well as all the problems that accompany it," stated Smyly. "We are now 
working on the first phase of this program, which is informing all of the 
schoolA s stakeholders about our plans to remove the use of drugs from our 
school."

To keep the drug culture from moving near Ashcroft Elementary, its PAC 
unanimously voted to join the secondary school in implementing that safety 
goal.

Declaring a school a drug-free zone gives education stakeholders a chance 
to take back their schools and make them drug-free.

The Ashcroft plan is based on the Kamloops model, where signs are erected 
in a two-block radius of participating schools to define each of those 
areas. Anyone caught in that area in possession of drugs will be charged 
(no tolerance) and reports forwarded to Crown Counsel. Any resulting 
penalties involving probation, community service work, etc. will be 
doubled. For anyone caught and found to be in possession of drugs for the 
purpose of trafficking or trafficking, the penalties will be tripled.
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