can it work? And for HofH members who have or struggle still with addiction..would it have made a difference in your life..in how you viewed or used drugs?

 

I've often said and still say..in the days I began to use drugs there was little..if any information or education available to us..the public. When I listen to my neices and nephew talk about drugs I hear a genuine understanding and dislike (thankyou..thankyou)..for them..not the addicts who use them. The latter may be because most of them (my n&n) are at an age where we've explained the differences between the two..addict and drug. Maybe they are more sensitive to the plight of addicts then most other kids. I'm not sure what the schools are teaching them..if they touch upon the personal lives of addicts at all. I like this study in that the kids can 'see' for themselves how very personal drug use and therefore addiction is. By putting a face to the drug it becomes something they can 'feel' as well as understand. If education only addresses the drug they fail to make the link to the people (addicts and non addicts) it destroys. If their future is to be better it's important they get the whole picture (about everything not just drugs)..360 degrees of it..because this "War on Drugs" just isn't working. A little empathy mixed with reality will make for realistic..less draconian and better treatment programs in the future. This is the kind of stuff schools & parents only 30 years ago would have adamently been against teaching. Keep it in the dark..sweep it under the carpet and hope it'll go away. That hasn't worked yet throughout history..kids are smart..and can handle more than given credit for.

 

As for me I'll never know if..at the age of 10..seeing a

prevention model such as this one would have deterred my drug use..I can say this though..it sure wouldn't have encouraged it.

 

Sha

 

Candle sheds light on heroin addict's world

Volunteer-based drug awareness program honored nationally

Sunday, March 27, 2005

By Jill Cueni-Cohen

Stories of rampant heroin abuse in Butler County are being countered by Candle Inc.'s Reality Tour, an interactive, narrative walk into the life of a teen hooked on heroin. The tour will receive the 2005 Acts of Caring Award from the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C., on April 13.

Candle stands for Community Action Network for Drug-free Lifestyle Empowerment and is the parent nonprofit organization of the Reality Tour.

The first Reality Tour was launched in July 2003 by Butler County Against Heroin, a volunteer group. Candle's Executive Director Norma Norris' was a member and played a critical role in developing the Reality Tour. In 2004, she made it her mission to take the program to communities across America.

"We're excited about this national award and what it can do to promote the Reality Tour model on a national basis, because any community in the country can use it," said Norris, who got the idea after getting a reality check about the extent of drug abuse in Butler County from District Attorney Tim McCune.

"When I heard how pervasive and invasive the heroin problem was in Butler, it really alarmed me how at risk all of our children are," said Norris, 58, a grandmother of four. "I felt that they didn't understand what they were choosing. They don't realize that they will forever be addicts, and they're not prepared to make those choices and understand that the consequences will stay with you for the rest of your life."

On the second Monday of every month, a group of children age 10 and up, accompanied by adults, are exposed to a comprehensive program in which every participant becomes a drug addict for three intense hours -- with the hope of turning them against the drug permanently.

"It's the only drug prevention program I know of that people will pay to attend and wait months for a registration slot to open," said Norris, adding that the program is typically booked two months ahead of time.

Norris said the award recognizes the volunteer effort of the program.

"Some amazing individuals have stepped forward from the county government, agencies, law enforcement, the health care field, private businesses and the general public to make the Reality Tour possible."

The National Association of Counties Public Affairs Director Tom Goodman said the award is a great honor for Butler County.

"Our program recognizes the top county volunteer programs in the country. Having the ceremony on Capitol Hill lets members of Congress and the public know the programs we provide, and the value of what those programs have to offer."

The Reality Tour was the only program in Pennsylvania chosen for the award.

Programs are judged on verbal quality, tangible results, long-term impact, and county involvement.

"We include them on our Web site so other [counties] can set up a similar program," said Goodman, who created the award in 2000.

"I've created the Reality Tour program model so it can be duplicated in any community, small or large," Norris said. Designed for groups of up to 70 people, the model costs $2,500 with an annual renewal fee of $250.

"It is perfect for someone to sponsor and bring into their community, and it's affordable," she said.

Allegheny, Clarion and Wayne counties have already purchased the program, and Norris is in discussion with several other Pennsylvania counties.

Locally, the parent association is seeking grants to develop a fifth-grade program.

"We would like to reach every fifth-grader and their parents in Butler County every year," Norris said. "We're also in the process of creating a follow-up curriculum for sixth-grade students."

Norris hopes that the award will be a step in the right direction toward improving Butler County's reputation. "We want Butler County to be known as the place where the Reality Tour originated more than for its drug abuse [problem]," she said.

The Reality Tour is taking reservations for May 9. Parents can register online at http://www.realitytour.net/ or call 724-679-6612 for more information.

*Source:

 

(the source paper/site posted or typoed the wrong link at the end of it's story. It's .net instead of .org..for our purposes only..the correct website address was added in place of the mistaken one). No infringment intended.