Youth lead alcohol, drug ban on Piapot First Nation, Sask.
CBC News | Posted: April 27, 2017 4:53 PM | Last Updated: April 27, 2017
Piapot chief and council passed resolution banning drugs and alcohol this week, violators to be fined
A group of students on the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan say drugs and alcohol are destroying their community, but now they've done something about it.
Based on action from the students, Piapot's chief and council have passed a drug and alcohol ban on the First Nation.
Thomas Kaiswatum and other teens took part in a walk Thursday to create awareness about drug and alcohol abuse and to promote support for the drug and alcohol ban on the reserve, which is just northeast of Regina.
Kaiswatum said he's also noticed drunk driving as a problem on the reserve. These experiences led him, and others, to create a band council resolution targeting the use of drugs and alcohol.
"We need the law to keep our elders and children safe in the community," he said. "The new law will hopefully prevent future tragedies in our community. We need to strengthen our community against drugs and alcohol abuse."
The chief and council passed the resolution banning drugs and alcohol on Tuesday.
The 16-year-old said the efforts will make the community safer for youth and elders.
"We've had an event this past couple of months ago that had the school on hold-and-secure," Kaiswatum told CBC Radio's The Morning Edition. "The RCMP had to barricade the school."
He said "someone on drugs" from the community tried to enter the school with a weapon.
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Kaiswatum said people who break the rules will be fined. He is hoping they will also be able to crack down on people who try to smuggle drugs or alcohol into the reserve.
"We have a lot of family members, band members that live in urban areas and they want to come home. So I just want for them to come home to a drug- and alcohol-free reserve."