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JANUARY 30, 2015
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Vol. 64, Issue 21
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
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Report shows steady drop in substance use among local youth ARNE PETRYSHEN
TREVOR CRAWLEY PHOTO
Cranbrook RCMP vehicles are pictured in a Southview neighbourhood street during a manhunt for a fleeing suspect Thursday morning. The suspect was taken into custody later that afternoon up Gold Creek area.
Break-in suspect leads police in daylong manhunt FOR THE TOWNSMAN
A combined effort by a number of detachments and units including a helicopter resulted in the arrest of four individuals believed to be involved in a break and enter. The incident started just before midnight on Jan 28 when Cranbrook RCMP received a report of an alarm at a
local pawnshop. Upon attendance police found the gates open and a number of items missing. Video surveillance indicated at least three subjects wearing gloves and masks were involved. A short time later officers located two suspects at a local motel who were arrested in relation to the break in. While
arresting the male and female, noise was heard coming from the bathroom. RCMP entered the bathroom and found the window was taken out and it appeared someone had exited through the window. Moments later a black VW Jetta was seen leaving from behind the motel. The vehicle took off at a high rate of speed toward
Fernie. Officers conducted patrols toward Fernie, when they observed the suspect vehicle coming towards them 177km per hour. Officers activated their emergency equipment in an attempt to stop the vehicle; it did not stop and in fact sped up.
See SUSPECTS, Page 3
A recent report that looks at the health of B.C. youth shows improvements when it comes to injuries and substance abuse for students in the East Kootenay region. The report is released every five years by the McCreary Centre Society. âThereâs been a steady decline in substance use,â said Dean Nicholson, executive director at East Kootenay Addiction Services Society. âThe number of youth reporting using alcohol has dropped. The number of youth reporting using marijuana has dropped. And the other drugs that youth get tested for have dropped or are at such low levels that they are stable. No substance that was looked at had increased.â The East Kootenay Addiction Services Society also does a every two years survey. This was the first year that both surveys came out in the same year. âMcCreary and I worked together on comparing our surveys,â Nicholson said. âIt was nice to see that our results really mirrored what McCreary was seeing. Across Canada there has been a general decline in substance use.â He said it is difficult to say whether it is just a trend that weâre going through culturally or real change. âThereâs been â certainly in the province and I think nationally â an attempt to shift the way substance use prevention is done â away from a fear-based scare tactic kind of thing, to having it
be much more about accurate information and discussion with the target group.â
âI think weâre recognizing that a more helpful goal is to honestly engage with kids about what their experience is. And come from a position of honest knowledge brokers and encouraging discussion.â Dean Nicholson
He said engaging the target group in discussions has been positive in his experience. âI think thereâs been a tendency to say, especially with adolescents, drugs use, substance use is a problem period, without defining what do we mean by a problem and why is it a problem.â For instance, he said that if someone is coming to meet with students and their assumption is students shouldnât be using any substances or any substance use indicates a problem, then right away itâs going to be hard for them to engage with the kids.â He said one of the reasons for that is that the kids will recognize that there is substance use amongst their peers and for many of them are not experiencing problems.
See REPORT, Page 3