Tonight and tomorrow at the Sonesta Beach Hotel PRIDE Bermuda will be holding its 12th annual conference.

And Parent Resource Institute for Drug Education Bermuda, a member of the International PRIDE Family of Nations, has invited two US based speakers to address the conference.

Drug prevention specialists Anne Meyer of Chicago and Thomas Walters of Atlanta will conduct workshops for parents and youth this evening and throughout the day tomorrow.

The workshops are designed for adolescents, teens and their parents to gather for a weekend of information and education to prevent drug use.

Organisers hope the conference will provide a forum where parents and youth can leave their respective workshops and establish and maintain open communication.

Registration begins tonight at 6.30 p.m. until 7.25 p.m. and late registration tomorrow from 8.30 a.m. to 8.55 a.m. at the hotel.

Guest speaker Anne Meyer, a drug prevention specialist, is past president and advisory board member of the National Family Partnership, and is a member of PRIDE USA.

"Children cannot learn while they are under the influence,'' Mrs. Meyer, a "professional volunteer'' said yesterday. "It robs their potential.'' She emphasised the roles of schools, parent groups, and youth groups in a unified battle against drugs and alcohol.

"The important thing is that we get the youth involved before they get into drugs,'' she said.

The role of parents gathering to compare notes and get new information in the fight.

"If you approach taxi drivers, doctors or secretaries you will only affect those groups,'' she said. "If you get to the parents, however, you can get to the whole country.'' "My suggestion is to start Parent Connections or Networks,'' she added.

"They will agree to come together so they would not be stuck out there on their own.'' Mrs. Meyer said such groups would be able to fill voids left by parents whose children pass out of the PRIDE age group.

"We have found where the schools have been supportive of Parents Connections and Youth programmes we have had great success.'' Mr. Walters has worked in the Human Services and Prevention Field for more than 15 years.

Currently, he is a consultant with the Metropolitan Atlanta Council on Alcohol and Drugs, and specialises in presentations on tobacco, alcohol, and drug prevention, teen pregnancy and family communications.

CLUB CLB