Pubdate: Wed, 30 May 2007 Source: Recorder & Times, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 Recorder and Times Contact: http://www.recorder.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2216 Author: Tracey Tong Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) PROGRAM DELIVERS ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE TO STUDENTS It's a difficult subject to discuss, but the organizers of a community-based drug and alcohol awareness program are hoping that a fun theme will help to get the message across. Tuesday was the first of three days that students in Grades 4 and 5 took part in the eighth annual Racing Against Drugs program. Approximately 1,500 students from 28 schools in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark will complete the program, which is held at the Brockville Memorial Centre. Racing Against Drugs aims to inform students in Grades 4 and 5 of the negative impact of alcohol and drug use and about risk-taking, decision-making and refusal skills. The program's auto racing theme is designed to capture the attention of young people. Students made "pit stops" at approximately 30 stations, where officials including representatives from Brockville Police Service, the OPP, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, the Upper Canada District School Board, the RCMP, Leeds-Grenville EMS, the City of Brockville and local businesses, service clubs and non-profit groups discussed various anti-drug related topics. "Our main objective is to increase awareness about drugs and their negative impact," said Tawnya Boileau, a public health nurse with the health unit and co-chairman of the event along with Brockville Police Service community safety officer Sergeant Doug Locke. The program was expanded several years ago to include information not only about drugs, but about healthy lifestyles choices, food and alternative activities, said Rebecca Kavanagh, a public health nurse with the health unit and project co-ordinator with Smiths Falls Focus. Students, having heard about the program from their older schoolmates, look forward to the program every year, Kavanagh said. This year, organizers will also be conducting pre- and post-event tests to see how effective the program is, Boileau said. The learning doesn't stop even when the program ends. Boileau said the event organizers provide teachers with curriculum packages so they are able to continue anti-drug education in the classroom. And when the students hit high schools, the program begins again. The same group that organizes Racing Against Drugs also does a program called Party Survival, which is aimed at students in Grade 11, Kavanagh said. At Racing Against Drugs, the fire departments of Leeds and Grenville teamed up to put together a display on fire hazards. The team used its interactive "Hazard House" to show kids where there may be fire risks. By this age, they're usually pretty good at identifying the hazards, said Brockville Fire Department fire prevention officer Greg Healy, who was working with Don Driscoll, with the Merrickville-Wolford Fire Department, and Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department's Gary Seed on Tuesday. "They know what they're talking about at this age," he said. "And they're the perfect age for this tool." Two border services officers from the Canada Border Services Agency were present to talk about drugs and weapons smuggling. At this age, the kids usually don't know a lot about the subject, said border services officer Sharon Provost. "At least half of the group doesn't know what border services is yet." Provost said the officers show the students the drug test kit and photographs showing some of the hiding places people use to smuggle items. Drugs and other goods have been found hidden inside a bar of soap, inside hollowed-out cucumbers and under a woman's dress. Over at a booth by the Tri-County Addiction Services, youth problem gambling counsellor Andrea Hammel told students about youth gambling. "What we're finding is that they know what gambling is, but they're not aware of the risks," Hammel said. Kingston and Thousand Islands Crime Stoppers second vice-president Dick Rider said the organization was there to let children know about how Crime Stoppers works. CN Rail did a presentation on how alcohol and drugs can affect reaction time, decision-making skills and behaviour Other organizations with displays included the Assault Response and Care Centre and the Leeds County OPP with their vehicle rollover machine. The YMCA was also there, as well as Lanark County Ambulance to talk about helmet safety. "The whole idea of why we do this is (to help) you make positive and safe choices," Locke told the children. He said the whole Racing Against Drugs theme was concocted to make learning more fun for the kids. "That's why the kids retain so much, because it's so much fun," he said. Locke said he was pleased with how much the children already knew about drug safety. "It means that their parents and teachers are doing a terrific job," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman