http://www.portnews.com.au/story/2966628/empowering-kids-to-make-healthy-choices/?cs=257

 

THERE are communities where ice use is dangerously entrenched in some families, the Life Education boss says.

Life Education NSW chief executive officer Jay Bacik said he did not believe there was an ice epidemic in the state but there were communities where ice use was dangerously entrenched in some families.

He spoke of a report from a welfare worker in a NSW town of two children, aged eight and 10, taking ice.

“It breaks my heart because I know that can destroy their whole family,” he said.

Mr Bacik said he was encouraged by Premier Mike Baird’s commitment to put resources aside to help people in terms of rehabilitation.

He stressed the importance of preventative measures.

The state government last week announced a package to combat the scourge of ice including new laws to make more ice dealers face life in prison and more funding for treatment and rehabilitation services.

There would also be community education about the dangers of ice and a halved threshold required to charge dealers with possessing large commercial quantities of ice for supply.

The Premier said this was a tough package to go after the drug dealers peddling this evil drug, the backyard manufacturers and anyone reckless enough to get behind the wheel while high on drugs.
Deputy Premier Troy Grant said in his 22 years as a country cop, he had not seen a drug as corrosive to human decency as ice.

“Country towns need a tough package like this to stop the damage this drug is causing in our communities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Bacik said prevention strategies were also needed to support parents and families.

Preventative education is at the core of Life Education’s work.

Life Education empowers children and young people to make safer and healthier choices.

Mr Bacik said education taught children not just facts but attitudes, behaviour and choices.

“Research indicates that attitudes develop at a very young age and that parents’ values and attitudes need to be supported as normal life and normal behaviour,” he said.

Mr Bacik said Life Education did great work in the Hastings.

“Schools are very responsive and parents like the fact that Life Education supports their values about health, future choices and exercise, and we underpin them [children] with the social skills to deal with issues like cigarettes, alcohol and drug use,” he said.

Mr Bacik last week met with Life Education supporters in Port Macquarie.

The Life Education van sees 3500 students in 15 schools across the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area.

lisa.tisdell@fairfaxmedia.com.au