Youth Against Drugs (YAD) is a group of dedicated students that want to raise awareness about the effects of drugs and substance abuse. Substance abuse is a known issue in the school community, so members aim to inform and educate fellow Garneau students about drugs they might encounter. This is done so that members may make the right decisions in the future. YAD meets every Monday at lunch in Room 235.
Although YAD has been a club for three years, they had a major setback when they lost their teacher advisor this year. The club’s president, Michael Ng, put up announcements in department offices and asked many teachers to be their new teacher advisor. Unfortunately, the club was unable to run during the first semester because they couldn’t find any teacher support. Ms. Woodley agreed to supervise them for second semester.
A club member presents to the rest of the club. Photo: Sophia Liu
A typical meeting involves an in-depth presentation on a specific drug by a club executive or a regular member if they request to do so. Each presentation covers what the drug is, its effects, addictiveness, and legality. These presentations are very open, with lots of time for questions and discussion.
YAD looks forward to running many events through the remainder of this year, most notably the Fatal Vision Challenge, which is run in partnership with Toronto Public Health and has been a success in past years. Students partake in various games and activities that educate them about the effects of dangerous substances. One such activity involves a student wearing goggles that simulate the vision of a drunk individual and then trying to accomplish a task such as driving a small buggie. YAD also plans to organize talks and presentations from guest speakers.
Youth Against Drugs is a fun yet sincere club that tackles the serious problem of substance abuse amongst teens. Member Zi Yu Cai says, “It’s an amazing club,” and recommends the club to anyone interested in joining.
