Drug program launch planned

A program on "Drug Proofing Your Kids" will be launched at the Woy Woy High School on July 22 at 7.30pm.
The public meeting will be held by the Peninsula Christian Life Centre, in conjunction with the Peninsula Community Forum.
Pastor John McCaskie, who has been trained as a facilitator by "Focus on Family", will chair the meeting.
The program is already established in Victoria and Queensland.
It is designed to raise issues of drug awareness, symptoms and effects, the right choices to make, parenting skills and where to obtain help in relationship to drugs.
Guest speakers will be anti-drug campaigner entertainer, Normie Rowe, and Angela Wood.
There will be a question and answer forum available for parents to seek more information about the program.
From the meeting, it is hoped to establish the first of four courses to be held around the coast in early August.
Pastor John McCaskie explained that from the four courses each year, the program will be able to reach 200 parents and give them assistance in identifying and helping them with their children’s drug problems.
The first of the six week course will be held at the Umina Beach Tea Room Centre behind the library in West St.
The Peninsula Community Forum will sponsor the program through the Peninsula Community Forum Trust Fund.
The Trust Fund has previously funded other worthwhile community projects, such as The Web in conjunction with the Woy Woy Leagues Club.
However, the Forum is seeking sponsorship from other organisations to be a part of this community program.
All sponsor logos will be clearly displayed on the evening and subsequent courses.
Forum spokesperson Debra Wales said: "This is an extremely worthwhile community project which focuses on assisting parents in being aware of how to deal with drug issues.
"Many programs focus on the youth with little assistance to parents who often struggle to come to grips with drug related problems."
Debra anticipates a big response to the program and expects that iit will become a pilot for other communities in the Gosford city area.