Last week's tragic overdose death of a Calgary high school student who took the illegal drug ecstasy at a house party highlights the need for students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders everywhere to recognize the real and present danger that drugs pose for today's young people.
While drug abuse by some teens is hardly something new, the fairly recent development and proliferation of chemical drugs such as ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine has markedly increased the risks for those who choose to take chances with drugs.
For its part, the Chinook's Edge School Division already has a comprehensive student substance abuse policy in place to help protect young people from illegal drug dangers in schools and at school-sponsored activities.
“The division believes student use of alcohol or non-prescription drugs is detrimental to the learning process and is therefore prohibited in schools, on school property or during school-related activities,” the policy states.
The policy also states that “students in possession of non-prescription drugs while in attendance at school or school-sponsored activity shall be suspended by the principal and it may be recommended to the superintendent that the student be expelled.
“Remedial assistance should be sought for the student by family and the counsellor or appropriate staff members, and this may include the help of AADAC, ALATEEN, and Alberta Health.”
While Chinook's Edge's student substance abuse policy is well designed to help protect kids from illegal drugs while involved in school-sponsored activities, drug dangers obviously don't stop at the schoolyard gate.
As such, as the elected leaders of this province and country, MLAs and MPs must live up to the leadership roles entrusted to them by ensuring police and other enforcement agencies are adequately funded so they, in turn, can tackle the big job that comes with fighting the illegal drug industry.
While the death of the Calgary student last week has shocked and saddened his classmates, family members and teachers, and raised the call for more to be done to protect kids from drug abuse in Alberta's big cities, many of those same drug dangers face young people right here in small-town West Central Alberta.
With the holiday party season just getting underway, it's more important than ever for parents and other caregivers to let kids know about the life-and-death risks that can come from illegal drugs. Ensuring young people know what they face is the first and probably most important step in protecting them from those dangers.
And as for West Central Alberta students, they should be encouraged to talk among themselves about the dangers of drugs and how it only makes sense to live drug-free lives.
