By Robin Harvey
Life Writer

January 4th, 1999

Watching a 4-foot-tall puppet talk about his former alcohol and drug problem might seem strange to some.

But the students at Rosedale Heights Public School were hooked.

"Puppets are a wonderful way to get information across to children in a way that is non-threatening and even fun," says Joyce Attis, one of the puppeteers staging the show.

Attis is executive director of The Concerned Kids, a charitable troupe that stages shows to help children cope with some of our culture's most troubling social issues.

Since its inception almost 10 years ago, the group has reached more than 203,000 students in Greater Toronto schools with a message about drug and alcohol use and abuse, and HIV/AIDS.

At a recent show at the Thornhill school, the Grade 4 to 6 students were captivated by the story of Eric, a 14-year-old who stopped using alcohol and drugs after a near tragedy.

As the puppet related his story, you could hear a pin drop -- though there were almost 200 students sitting in close quarters on the gymnasium floor.

That gave out a "strong message" says Grade 6 student Fern Opatowski, 11. "You have to know not to just do what your friends want you to do. It is what's in your heart that you have to follow."

Adam Cilevitz, also in Grade 6, says the show had a big impact on the students.

"It is important to know where kids can get help," he says.

Attis says the reaction of these students is typical.

"It is amazing the way they identify with the puppets. We had one group with a Grade 8 kid who was really funny."

The student was nonplussed by the idea of going to what he considered a juvenile puppet show, she says.

"But then at the part when the kids can ask questions, he raised his hand, asked a question and then slapped himself and said: 'Oh, no, I can't believe I just talked to a puppet.'"

While most express the same positive reaction to the shows, some students' questions are heartbreaking.

Once, a girl raised her hand and asked a puppet about HIV. Then she asked if she could get AIDS if her father had sex with her.

Children have also asked whether a parent's weekend drinking was a sign of trouble or how they could get their mom to stop smoking.

The troupe members deal with the questions as tactfully as they can. If there is any concern about a student, school officials always follow up.

"We try to tell them that it is not their job to solve a grownup's problem," Attis says.

All 30 members of the troupe are volunteers, working with a small grant from the Toronto public health department's drug abuse prevention program.

The puppeteers go through an eight-week training course to learn how to use the puppets and present the program. They do about 11 shows a week, covering such topics as drug awareness, poison control and streetproofing for kids from kindergarten to Grade 3.

The show about alcohol and drug use and abuse is aimed at Grades 4 to 6, while the one on HIV/AIDS is aimed at Grades 5-9.

The troupe sends out material to teachers for use in the classroom before the show and there is a follow-up program once it's over.

The puppets are worth about $1,500 and are handmade by a group called Kids On The Block in the United States. They wear real children's shoes and clothing to make it easier for kids to identify with them.