Free yourself with music

RIGA - Raised drug use among young Latvians resulting from students'
unawareness of the consequences of addiction, made the Riga City
Council seek money to make a new movie on danger of drug use.

The movie, to be demonstrated in Latvian schools for free, will be
the eighth such product of the children's health protection
department at the Riga City Council, the organizer of a "Free Life
Party" under the slogan "Youth against drugs", held in Riga Vermana
Park on June 11.

Dagmara Pandere, head of the department and organizer of the party,
said the major reason was the semi- documentary educational movie
production. "We have already made several films, to teach children
about basic things, and now we think it's time for them to learn more
about drugs' danger."

"But we can't just scare children, we have to offer alternatives,"
said Pandere. About 60 percent of people cannot just say no,
confirmed psychologist Janis Gulbis, head of the Riga Children's
Rights Protection Center.

Children and teenagers gathered there at Saturday's noon were offered
such, with the exciting performances of rock climbers, roller
bladers, dancers, young musicians and mature weight lifters.

Officials addressing youth stressed great Latvian potential for
sports (ice hockey) and Latvia's international success in music.
Three Latvian ice hockey players were called to say their "no" to
drugs, confirmed later with the "Clean of Drugs" medals, and play
table hockey with the kids.

The aim of the concert that took place at the Vernisaza disco with
two Latvian groups "Interpol" and "Time after time" and a Russian
band "Inveterate swindlers," was twofold. To attract young people to
the Free Life party event and to make 19,000 lats ($32,200) for the
documentary.

"We decided to earn some money to create this movie. There will be
two other concerts this summer to raise funds for this program," said
Sergej Aleksejev, executive director of the dentistry "Lauvas Zobs",
general sponsor of the event, providing four Riga schools with
professional dentists on shortened state budget.

On July 21 the Bomfunck MC&S will take floor of the Rigas Sporta
Maneza, next concert to be held in Jurmala on August 8. "We are not
yet reveal ing the star of the latest concert, come and see."