2 Wednesday, November 7, 19909 — A Supplement to the Terrace Review This page is is supported by: Emerson Medical Clinic in recognition of Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week Facts about drug and alcohol use and abuse Over half of all adult Cana- dians have been insulted or disturbed by someone who has been drinking. More than a third have been in serious arguments as a result of alcohol, or been a passenger with a drunk driver at some time in their lives. About one fifth have experienced fami- ly problems or been assaulted as a result of: someone else’s alcohol use, This news comes from a re- cent federal government survey on alcohol and drug use in Canada. Over 11,500 Canadians were surveyed by telephone and more than three-quarters agreed to participate. Most respondents thought it acceptable for others to have one or two social drinks, but it was not permissible to show the effects. Similarly, they thought co-workers should not drink at lunch and nearly half thought the same about after- work drinking or drinking at sports and recreational events. Sixteen percent had lost friends due to alcohol use. Eight percent had property vandalized and three percent had financial dif- ficulties as a result of another person’s drinking. Nurses notice when alcohol or other drugs become important, people tend to fit their lives around that interest. Each of us has a personal view of alcohol and other drug use, highly col- oured by our own experience. For this reason, the national survey restores perspective and m Wednesday, November 7 — There will be three speakers at a “Seniors and Drugs’? workshop at the Happy Gang Centre from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Marty Manson of Seniors # Rehabilitation Society of Vancouver will provide educational f material on the services they provide and discuss substance abuse concerns associated with seniors. Tammy Toriglia of a Northern Health Care will offer the video, ‘“Drugs and the Older Individual,’’ and talk about the safe use of prescription drugs. And a local doctor will discuss a variety of medical a concerns for seniors. This workshop is free to the public. a There will be a $10 charge for professionals. gs Wednesday, November 7th (9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) and ' Thursday, November 8 (9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.) — There will be a free Non-Alcohol Bar at Overwaitea Foods. Stop by for a few. You may find a number of new drinks you would like to try at home. Caledonia Senior Secondary’s Counter Attack Club will be serving the drinks. | Thursday & Friday, November 8 & 9 — Choose the best day g for you to attend an informative day-long workshop beginn- ing at 8:30 a.m. each day. Lee Brown of Vernon will speak g the morning session on Native spirituality, past, present, and q future, and the fundamental concepts of Native healing — the # healing circle — healing of self, family and community. Lee is s the founder and past director of the Round Lake Treatment Centres where he is a counsellor and consultant. The after- noon sessions will feature Giovanni Vidotto, a counsellor with eight years experience and teaching experience at the high school and university level. Vidotto’s sessions will feature the Native dreamer, healing diseases, symbols and ; how to remember your dreams, and interpreting your dreams, Friday, November 9 (9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.) and Saturday, s November 10 (9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) — There will be a free s Non-Alcoholic Bar at Canada Safeway. Treat yourself to a break in your shopping routine and stop by for a refreshing ’ drink. ‘Thursday, November 15 — The topic of discussion will be the t “Use and Abuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs” at a workshop to be held at the Happy Gang Centre beginning at 10:30 a.m. — social, physiological and mental — and how they affect a seniors, Also, on the agenda is a discussion on problems relating to other drugs. 7 Organizers of the week's events would like to thank everyone whose donation of time, material, or money, made Drug s Awareness Week a reality in our area, Particularly, Speedee Printers donation of 800 “tent cards’’ to be displayed in every everyone to become more aware, This page is supported by: | DRUG AWARENESS WEEK Schedule of Events: 4 Eve Kusnick will discuss the different aspects of alcoholism | | restaurant and bar in the Greater Terrace area will help - shows trends. Seventy-eight percent of adult ‘Canadians report. alcohol use within the last 12 months, down from 82 percent of the popula- tion 10 years ago. Since 1980, the sale of alcoholic beverages also indicates a steady reduction ‘in consumption. ~ Survey results for prescription drugs, however, were more com- plex. Use of tranquilizers shows a downward trend, but sleeping pill consumption shows little change. Older men and women report the highest use, and elder- ly women receive almost half of ~ the total prescriptions each year. Cannabis (marijuana or hashish) - the most commonly It’s Friday night. Time to bury all those nasty little problems that have piled up during the week. Meet the gang at the bar, have a few drinks... Relax. Tomorrow you can sleep until noon. Hop in your car. A 10 minute drive and you’re there. Good company, good booze...But you've got a problem. You and ° your friends are all at the bar; you each have a car. How are. you going to get everyone and their car home safe and sound. "Take it easy," you say. "Don’t _ drink too much. Behave ourselves and then drive home very careful- ly. Maybe use a few side roads and aiicys." “Take a cab," says someone else. "Too expensive," you say. "And we'll have to take another cab to pick up our cars up in the morm- ing. "“ "How about picking a designated driver," says another. "What's that?" Perhaps this dilemma could have .been prevented if we had used a little foresight. Why not tum the clock back and rewrite this story... Before your evening even begins. It's Friday night. Time to bury ~ used illicit drug in “Canada - shows a recent decline in use. Overall, 6.5 percent of the population currently uses can- nabis and one-quarter of these people use it once a week or. more. However, 1.4 percent of the population currently uses co- caine, which is an increase. Younger adults use illicit drugs. the most, and men rather than women. Different parts of the study will hold interest for different people. We are drawn to the areas that have most meaning for us. Despite national percen- tages, though, any misuse of alcohol and drugs has very serious implication for everyone all those nasty little problems that have piled up duting the week. Meet the gang, have a few drinks... Relax. Tomorrow . you can sleep until noon. Sounds good. Let’s make some plans. The first thing we’re going to need {is a designated driver. That’s the guy who volunteers to drink non-alcoholic beverages on: this particular occasion and then play the role of cabby when the night is done, . I's 8 pm. Your designated friend pulls up in front of your house. ‘Hop in the car.” A 10 minute drive and your there. "Do you have a designated driver pro- gram?" you ask. "No we don’t," is the reply. "Good-bye." Try another bar. "Do you have a designated driver program?" you ask. "Yes, sir. We sure do," is the reply. "Hey guys! This is the place!" Good company, good booze, and not a thing in the world to worry about. Everyone has a safe ride home... With their designated driver, By using the designated driver program, the bar owner ensures his Northwest Couns elling Cen tre ; § in recognition of Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week involved. If you find yourself needing a better understanding of your own situation, or the situation of those around you, nurses recommend you contact your local health unit (under Health in the blue pages of the telephone directory) or the — Alcohol and Drug Clinic (in the blue pages under Alcohol and Drug Programs). Information on a host of drug-related issues can be made available to you. The Response lity is VOUS - Who’s driving tonight? customers will live to return another day. He does this by offer- ing free non-alcoholic beverages to the designated driver in the group for the entire evening. In this way, -he knows there is at least one sober driver in the group who will make sure everyone gets home in one piece. So the next time you head for the bar, don’t just walk in the door and say, "Bring us a round." First ask the waiter if they have a desig- nated driver program. If you're told, "No," it’s up to you whether you stay or go somewhere else. Tf, on the other hand, he says, "We sure do.” Pull up a chair and relax. There’s no need to thank him. Because for the owner of the bar, the designated driver program - is nothing more than good business _ sense. He knows that a customer who winds up in a motor vehicle accident or goes to jail for impaired driving isn’t a good cus- tomer at all. And: as for you and your friends... Well, the designated driver program is nothing more than very basic common sense. The kind of sense that just might keep you out of trouble. The kind of sense that saya, "This night ‘won't be my last." tet bane Wet.