Proceeds from the Living Clean Living Free day at the National Stadium will be passed on to The Council Partners, a recently formed group of drug-fighting agencies which has joined forces with the National Drugs Commission to coordinate the collection, administration and disbursement of charitable donations for the war against drugs.

"The formation of the The Council Partners is a great step forward,'' said Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) Executive Director Gordon Johnson.

"There were a number of charitable organisations all raising funds separately, and most potential donors found the whole thing very confusing., "Possible donors would say things to me like: `We've had requests from ten charities this month, four proposals came from groups who work in the areas of alcohol and drug abuse, and we don't know who to give to, or what will happen to our money if we do,' '' Mr. Johnson explained.

In order to bring a degree of cohesion, professionalism and accountability to bear, CADA joined forces with Fair Havens Christian Care Association, Focus, Businesses Against Drugs (BAD), The Lions Quest and Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE), to form The Council Partners.

The Council Partners have since joined forces with anti-drugs umbrella organisation The National Drug Commission, which has been charged by Government to coordinate and direct Bermuda's overall strategy against alcohol and drug abuse.

The Council Partners have been appointed the NDC's official fund raising arm and the two groups will vet applications from anti-drugs organisations for funding via submission to a bi-partisan committee.

"By joining together,'' Mr. Johnson said, "we are able to achieve a number of things.

"For example, staff at CADA, Fair Havens, Focus, BAD, The Lions, Pride, and other organisations receiving funding form the Council Partners and NDC, can concentrate on running their own high quality programmes while The Council Partners concentrate on raising funds.

"The situation also introduces a degree of regulation which is attractive to donors,'' he said.

"The joint committee will monitor the charities programmes and evaluate their successes, therefore anyone making a donation will be assured their money will be used effectively to fight drug and alcohol abuse, and will not be wasted,'' said Mr.A Johnson, who added that The Council Partners have a primary fund raising goal of $5 million to support the next five years of anti-drugs programmes.

According to Council Partners literature, there have been many successes chalked up over the years by the six charities in the group.

"A teenage boy, resisting the pressure of his peers, says no to drugs and alcohol.

"A mother, once consumed by her need for drugs, completes a rehabilitation programme in Hamilton and returns to her family. Parents, committed to their children's future, learn how to talk to their sons and daughters.

"Teachers, aware of the onslaught of messages fielded by their students, teach them how to be strong.

"Men and women, too long on the edge of the society, gather information and training that will get them back on track.

"A professional, wanting to upgrade her skills, attends a workshop overseas.

"These are the "wins'' in the war against alcohol and drug abuse in Bermuda.

They have been chalked up by six local charities who have been working in the field for up 20 years,'' The Council Partners' Case Statement Thesis reads in part.

The Council Partners/ NDC groups are: The Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) CADA enters its 20th year of operation defined by its systematic, professional approach to helping solve the island's alcohol and drug abuse problems.

The Council educates the community, funds the further development of Bermudian professionals and helps to build consensus among groups working in this area.

The Council Partners fund-raising campaign is being coordinated by the staff of CADA.

Fair Havens Christian Care Association Fair Havens Christian Care Association opened its doors in June, 1993, and is now working with eight women to overcome their addiction, in the island's first residential treatment programme for drug-dependent females.

The programme focuses on long term recovery and after care.

Focus Focus takes its programme to the "back of town'' area of Hamilton where many homeless and street people in the throes of drug addiction have lost all hope.

Using the facilities of the Salvation Army Emergency Housing complex, Focus gives people the tools to understand their illness and move toward good health.

The group's volunteers also help their clients to gain a high school equivalency or trade school diploma.

Businesses Against Drugs (BAD) BAD offers employers a chance to invest in the good health of their future employees.

By funding the distribution of anti-drugs magazines Listen and The Winner through out the island''s primary and secondary schools, BAD reaches Bermuda's young people with a direct, positive message.

The Lions Quest The Lions Quest programme provides teachers and students with an internationally-recognised curriculum that is used all over North America to help prevent alcohol and drug abuse in pre-teens and teens.

The programme is supported by the Ministry of Education.

Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) The Bermuda chapter of PRIDE, which was formed in 1987 and has approximately 100 members, uses a vigorous education programme to fight the attractive and commercial influences of the drug culture.

Their past activities include annual conferences and Primary School "Lock-Ins,'' at which students and parents have committed to remaining at school for a specified time after school and on week-ends to attend lectures and presentations.

PRIDE have also sponsored the DREAM Smart Choices pilot programme at Dellwood Primary School, and have acquired Youth to Youth programme responsibilities.

PRIDE believes that a child's parents are her best bulwark against drug involvement and the community-based events sponsored by PRIDE involve both parents and children.

National Drug Commission (NDC) The NDC is a quasi non-governmental organisation (quango) charged with establishing Bermuda's strategy in the war against drugs.

The NDC is the umbrella organisation under which all other groups in the field come.

GORDON JOHNSON: Partners `a great step forward'.

DRUGS SUPPLEMENT DGS