Family and Community Support Service (FCSS) and Lac La Biche County Community Outreach Workers hosted a drug awareness presentation at J.A. Williams High School last Tuesday.
Family and Community Support Service (FCSS) and Lac La Biche County Community Outreach Workers hosted a drug awareness presentation at J.A. Williams High School last Tuesday.
The presentation was designed to not only inform parents and caregivers about drugs, but also teach them how to talk with their kids about drug awareness.
Christine Martin a Community Outreach Worker said she and her colleagues asked many people including school staff and counsellors what they thought were the main issues facing today’ s youth.
Issues that jumped out were cyber safety (social media and sexting.), eating disorders, drug use and abuse, and anxiety and mental health.
She said that they wanted to come up with ways to engage parents and caregivers in a conversation about these tough topics while providing information and resources, that’ s why they started the it “It Takes a Village” series.
“We have to look at these things as bigger than just our own families,”said Martin. “We have to treat these things as community problems and that means they require community solutions.”
She feels it has been a successful program because people really have supported the concept.
Lac La Biche RCMP Const. Roxanne Genereaux showed a slideshow at Tuesday’ s drug awareness night. She explained to parents and caregivers the most common drugs in Alberta and the common street names/slang terms.
She said the most common drugs in Alberta included cannabis, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), meth, heroin, and Fentanyl. She said the meth problem is prominent in and around the Lac La Biche area.
“Meth is here in Lac La Biche specifically. I can say definitely we see a higher percentage,” said Genereaux, adding that the area also sees a higher than average mis-use of prescription drugs.
She also talked about ways people talk to their kids about such a heavy topic.
One of the things Genereaux advised the people at the presentation to do was to was to make connections with teens, learning about their world and what they are doing. She said that in such a tech-heavy world, the younger generations can easily find images and information on the topic of drugs. But the Internet isn’ t always the best teacher.
“Go onto Youtube and search up smoking weed. If you can find it, they can find it,” said Genereaux. “My kid is three and knows how to use Google or ask Siri.”
She said it’ s just trying to get that connection with them, what kind of music are kids listening to, listen to the lyrics. Is it about drugs? Is it about that lifestyle? What are their favourite TV shows? What kind of shows are they watching?
“It doesn’ t mean if they like or listen to a certain song about drugs, they will do drugs that is not the message we are trying to give you. We just want you to be aware,” Genereaux told the crowd of more than two dozen people.
She suggested even being aware of the different social network sites kids and teens are on because it is easy for kids to hide things or pass along messages.
“It’ s good to start early and have these conversations and not wait until something happens and then insist they show everything and have it be an accusative thing,” said Genereaux. “Have those open conversations where you are just involved and part of their world.”
Other RCMP and peace officers that were at the presentation included Constable Brandon Sigethy, Constable Murat Saykili, and Peace officer Chris Clark. Parents were also able to speak with AHS addictions counsellor Ava Marie Clark on the subject after the presentation.
“It was actually quite encouraging to get to get 30-plus residence out for a topic as sensitive as drug awareness,” said Martin.
She said she felt parents left the session feeling that there are many different resources available within the community and that everyone is working towards the same goal of making the community safe, especially for the youth.
“I think parents appreciated sincere advice from the RCMP on how to talk to their kids about drugs,” said Martin.
She said the next “It Takes a Village” series is a collaboration with the Dragonfly Counselling and Support Centre on consent and body language. That session it will take place February 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bold Center.
