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."