SCHOOLS TO GET TOUGH ON DRUGS

More Showing Up Stoned And Drunk In The Classroom

Life won't be the same for high-school druggies starting tomorrow.

The school district will unveil an innovative anti-drug program tonight
that promises to help teenage drug users kick their habit, curtail
distribution and educate students before they start experimenting.

The new, improved program is based on an existing anti-drug initiative in
schools, but will have a lot more money behind it.

"We've taken the one-dollar version and made it the five-dollar version.
It's the full meal deal," said Dave Carter, director of instruction for
Student Support services. "We've been working on this for five months.
I've got a few grey hairs from it."

No one is releasing details about the program, but the Rotary Club of
Kelowna has promised a chunk of financial support. The RCMP and
CrimeStoppers are also involved.

The drug and alcohol problem in area schools is no greater than other
districts in the province, said Carter. But the problems associated with
drug use in a small city are here, "and we've got to deal with it," he said.

OUC professor Marvin Krank will open tonight's meeting at Martin Education
Centre with results of research study he conducted into drug-use patterns
of local children. He surveyed 1,500 students in Grades 7 to 12 in
1997-98, asking them detailed questions about the drugs they used and how
often they used them. The students weren't required to reveal their names,
ensuring more accuracy in their answers.

Their drugs of choice are marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, magic
mushrooms and acid, said Carter, but Krank won't announce results of his
survey until tonight.

The drug problem in area schools is growing. Marijuana is now cheaper than
alcohol, and more students are showing up stoned in class than ever. Their
behaviour is costing them class time, principals are handling out more
suspensions because of drug use.

Of the 1,300 suspensions of up to 10 days handed to students last year,
about 50 were due to drug use or trafficking in school. Of the 68 students
suspended for 10 days or more last year a dozen were drug-related and
another dozen showed up drunk, said Carter.