Yellowknife (Dec 24/03) - There'll be a little extra something in your liquor store bag this season but it's not another bottle of booze.

The RCMP, in tandem with Health and Social Services, and the Native Women's Association launched a new advertising campaign yesterday targeting substance abuse at its source: customers frequenting Yellowknife's liquor stores.

The program will see informational pamphlets distributed with every bag of booze sold at liquor stores in Yellowknife and across the NWT.

The pamphlets address problems associated with drinking and drug abuse, ranging from depression to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, also called FASD.

"There is typically an increase in drinking during the holiday season, so we wanted to raise awareness about the issue," said Cec Heron, vice-president of the Native Women's Association.

"This is the ideal time to do it," Heron said.

Educating people to the dangers of disorders like FASD is the best way to combat the problem, said RCMP Const. Dino Norris.

"It's a huge issue throughout the North," Norris said. "We need to build up awareness about the issue."

The project is largely funded by the Department of Health and Social Services, and is an excellent example of cooperation between government, police and social welfare organizations, Norris said.

"Issues like FASD can't only be addressed by the police. It's something that requires the support of the entire community," he said.

The posters are only available in English, but Norris hopes to have them translated into aboriginal languages in the future.