Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 28/01) - Over 200 high school students listened to a former addict, drug dealer and convict-turned counsellor, speak at Sir John Franklin high school last week.

Serge LeClerc was brought North from Ontario by the RCMP for National Addictions Awareness week to talk to parents, students, cops, social welfare providers and addicts about his life.

Today's generation of kids, he said, is the most intelligent and sophisticated and also the most affected by suicide, addiction, rape, crime and commercial manipulation.

He spoke strongly and to the point on Nov. 23.

"You have become the most exploited generation ever," he said with a loud voice booming through the magnifying microphone.

"As a drug dealer I was more ethical than the alcohol industry because at least I called you a loser to your face."

LeClerc talked about commercials making men look macho and women look sexy as they sipped on a bottle of booze. The reality is not so romantic, he warned.

"I would like a camera to zoom in on a 17-year-old girl's face as she is being date-raped."

Some students from St. Pat's joined the group and listened to LeClerc re-tell how he was the product of a 14-year-old Cree girl's rape, how he was taken away from her at the age of eight, put in a training school and beaten and abused.

"I had my jaw broken at age 9," he said. "I stabbed my first man at age 10."

He then turned to dealing and street life.

"He was really into it," said Grade 9 Derek Graf about LeClerc's presentation.

"It was good he was talking about his own experiences."

"It was really good and very informative," added a Grade 9 peer Kevin Rattray.

Some of the adults and teachers cringed at the graphic message LeClerc relayed and the painful picture he painted.

Some of the at-risk kids kind of leaned forward whereas usually they kind of lean back, said a school administrator.

"Everyone is equally excellent. You start out excellent," LeClerc ended.

"The only person that can make you a loser is you."