Pubdate: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 Source: Caledon Enterprise, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2009 The Caledon Enterprise Contact: http://www.northpeel.com/br/caledon/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4318 Author: Heather Abrey PARENTS GET THE LOW DOWN ON DRUGS Parents and students at Humberview Secondary School had the opportunity to learn about drugs and some of the dangers they pose during a presentation recently. Caledon OPP Constable Sherry Thompson and Nicole Classen, youth substance abuse counsellor with the Brampton YMCA, met with the group of parents and students after school hours to present information about drugs, as well as answer some questions. The first slide was an attention grabber, laying out statistics like 14 per cent of students have driven drunk and 29 per cent have been a passenger in the car of a drunk driver. "Sixteen per cent of students admit to having a drug problem. They also think they can take care of it themselves," Thomspson added to the information that startled many of the parents. The presentation broke down substances into categories - stimulants and depressants, also known as uppers and downers, as well as hallucinogens. "For stimulants, the biggest risk I see around my client group is the risk of damage to the heart," explained Classen. Stimulants can include drugs like cocaine, crystal meth and the popular rave drug, ecstasy. Ecstasy, or MDMA, is a synthetic drug that comes in the form of a small pill. It causes a feeling of euphoria and elation, making the user extra sensitive to touch. Thompson and Classen showed what parents should keep their eyes open for, seemingly benign items that could actually be drug paraphernalia. Pacifiers are often sucked on to prevent ecstasy users from grinding their teeth. Items such as lollipops and ring pops can also be used. These pills are small and innocent looking, often coming in brightly coloured pills stamped with small pictures or symbols, and are small enough to fit within a pez dispenser. "(Ecstasy) is very popular right now and it's very addictive," said Thompson, with Classen adding, "The ones that I hear are going around the most are pink or orange ladies, which are very popular, but also very risky." "Ecstasy today is completely different from what it was even five, 10 years ago," explained the drug counsellor of the artificial ingredients used to create the substance. "You have no idea what you're getting." Another drug that the pair covered, and one not generally taken willingly, is the date rape drug. There are actually two that often fall under this category - GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid) and Rohypnol, or roofies. This drug is usually slipped into a drink in order to incapacitate the victim, although there have been incidents of it being used recreationally. "It's not just girls that need to be cautious, and it's not just sexual assault you're at risk for," warned Classen, who told the group a story about a couple who both drank spiked drinks and were robbed, with the woman possibly sexually assaulted. "It doesn't have to be an alcoholic drink either." Several videos, both serious and humorous, were used to demonstrate the effects of many different drugs during the presentation, and photos demonstrated the ravages of drugs like crystal meth on the body over time. The presentation spanned the most commonly used drugs - alcohol and marijuana - as well as those that may be lesser known to many parents, such as ketamine, an animal tranquilizer that also goes by the name of 'Special K'. The pair discussed possible warning signs parents should be aware of in their teens, and also what they can do, including role modeling. "If you smoke marijuana in the home, your kids know... they're on to you," said Classen, who educates about drugs and counsels on a confidential basis. "One of the best things I've heard from kids who have very supportive parents is they feel they can be open and honest and forward." Both presenters stuck around to answer questions, both in a Q and A session and one-on-one with concerned parents. The informational visit was organized by the Humberview School Council, a volunteer parent group that works closely with the school and its principal, Rick Tredwell. "The school council is generally new every year... we wanted to do something to put our mark on being a parent volunteer body," said Sharon Rego, Council Chair. The council put together a questionnaire to decide what topic the parent population was most interested in learning about. "We conducted it through the call-out system, which was very neat because not many schools do that and it's quite advanced," said Rego. "It was definitely a very high, positive response rate." About 498 parents completed the three-minute survey, and the most interest was in a drug information seminar. "Our mandate was to engage parents... it's very difficult at the high school level at times," said Rego. "We invited both the parents and the students to come together for the evening. "We're hopeful that in some small way we've provided information to families, or maybe touched some families or helped some students." - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart