Ottawa, November 20, 2012 - Earlier this morning, the RCMP Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Service (DOCAS) launched a national youth engagement initiative called “Canadian Champions” at Auburn Drive High School in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. Promoting the theme “Choose the winning path”, this initiative aims at engaging young Canadians in building a drug-free future.
Held during National Addictions Awareness Week, the event highlighted a video depicting Canadian celebrities and high school students who joined efforts to tell their personal stories on how staying drug-free made a significant difference in their lives.
Canadian Champions, which was initiated by the RCMP in Nova Scotia, offers youth a variety of information and tools to make informed choices and become ambassadors of a drug-free lifestyle. The initiative also makes available an online teaching guide to assist educators in discussing and engaging with youth on drug issues. The goal is to send a powerful message to youth to help them rise above the pressure of others and become champions of their own lives as well as in the lives of others in their schools and communities.
“Drug abuse continues to have devastating consequences on our youth. The RCMP is strongly committed to reducing youth involvement in crime as victims or young offenders,” said RCMP Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing Mike Cabana. “Young people are key players in the prevention of crime, and the Canadian Champion initiative challenges them to go the extra mile, by not only making the right choices for themselves but also positively influencing their peers.”
The Canadian Champions initiative is one of several ways the RCMP is fulfilling its responsibilities as outlined in the National Anti-Drug Strategy, a collaborative effort focused on prevention and access to treatment for those with drug dependencies, while at the same time getting tough on drug dealers and producers who threaten the safety of our youth and communities.
The initiative also fits very well with the DOCAS education continuum, serving to strengthen youth messages and supplementing already established programs like DARE, the Aboriginal Shield, Racing Against Drugs, as well as Kids and Drugs. With representatives working collectively across Canada to create awareness programs that are offered in over 700 diverse Canadian communities, this past year DOCAS delivered 3498 awareness presentations, reaching 74, 736 students, 24, 892 parents, and 10,650 professionals.
While DOCAS programs target youth, they also open channels of communication with parents, community members, key stakeholders and RCMP partners.
“Our goal is to significantly reduce the negative impact of drug use in our communities,” stated Superintendent Eric Slinn, acting Director General of the RCMP’s Drugs and Organized Crime Section. “To achieve this, we must work with our partners on the front lines of prevention to mobilize and empower our youth by providing them with the information, tools and skills to recognize and avoid bad situations, and make healthy decisions.”
Sergeant Keith Mackinnon of DOCAS in Nova Scotia, the RCMP officer behind the Canadian Champions endeavour, is confident that the latest addition to the RCMP’s outreach efforts will continue to produce such results. As he explained, "This initiative will serve to appeal to the average teens at the grassroots level by reinforcing in their minds that making good decisions, dealing with peer issues, as well as choosing friends wisely are keys to avoiding substance abuse and achieving their goals in the future. This will effectively allow them to serve as positive role models to others, a doubly powerful effect.”
Kim, a teenager who participated in the Canadian Champions video production found the experience beneficial. “I believe that Canadian youth can relate to the common ground we all share,” she expressed. “We have challenges ahead of us, pressures and expectations both from within our circles of friends and in our everyday lives. This initiative illustrates many examples of different perspectives that we can use to ensure we stay away from drugs and the risks they pose in our lives and our futures. Youth can use all these positive role models and advice in protecting themselves down the road.”
For more information on Canadian Champions, please visit http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cc/index-eng.htm.
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RCMP Media Relations
613-843-5999
