The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

9 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,D ecem ber 13,2018 theifp.ca The following is the sec- ond in a four-part series, Growing Pains?, a close-up look at the legalization of cannabis and its effects in Halton. This fall, as the Oct. 17 date for cannabis legaliza- tion approached, Halton schools braced themselves for impact. School boards made sure supports were in place, parents were noti- fied, resources were post- ed online, discussions were planned and staff was trained to deal with questions and any possible repercussions of the new legislation. Then Oct. 17 came and went. And local schools barely felt a thing. Cannabis may still be il- legal for those under 19 in Ontario, but Rebecca Rich- ardson, health and physi- cal education instruction- al program leader for sec- ondary schools with the Halton District School Board (HDSB), says that doesn't mean the way stu- dents are learning about it will remain the same. "I think most of our edu- cators are tasked with en- forcing the fact that just because it's become legal, there are still illegal pieces around it," she said. "In terms of what we focus on, we talk about prevention and health promotion, in terms of delaying use, re- ducing use and eliminat- ing the risk." Whereas it was not un- common in the past for ed- ucators to refer to canna- bis as a "gateway drug," or to show students graphic videos of individuals over- dosing as a tactic to teach them not to use drugs, dis- course around the subject is in a state of transforma- tion. Richardson says that the new curriculum, which is still in the process of being modified, not only focuses on providing stu- dents with the necessary knowledge surrounding cannabis but also helps them develop the skills they require to make the proper decisions, problem solve and advocate for themselves and their peers. "A new piece that we will probably see in the re- vised curriculum around this is harm reduction, so it's not just 'don't use' but 'if you have used, how can we support you in reducing your use?' Because it's not a positive behaviour going forward," Richardson said. She also notes that can- nabis is now referred to as a terminus drug, as new research has shown there is no evidence that proves cannabis use opens up the doors to other harder drugs, which is what the previous term "gateway drug" referred to. While school lessons on cannabis and illegal drugs commence in Grade 6, stu- dents learn about sub- stance use and abuse prior to then, in age-appropriate ways, beginning in the pri- mary grades, where chil- dren are taught about the addictive qualities of caf- feine. Then in Grades 4 and 5, the focus shifts to alcohol and tobacco use. Once students reach Grade 6, Richardson says they can now anticipate lessons that focus less on scare tactics and more on the psychological ele- ments around substance abuse. "We're kind of taking a different approach now. (We're asking) why people engage in this behaviour in the first place. What are the risk factors and what prevents them from mak- ing positive decisions?" she said, adding that stu- dents learn about a variety of potential reasons young people engage in sub- stance use and abuse, in- cluding peer issues, self- medication, difficult per- sonal experiences and the way drugs are viewed at home. Tanya Woods, elemen- tary health and physical education instructional program leader at HDSB says students also learn about the connection be- tween drug use and mental health. "(They learn) the con- nections as to why people are using and abusing sub- stances to begin with. So, what is it that leads them to the abuse of the sub- stance and how is that con- nected to a variety of men- tal health issues," she add- ed. Richardson says this is just the beginning and there will be more changes to come as the government continues to release fur- ther information about cannabis legalization and CANNABIS AND YOU HALTON SCHOOLS OFFER STUDENTS FACTS ON CANNABIS TO AID IN DECISION MAKING VERONICA APPIA vappia@metroland.com See WELL-BEING, page 11 THE ISSUE: WHAT ARE STUDENTS LEARNING ABOUT CANNABIS IN SCHOOL? LOCAL IMPACT: LEGALITY OF POT CHANGES WHAT'S TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS I want to take my child away on a vacation, that interferes with my former spouse's access. What do I need to do? ASK THE PROFESSIONAL The advice offered in this column is intended for informational purposes only. Use of this column is not intended to replace or substitute any professional, financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice. We work for you. legal matters Q A Vacation Access to Children Helsons LLP is a firm of 8 Lawyers. We trace our firm back to 1885 in Georgetown, Ontario and 1932 in Acton, Ontario Frederick A. Helson (1921-2018) Allan W. Kogon (retired) David J. Ashbee John E. Schaljo Mark T. Rush Steven D. Kogon Caley E. Power Jessica A. George Jasmine M. Spudic Nicole E. Kucherenko Nancy L. Carnwath (retired) Vacation access for separated parents is a variation of the normal child access routine. If one parent is taking the child(ren) out of Canada they often require written consent of the other parent at the border. If you are the parent taking the children you need to give to your former spouse a detailed itinerary well in advance of the vacation and keep the vacation a reasonable length and reasonable location. If you have done this the courts will back you up and allow the vacation. If you are a parent refusing consent to a week long vacation to Disney World you can expect your former spouse will be able to obtain a court order dispensing with your consent and you can also expect the court to be very upset with your refusal and award costs against you. Helsons LLP Barristers and Solicitors 132 Mill Street, Georgetown, Ontario L7G 2C6 Tel: (905) 877-5200 35 Mill Street East, Acton, Ontario L7J 1H1 Tel: (519) 929-9333 Email: info@helsons.ca Web: www.helsons.ca David J. Ashbee A new cemetery for the general public is taking shape for residents in Halton Hills and their families. Devereaux Cemetery is located in a quiet country setting on the 17th Side Road, just west of Trafalgar Road. It's adjacent to the Holy Redeemer Cemetery and open to people of all religious faiths. Contact us for information about available interment options, either at time of need or in advance. 905-877-8500 l www.devereauxcemetery.ca Owned and operated by The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Hamilton