The Bermuda Council For Drug Free Sport have announced that the recently-formed Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) will take part in the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNIDCP) `Hands on Theme' meeting to be held in Rome, Italy from November 12-14.

UNIDCP have sponsored two local members for the trip, Ricketa Warner and NDC administrator Kimberly Jackson.

The meeting will focus on treating and empowering youth members and youth workers as experts in the field of drug prevention.

They will be asked to formulate a set of guidelines for other youth groups around the world who are seeking advice on how to utilise sport as an alternative to drug abuse, and for individuals who want to include sports in their personal abstinence programmes.

Saltus teacher and Bermuda Football Association executive Jon Beard, who serves as education chairman of the BCDFS, recently praised the SALT programme.

"The important thing in sports is that when presented properly and with the correct emphasis, it can ably assist youngsters and obviously adults to abstain from drugs and to be able to take part in sport, wherein it can be the `natural high' and an alternative to substance abuse. "Athletes must begin to realise that if they want to play and really enjoy sport, then drugs are only going to be detrimental," said Beard.

"If you want to be a part of the team, drug use will actually be letting the team down. It's going to be a disadvantage to themselves and to their colleagues.

"So I think the trip our young ladies are going on is going to be a ways and means of us to be able to put that over in a conducive manner, particularly to the youngsters because obviously if we can get them to understand the importance of it as they mature, hopefully they will positively influence their peers and really, that's where we need the emphasis.

"It's one thing for adults to stand up and say you shouldn't do this or that, but the important thing is that the youngsters themselves can tell their peers about the people, such as elite athletes, that they look up to in the community who will show them an alternate way to succeed away from life under the influences of substances."

The Bermuda SALT programme was adopted from New Jersey.

SALT teaches junior athletes the importance of being positive role models who can encourage their peers to be drug free and support positive youth development.