CORNWALL, Ontario – For the 22nd year, Racing Against Drugs has returned to the SDG Highlanders Cornwall Armoury for a week of informative activities, educating students in Grade 6 across Cornwall, SDG and Akwesasne about the impact of drug and alcohol use.
“We hope for the kids to have a good memory of this event. Not everyone will get all the little parts…but if they get the big picture, we have succeeded,” said Cst. Jean Juneau, Racing Against Drugs Coordinator.
Cst. Juneau said that the event first teaches students what a drug is. Then, students are informed about possible consequences of drugs and alcohol, whether it be the personal impact of using or the potential impact on their life from others using, such as an intoxicated driver.
Juneau explained that students will be educated about health, social and legal aspects associated with drug and alcohol use, reminding students that there is nothing more important than their personal health and safety, and they have the power to make informed choices. Students are also given pointers pertaining to resisting peer pressure and seeking healthy lifestyle alternatives instead.
“We explain to them…there’s not one single drug in the world that won’t have an impact on their health,” said Cst. Juneau. “With all the partner (organizations), we have a good message to communicate to the kids.”
With the recent legalization of marijuana, educators were reminding students that the drug is still not legal to them as youths and that it will impact their brain development until the age of 25.
Each day of the event, students from each school will participate in a model car race. The school with the car that has done the most laps by the end of the week will receive a trophy and the school with the car that does the most laps each day of the week will receive a plaque. Each student will go home with a Racing Against Drugs t-shirt.
“It’s a reminder to them that ‘I was at Racing Against Drugs’ and I made a decision not to do drugs,” said Cst. Juneau.
Cst. Juneau thanked the organizing committee who worked hard to bring the event to the community, as well as the multitude of community partners.
“It’s not only the police, the paramedics, the Health Unit…it’s everyone together sending a message to the community that together we can stop using drugs and have a healthy community,” said Cst. Juneau.
