A Summerland family has received an exemption from Health Canada, allowing them to access cannabis oil to calm their child's seizures. The exemption allows four-year-old Kyla Williams to access the medication, provided they have a letter from Health Canada. Before using the oil, Williams, who has intractable epilepsy, suffered more than 300 seizures a day. That number has dropped drastically since she started using the oil and she will now go days or weeks without having a seizure. [continues 217 words]
The Summerland Child and Youth Committee would like to see an expansion of healthy choices and drug prevention strategies for children and youth in Summerland's schools. The committee is a community partnership made up of representatives from numerous government and community organizations. "We need to cover the full grade spectrum," said Sgt. Mona Kauffeld of the Summerland RCMP detachment. The most visible program is the DARE program taught to Grade 6 students. "The DARE program has been very successful in this community," Kauffeld said. "We get a lot of positive feedback about it." [continues 208 words]
Efforts At High School Focus On Prevention Problems with drug use in Summerland are not going away even though the community has been focussing on curbing this problem, a substance abuse worker says. Chad Teigen, substance abuse prevention coordinator at Summerland Secondary School, says drug use patterns in Summerland are no different from the national trends. Across Canada, one-third of students have tried marijuana and one-third of those are regular users. "We're no different than any other high school," he says. "Drinking and drugs are in every community." [continues 186 words]
Cocaine use identified as local drug problem A community drug task force is looking at ways to inform the community about local drug abuse problems. Jody Meyer, alcohol and drug counsellor for Summerland, says there are six people on the committee at present. "We're just in the planning stages with community activities right now," he says. He adds that there are several initiatives under consideration for the coming year. These include holding another student poster contest for middle school students, providing education for employers about signs and symptoms of drug abuse among employees, holding activities for Drug Awareness Week in November, including school educational sessions and offering a parenting workshop. [continues 96 words]
Parents Learn About Drug Paraphernalia A parents' workshop last Wednesday evening provided hands-on information about drug paraphernalia. A drug kit consisting of pipes, papers, water bongs, tools used to hide drugs, crack pipes meth pipes etc were on hand for parents to analyze in order to accurately identify the tools to use drugs (paraphernalia). The purpose of the event is strictly to inform the public of what is out there states Meyer, the alcohol and drug counsellor at Summerland Asset Development Initiative. He explains that the use of marijuana and other illegal drugs is happening in our community and throughout the province. [continues 165 words]
Marijuana use in Summerland is widespread, especially among teens, a drug counsellor says. "Summerland youth are doing very well but this marijuana thing is out of hand," says Jody Meyer, the alcohol and drug abuse counsellor at the Summerland Asset Development Initiative. Use of the drug is highest among those between 13 and 17 years of age, he says. For older teens, those between 17 and 19, binge drinking is more common. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five drinks or more within two hours. [continues 100 words]
A former drug user and dealer spoke to Summerland students last week about making positive choices and rejecting drug use On Thursday morning, Serge LeClerc, director of Teen Challenge Saskatchewan, spoke at Summerland Secondary School and Summerland Middle School about his past. He became a street kid when he was 12 years old and started using drugs at 15. Later, he ran a criminal gang with up to 70 members. In the 1960s, he began selling drugs and in 1984 was arrested and imprisoned after running a $40 million drug operation. [continues 209 words]
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Coordinator Will Provide Counselling and Education A new drug and alcohol prevention coordinator will work with youth and their families full time through the Summerland Asset Development Initiative's Drug Education Program. Jody Meyer, who has worked in drug prevention and counseling, has been hired for the new position which began on Monday. He will work with local schools, the RCMP, Summerland's Drug Education Task Force and the community at large. He says drug and alcohol abuse have been ongoing issues for more than a decade. [continues 223 words]
It's been a long and difficult road to recovery for a former crystal methamphetamine user living in Summerland. When she was 19, Danielle (not her real name) tried the drug at a party and became addicted immediately. "The first time I tried it, the high lasted for three days," she says. "I didn't realize the three days had passed by." She adds that the drug is highly addictive. "I've never heard of anyone trying it and not liking it," she says. [continues 447 words]
Toxic and Addictive Drug Exists Within the Community The ingredients are common place and seem innocuous, but crystal methamphetamine can destroy users and their families. Sgt. Rick Bigland of the Summerland RCMP detachment, says police have seized the drug but have not taken down production labs at this time. "It's not as popular as marijuana and cocaine, but it does exist here," he says. The drug seizures have been small so far and there have been no meth seizures in 2006. [continues 646 words]
