Pubdate: Thu, 28 Feb 2008
Source: Williams Lake Tribune, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Williams Lake Tribune
Contact:  http://www.wltribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1226
Author: Gaeil Farrar
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

GRADE 7 STUDENTS IMPRESSED WITH STRAIGHT TALK

If a recent chat with eight Grade 7 students from Nesika and Glendale 
elementary schools is any indication, students already know a lot 
about drugs and alcohol from their families but still had more to 
learn from their older peers.

Nesika students were first to be interviewed.

"There is a new type of drug I didn't know about. GHB. It really 
messes you up," Riley Campbell said.

"It's a drug that can kill you," echoes her classmate Kayla Cahoose. 
She explains that some people use it to make girls pass out and then, 
she puts it gently. "They lose something."

Taryn Hilton said she learned about the other drugs from her older 
siblings and parents but not about GHB, and date rape.

"I never new ice was a nick name for meth, I think," said River 
Michalchuk. He says the message he got from the older students was 
not to let people convince you to take drugs.

"Yeah!," said Devan Delisle. "I wouldn't take drugs but its kind of 
hard not to drink when you are on a hockey team and older."

Generally the students liked the film and the presentation. "It 
taught about peer pressure," Taryn said.

But she said the film didn't show them how exactly to say no to drugs 
and alcohol and walk away because the girl in the film drank the 
alcohol and passed out instead of walking away.

"It was awesome," Riley said of the film. But he said he still wasn't 
sure if he would be any better prepared to deal with peer pressure 
when he goes to high school next year.

A shy grandma and library aid who was working nearby the discussion 
but didn't want to give her name, said she has seen the film and 
liked it. "It was very well done and well acted so I think it should 
help kids."

Nesika principal Mike Franklin said he believes the workshop was of 
equal value to the elementary students who were learning about peer 
pressure and the high school students who had the opportunity to 
develop their leadership skills by giving the workshop.

Over at Glendale elementary three students also talked about what 
they had learned.

"It was a really good film" Lyric Hill said. "I think the movie 
helped a lot of us know a lot about what could happen later to our 
family and friends and ourselves."

Lyric added: "We learned how to say no to peer pressure. Sometimes 
peer pressure is hard because people don't understand why you are 
saying no. You have to give good reasons. You can say it isn't cool, 
or that you have something else to do -- other plans."

"Tell them its wrong," added Chay Keenan-Toop. Chay said he also 
learned that people can take drugs in more ways than he thought they 
could. He said he learned that more drugs can be sniffed than he 
thought. "It doesn't sound very pleasant. They also told us about 
places to get help and the kids help phone."

"Also in the workshop we learned how to tell our friends to get 
help," Tiana Johnny added.

"It was interesting and highlighted some of the problems that could 
come up in high school," Chay Keenan-Toop said. "the workshops were 
interesting. We looked at problems and how to solve them in a fun way."

He said they did skits where one partner pretended to have a problem 
with drugs and the other partner in the skit explained to him how he 
should get help, and ask him what he had taken so he could get help for him.

Chay said his parents have always talked to him and answered his 
questions about drugs and they've talked to him about how harmful 
they can be and how they can shorten your life. "I've never thought 
about doing drugs. They ruin your life. I figured that out anyway."

Lyric said she learned a lot about harmful drug use when she did a 
speech on the subject of saying no when she was in Grade 5. She said 
she also lived in Vancouver for three years where she has seen some 
people on the streets who had ruined their health with drugs "They 
looked horrible."

In the film she says the film showed how you could lose your friends 
if you do drugs because other parents won't want their children 
hanging out with kids who do drugs.

Chay s

Tiana said they also talked about diet pills and the pressure to be 
thin to fit in and about being happy with who you are. "Try to be 
yourself. You don't have to be like everybody else," Tiana said Lyric 
said the high school student presenters were very nice and very 
straightforward.

In the workshop, Chay said the presenters talked about how peer 
pressure can push some students into suicidal thoughts, and people 
may also become suicidal if they become addicted to a drug and then 
want to quit but don't know how.

At the end Chay said they made a triangle and put everyone on it who 
would be hurt if they died such as parents, brothers, sisters, 
friends, pets, their doctors and nurses and teachers.

And they all agreed it was also a fun workshop.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom