Pubdate: Wed, 08 Apr 2009 Source: Beacon Herald, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2009 Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/ytFEC49J Website: http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1459 Author: Paul Cluff PEERS WARN OF DRUG'S DANGERS A documentary shown Tuesday allowed students at Central Secondary School to see the devastating effects of hard drugs from recovering addicts in their own community. "Effective Fight For Eliminating Drugs" discussed life experiences of men and women who slid easily into the drug culture but continue to battle to stay out of it. Melissa Schenk, executive producer of MS2 Productions, is presenting the educational documentary to students in Perth and Huron counties as part of the Perth County Task Force on Crystal Meth's drug prevention initiative. Subjects of the documentary "courageously shared their stories," Ms. Schenk said. Cherie talked about losing 90 pounds after getting hooked on meth and how narcotics controlled her life. She started using pot and ecstasy as a teenager and gradually got into heavier drugs like meth and crack cocaine. Michelle talked about failing a drug test and losing her children, while Michelle's mother cried as she described losing her daughter to drug addiction. "I gave my children up for meth," Michelle said. Depression problems surfaced early in life for Derek, who replaced cutting himself with drug use that nearly killed him. Eventually, drugs were not fun anymore, he said. He lost friends and family. Derek said there are two sides to Stratford: the beautiful one that most people see and the reality of what drug addicts see each day. The documentary featured local teens discussing how boring their communities can be. "It's easy to get drugs," said a county teenager. "You walk down the street and see 10 dealers." In the documentary, Ellen Balmain, executive director of the United Way of Perth County, said her agency asked youth for the three most pressing problems in their lives. Drugs was number one, she said. The documentary featured interviews with police officers and counsellors who work in prevention, enforcement and treatment. "It's a community problem," said Dr. John Duncan, a professor offering expertise from the University of Oklahoma. Jim, the eldest of the recovering addicts, described being high on crack cocaine as the "best feeling in the world," a feeling that every addict chases after. Now clean, Jim has turned his attention to mastering welding skills with the help of a local school program. His regrets include losing his daughter -- a drug addict like her father -- when she was 21. "I went through years and years of grief. They suck the life right out of you. I wish I never touched drugs," said Jim. Ms. Schenk said documentary participants shared their stories so students can make educated decisions in the future. Students told her they have heard of many of the drugs circulating in their community, however, they were unaware that marijuana can sometimes be laced with meth. Few were aware of the task force, but most admitted they know of meth and other drugs. "Getting into drugs is the easiest thing, getting out is the hardest," Cherie said in a telling portion of the documentary. "You're lucky if you can (get out)." You walk down the street and you see 10 dealers." - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart