Calgary, AB - While the recent attention around ecstasy and other street drugs use among young people is incredibly troubling, it doesn’t come as a surprise to Janet Pieschel, executive director of YouthLink Calgary – The Calgary Police Interpretive Centre.
“A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse has 6.7 per cent of Alberta students in grades 7,9,10 and 12 using ecstasy. This far surpasses inhalants, steroids or cocaine use.” Pieschel goes on to say that the report recommends that “appropriately tailored prevention efforts are critical – and that is exactly what YouthLink Calgary is about.”
For more than 15 years, YouthLink Calgary - The Calgary Police Interpretive Centre has been engaging and empowering Calgary’s youth to make confident and positive choices surrounding some of the greatest challenges they shall ever face – namely substance abuse, online safety, domestic violence, bullying and gangs. YouthLink imparts tools, strategies and resources through experiential learning exhibits at the Centre, interactive and engaging online resources, and curriculum-based programming. YouthLink’s programs meet the learning objectives of the grade six Alberta Education curriculum, and their mandate parallels the Calgary Police Service – Crime Prevention and Reduction Continuum.
“We reach approximately 50 per cent of Calgary’s grade six population. Our KIDO (Knowing the Issues / Discussing the Options) program addresses these critical topics - such as drugs - when our children are just starting to encounter them at school,” Pieschel states.
One exhibit at the Centre, Dead End Street, confronts drugs – and ecstasy – in a very powerful way.
“Children who visit the Dead End Street exhibit will follow the lives of four young people who give familiar and compelling reasons for starting to take drugs: one is lonely, one is bored, one is in pain and the other is mentally ill. Each persona explores and shares their experience interactively with the visitor, as they spiral downwards into addiction.”
The results have been remarkable.
“The ‘dead end street’ was incredible, amazing, scary, creepy and it was a surefire way to keep people off drugs, (certainly me anyway). I liked the whole experience a lot. I will DEFINITELY bring my family back here.”(Grade six student).
Pieschel continues, “KIDO – and Dead End Street – elicits a reaction. It starts a conversation and a dialogue so that students can recognize their vulnerabilities, talk about them and make positive informed choices. This is the first year of KIDO and the results so far have been incredible. We are fortunate to have generous supporters such as RBC Foundation, Canadian Oil Sands Limited and ConocoPhillips Canada.”
For more information on YouthLink Calgary - or its programs – please visit www.youthlinkcalgary.com.
Media Inquiries and for more information:
Janet Pieschel
Executive Director
YouthLink Calgary – The Calgary Police Interpretive Centre
403-206-4565
403-660-4168
jpieschel@calgarypolice.ca
