We are an incorporated Canadian registered charity founded in 1994 and our mandate has been to build awareness and disseminate information on drug abuse. We want to influence Canada's youth that - Smart Kids Don't Do Drugs.

The purpose of the Society is to prepare, publish and distribute information relating to adolescent drug abuse and its prevention; to develop and initiate outreach programs for and with young people who may be using, have used or are likely to use drugs; to co-operate with and seek advice from medical and related professions to promote in any manner and publicize the non-use of drugs among youth.

A past project, done in conjunction with the organization Youth Assisting Youth, was an undertaking called Playgrounds for Kids. This project was to provide a safe, drug-free environment for our children to play and grow. Our first playground is now a reality and being enjoyed by parents and youth in the area. This effort has brought the community together and our aim is to extend this program to every province across Canada.

In the past selected teens ( considered to be experiencing problems with drugs ) attended a summer camp during the last 2 weeks of August with supervisors who had discussions with the kids about drug usage. Our plan is to resume this project in the future. We have also developed alliances with and donated thousands of dollars to organizations with similar missions. The Society is in frequent contact with many youth organizations (a Society Director is a member of a Toronto area YMCA ) for their guidance and assistance on how to execute our programs. We've made tens of thousands of phone calls and posted tens of thousands of mailings to get our message that Smart Kids Don't Do Drugs to our youth. Similarly we have developed partnerships with hundreds of the top corporations and hundreds of thousands of families across Canada who have helped with their kind donations.

The Society has over the years provided audio and video-tapes to health organizations, schools and the public at large. These tools provide information counselling teens on the perils of substance abuse. These tapes are being reviewed and revised to more accurately reflect current conditions (e.g. the extensive use of Ecstasy in the Rave community). We have a Smart Kids Don't Do Drugs Directory Helpline (1-800-883-7761) , which is there for children or parents to call so that we can direct them to counselling.

We have developed a Parent's Guide that suggests to parents how to talk to their children about drugs. It addresses what can be done about drug problems and ways to combat them. Its 55 pages give a full list of all street drugs, what they look like, the street names for them and how they act on our children.

Our Smart Kids Don't Do Drugs Checklist Card is enclosed in all our mailings. This card lists the potential danger signals that will alert parents to existing or potential problem. Parents can use the checklist while observing their children and when necessary talk knowledgeably to their family doctor.

The Society is still active distributing information to schools, health organizations and the general public which act as a guide to identify teens at risk. The Society also serves as a resource centre to direct individuals requiring immediate assistance to the proper health organizations in their area. Health organizations, schools and the general public, especially in southern Ontario, constantly approach us for our information on substance abuse.

The Society has over the years approached provincial chapters of the YMCA and the organization Youth Assisting Youth for their guidance and assistance on how to execute our programs. A major media public awareness campaign, to promote our organization's message, is currently underway with National radio stations like CHUM and CBC television running, respectively, audio and video clips.