A Barrie pharmacy has teamed up with the Barrie Police to host an open session on sexual health in the digital age.
“It’s probably the biggest threat that’s out there,” said Const. Phil Graham. “It’s not just a Barrie issue, it’s worldwide.”
The recent spike in sexually transmitted infections prompted the move to help parents and students become more informed.
Pharmacist Andrew Schonbe said the sessions will cover areas that he says the province’s sex-ed curriculum now lacks.
“Things like human trafficking, sexting, cyber-bullying. Even in Barrie recently, there was someone arrested relating to human trafficking, so the time is now,” said Schonbe. “When the curriculum was reverting back twenty years, we thought we could help a little bit, to provide some information.”
Students agree the online threat is real and needs to be addressed.
“People who get their personal pictures leaked often get driven into suicide and depression,” said one Eastview Secondary School student.
Police say having these discussions with teens and tweens will better equip them with the tools they need for the future.
“This is all about prevention,” said Graham. “We’d rather deal with this now and educate parents and kids as opposed to dealing with the aftermath.”
The sessions will be held at the Express Aid pharmacy on Grove Street in the north end of Barrie. The city plans to make these sessions a monthly event.
The next is scheduled for late October.
