Pubdate: Sat, 29 Apr 2006
Source: St. Thomas Times-Journal (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 St. Thomas Times-Journal
Contact:  http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/953
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

GRADE 5S HEAR ABOUT DRUG DANGERS

 From attempting to walk a straight line while 
wearing  impaired-vision goggles to watching a car 
rollover  simulation, local Grade 5 students were taught 
safety,  injury prevention and substance-abuse awareness 
during  Youth Against Drugs week, April 24-27, at Whites  Station 
garage in Central Elgin.

Organized by the Youth Against Drugs Committee, Youth  Against Drugs 
is a drug awareness program based on the  RCMP's Racing Against Drugs 
program that uses the theme  of auto racing at 11 different 
interactive "pit stops,"  manned by community partners including 
police,  firefighters and paramedics, and members of industry, 
education, health and service industries, to encourage  youth to lead 
a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

"The kids love it and the teachers love it too," said  Kristie Jones, 
chairwoman of the Youth Against Drugs  Committee. "It really fits in 
with the Grade 5  curriculum in a lot of different ways."

One of the pit stops that students really enjoy, said  Jones, is 
manned by two local youth race car drivers --  David Waite, a 
17-year-old student from Parkside  Collegiate Institute, and Brandon 
Ronald, 13, who  attends New Sarum Public School.

"Because they're their peers, the kids really look up  to them. 
They're amazing teachers," said Jones.

"The kids come in, we tell them about ourselves and  what drugs can 
do to your reaction time, which, in  racing, is one of the biggest 
things," said Waite.

"We tell them why you shouldn't do drugs, what they can  do to you 
and what's not safe," said Ronald.

The youth who is able to tell Waite and Ronald why it's  important to 
be at the Youth Against Drugs exhibition,  gets the opportunity to 
climb into Ronald's half-scale  CASCAR.

Students over at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving  booth were 
getting the message, after attempting to  walk in a straight line and 
catch a ball while wearing  impaired-vision goggles.

"This is going to teach us a lot and not to try it  (alcohol), even 
if people try to talk you into it,"  said 10-year-old Leslie Ruggeri, 
a student at Edward  Street Public School. "(I learned) not to do it 
(drink  alcohol). You can't see when you do."

The Youth Against Drugs program has been teaching Grade  5 students 
healthy lifestyle choices for the past four  years. In all, 17 local 
schools participated.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom