North Canterbury News: August 20, 2020

Former addict to
speak in Rangiora
By DAVIDHILL
Apublicforum about
reducing drug harm is back
on,after beingaffected by
Covid­19 restrictions.
Drugs survivor and
motivational speaker Pat
Buckleywas duetospeakin
theWaimakariri districtin
March,but his visit was
cancelled as the country
moved into lockdown.
But with greater freedoms
allowed, Pat will now speak
at apublic forumnext Wednesday,
August26, from 7pm
in theRangioraTownHall.
Senior pupils at Kaiapoi
and Rangiora highschools,
RangioraNew LifeSchool
and Oxford Area School will
alsoget achance to hear
from Pat during his visit.
The visit is sponsored by
the Prevention of Alcohol
and Drug Harm Waimakariri
Steering Group.
Waimakariri District
Council safecommunity
facilitator Natalie Paterson
saysPatwilldiscuss actions
parents cantake,what
support is available, drug
trends, and tell­tale signs.
‘‘I’ve had anumberof
differentconversations with
parents and Iwould
encourage as manyparents
as possibletocomealong.
‘‘Sometimesparentscan
be blind­sided when they
2299409
❛Parentscan be
blind­sided when
they becomeaware
that their teenagers
have adrugs
problem.❜
become aware that their
teenagers have adrugs
problem,sobylearning
about the tell­tale signs, they
willknowwhattolook for.
‘‘Youdon’t havetobea
parent to come to the forum.
It is open to the general
publicand anyone who has
concerns or hasaninterest
inthe issuecan attend.’’
Pat is aformer addictwho
foundedAmped4life.net.nz
tohelpcommunities fight
drug and alcohol abuse.
Representatives from
local drug and alcohol
support agencies will be at
the forums to offersupport.
‘‘NorthCanterbury has
good support available for
those strugglingwithdrug
andalcohol addictions,
especially for young people,’’
Nataliesays. ‘‘Community
Wellbeing North Canterbury
has drug and alcohol
counsellors, and if aparent
wants to make areferral they
can do that.’’
NEWS
North Canterbury News, August 20, 2020
21
Town smog levels breached
By SHELLEY TOPP
Air pollution standards have
been exceeded on four nights in
Rangiora and three nights in
Kaiapoi so far this winter.
These exceedances breach the
National Environmental
Standards for Air Quality
(NESAQ) regulations which are
set by the Ministry for the
Environment under the
Resource Management Act.
In Canterbury, Environment
Canterbury (ECan) does the
monitoring.
ECan’s air quality science team
leader, Tim Mallet, said the
likely source of pollution in
Rangiora and Kaiapoi on those
nights was home fires.
However, the number of
exceedances has reduced
significantly in most airsheds in
recent years.
‘‘For example, in the Rangiora
airshed in 2010 there were 13
nights of exceedances, compared
to 2019 when there were just two.
‘‘The findings from our many
years of work with the
community has shown us that the
majority of people are doing the
right thing and have made the
changes needed, such as
upgrading non­compliant olderstyle
wood burners to lowemission
forms of home heating.’’
ECan runs an annual regionwide
Warmer Cheaper campaign
during the winter, focusing on
better burning information and
advice. The campaign’s website
is at warmercheaper.co.nz.
‘‘Smoke in outdoor air can
come into homes, depending on
Smoke... ECanmonitorsair pollution in airsheds aroundCanterbury.
how ventilated they are,’’ Tim
says.
The air quality regulations are
based on the health risks
associated with different
contaminants. Anational
environmental standard of 50
micrograms per cubic metre of
air has been set for PM10 (very
small particles found in dust and
smoke) for the 24­hour period
from midnight to midnight.
Air pollution is referred to as
PHOTO: FILE
‘‘high’’ when the daily
concentration is greater than 50
at any monitoring site within a
defined airshed.
This standard is usually
exceeded each year in
Canterbury airsheds.
The regulations also determine
the maximum allowable highpollution
nights per year for each
area.
In Rangiora, that number is
one while in Kaiapoi it is three.
HOW CAN YOU DRUG PROOF
YOUR CHILDREN?
Pat Buckley from Amped4life presents a
community forum that realistically and
graphically communicates the risks of Drug
and Alcohol use and abuse in our community.
● CURRENT DRUG TRENDS AND DANGERS
● HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TELL TALE SIGNS
● WHAT ACTION TO TAKE
● WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE
RANGIORA
(RANGIORA TOWN HALL)
26TH AUGUST 2020 7PM
Pat will be speaking to the senior students at Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Oxford and \Rangiora
New Life schools throughout the week.
Refreshments and light supper will follow Pat’s presentation. This is afree event.
For more information about Pat see www.amped4life.net.nz
Brought to you by the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Harm Waimakariri Steering Group.
FOR ENQUIRIES PHONE 0800 965 468