Drug and gang awareness session

By Rechell McDonald
Information Not Fear is a presentation that will be held at the Hilltop Junior High auditorium on October 29. Parents and students are invited to attend.
The information session will focus on drug and gang awareness which is becoming an increasingly necessary topic to discuss. There was once a time when drug awareness campaigns largely targeted marijuana and other ‘recreational’ drugs as well as the signs and symptoms parents should watch for to determine if their children were using them. Today, the drug landscape has changed drastically with children being able to get their hands on far more dangerous products more easily. Fentanyl is one such product that will be covered at the information session. This is a drug that is becoming problematic in Western Canada and both parents and children should be aware of the dangers involved.
Gangs will also be addressed at this session. Parents and children will learn about the recruiting practices associated with gangs as well as colour combinations that denote a particular gang or its members, and even graffiti tags that can alert you of the presence of gang activity in a given area.
Everyone in the community is encouraged to attend this presentation to help spread awareness of not just some of the issues being faced in and around Whitecourt, but of possible issues that may be on the horizon, too.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. and is being hosted by the Whitecourt Youth Advisory Committee in partnership with ALERT and the RCMP.