How quickly are drug abusers being manufactured in the lower mainland? It is a difficult statistic to measure, however an easier method of detection is following the level of general population acceptance of drug misuse. The rate or level of people accepting drug misuse is at an all time high.

Tolerance of Drug Abuse in Vancouver harms Drug Prevention Efforts

People openly deal drugs, use drugs and fix outside, in clubs and in public areas without hesitation. Take a walk down Granville St in Vancouver any late afternoon and count how many times you’re offered drugs to purchase, how many instances of drugs use or intoxication you observe and you’ll get a sense of the severity of the level of ‘cultural acceptance’ or ‘tolerance of drug abuse/ misuse in Vancouver.

Surrey, Abbotsford, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and many other cities have similar drug abuse problems.

Drug Prevention Education Vancouver

Kids in grade 10 in Vancouver high schools respond well when given the Truth about Drugs in a narrative style that holds back nothing from the kids. Kids know when they are being told the straight facts about drugs, alcohol and it’s effects on the person.

Narconon Vancouver Drug Education Responses

Here are a couple of responses from high school kids after 1 hour drug education presentations:

One of the counselors summarized the responses from the kids in these statements in a Thank You card:

“You were positively received by the majority of the students according to the follow-up evaluations. Some of the comments were:

• didn’t tell us what to do
• I learned about how drugs stay in your body
• answers all our questions with complete understanding
• liked the personal connection to his stories (open honesty)

I think your session worked really well and I hope to be in touch with you next year . .

Narconon Vancouver Society will be delivering complimentary drug prevention education talks in Vancouver, North & West Vancouver on request for January 2011 and February 2011.

High School & Elementary School Drug Prevention Talks

School counselors, high school teachers, elementary school teachers who contact Narconon Vancouver for drug prevention talks for these months will have the opportunity to receive several talks for their students.

Drug education is a valuable tool to keep kids safe from drug and alcohol abuse.

Schedule Drug Prevention Talk for your School

To book a drug prevention education talk for your Vancouver school in Jan. 2011 and Feb. 2011 call Narconon Vancouver drug prevention at 604-873-1762

My sense of being included as opposed to feeling and acting as an outsider is directly attributable to getting together 2 or 3 times per year at the City of Vancouver Creating a Culture of Prevention conferences. I personally have been forming friendly acquaintances, networking and sharing resources amongst the prevention education facilitators and workers. The experience for me as an independent drug prevention specialist has been a long sought for sense of being part of a wonderful caring group of people.

Drug prevention education and harm prevention have been subjects and activities which needed to be reconciled, one with the other. What better way to reconcile these two activities than by bringing together groups which may have felt worlds apart but later to find each other sharing the same room and helpful information while listening to the same noteworthy speakers and presenters.

What’s my take on the task of prevention education in the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver? There should be lots more engagement by the people most effected by drugs and alcohol abuse, the children and teenagers. It will be there community, there city and their society in the future. Why not permit teens to have an active role in creating a culture of prevention. It seems ridiculous to think otherwise.

My thanks to the City of Vancouver and all the prevention partners it has assembled to create a finer city and a safer place for children, families and now for not so lonely drug prevention education specialists who just want to do the right thing and give families and kids a better option than drugs and alcohol as a way to live a healthy & happy lifestyle.

Sincerely,

Tibor A. Palatinus

Drug Prevention Specialist, Narconon Vancouver Society