Forum Covers Effects Of Crystal Methampetamine Former crystal meth addicts, addictions workers and emergency services workers talked bluntly about the effects of the drug at a forum on Thursday evening. "Crystal meth destroyed my life, destroyed my family and destroyed my friends," says Amanda, one of the former addicts on the panel. She started using the drug in Penticton and continued in Summerland. Eventually, she was arrested and was able to quit using the drug while in jail. After she was released, she spent six months in a treatment program in Penticton. [continues 207 words]
The Summerland Asset Development Initiative has received $44,500 to combat crystal methampehtamine use and encourage healthy lifestyles for youth. On Thursday afternoon, MLA Rick Thorpe announced the funding for two programs through SADI. The money includes $10,000 for a crystal meth program and $34,500 for a positive lifestyles campaign project. "The scourge of crystal meth is destroying our youth. It's destroying our future," Thorpe says. Crystal methamphetamine is a cheap, easily manufactured and highly addictive drug. It has gained popularity in the last 15 years. [continues 227 words]
Summerland municipal council is backing its asset development initiative in a plan to raise awareness of the dangers of crystal methamphetamine use. The motion was carried unanimously. Coun. Bruce Hallquist was absent for the discussion and resolution. At the municipal council meeting on Monday evening, Michelle Stefan of the asset development initiative asked council for funding to participate in the provincial program. Stefan says the funding would be used to develop a crystal methamphetamine community forum, create a working group on crystal meth as an additional arm of an existing drug education task force, create workshops for parents and students and provide community-wide education about crystal meth use. [continues 174 words]
Funding will help to raise awareness of problem locally Municipal council is backing the Summerland Asset Development Initiative in a plan to raise awareness of the dangers of crystal methamphetamine use. The motion was carried unanimously. Coun. Bruce Hallquist was absent for the discussion and resolution. At the municipal council meeting on Monday evening, Michelle Stefan of the asset development initiative asked council for funding to participate in the provincial program. Stefan says the funding would be used to develop a crystal methamphetamine community forum, create a working group on crystal meth as an additional arm of an existing drug education task force, create workshops for parents and students and provide community-wide education about crystal meth use. [continues 173 words]
RCMP officer will handle drug offenses and large files A Summerland RCMP officer has been appointed to deal with serious cases and youth issues, including drug use in the community. Cst. Terry Faulkner took the role as general investigations section officer for the community earlier this month. He says drug issues are an ongoing problem for the community. "Summerland is known as the place to smoke marijuana because there's a lot of it here," he says. He adds that crystal methamphetamine and cocaine are also available locally, but on a smaller scale. [continues 257 words]
Coleman Opposed To Decriminalization B.C.'s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General does not want to see marijuana decriminalized. "A lot of people think if you decriminalize something, the problems will go away, but it won't," Rich Coleman told a group of youth, business representatives and municipal politicians on Feb. 2. Coleman, answering a question from Jody Meyers, a Summerland-based drug prevention counselor with Pathways Addictions Resource Centre, says decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana would create many new problems. [continues 157 words]
RCMP Ask For New Officer Dedicated To Investigations And Special Projects The Summerland RCMP would like an additional officer to deal with drug operations and other serious crimes in the community. Cpl. Derek Williams says the detachment has asked council to provide the funding for a ninth member. "It would be a non-uniformed member," he says. "We want someone who can dedicate their time to these community projects year-round." Last year, the RCMP took initiatives to address drug activity in Memorial Park and to crack down on grow operations. [continues 178 words]
RCMP ask for tips on suspected marijuana grow operations within the community Police are looking for information about suspected marijuana grow operations in Summerland. Over the past year, a number of large grow operations, some as large as 500 plants, have been taken down within the community. Sgt. Rick Bigland says grow operations are an issue within Canada and specifically in British Columbia. However, Summerland is no worse than elsewhere in the province. He adds that the grow operations are a concern because they are often tied in to other criminal activity. [continues 154 words]
While most students in Summerland will advance a grade when they go back to school in September, Dare program organizers hope to step down a grade. For the past three years, Summerland has had the program in Grade 6, but organizers would like to see it in Grade 5 instead. Sgt. Orv Robson of the Summerland RCMP says the program would be a better fit for the younger students, since the material was designed for Grade 5 students. "It's a little too basic for the Grade 6 level," he says. [continues 191 words]
Volunteers in the community will form a task force to deal with substance abuse in Summerland. Following a substance abuse forum last week, 17 people signed up to help address the community's problem. Of these, nine signed up to serve on a task force. The task force will be made up of youth, parents, seniors and business leaders. In addition, youth leaders from one church will serve in an advisory role. Coun. Rick Cogbill, one of the organizers of the forum, believes a committee can help reduce substance abuse here. "We have to make it so it's not fun for the pushers to come here," he says. [continues 107 words]
