A new $1-million drug counselling program puts counsellors where they are badly needed in Ottawa — in the high schools.

The program, announced Thursday, is funded by the province, the city, the United Way and the area's four school boards.

The plan is to have counsellors in each school for about two days a week, said James McCracken of the Ottawa Roman Catholic School Board, as the program was unveiled at All Saints Catholic High School in Kanata.

Many students at the school clearly think the program is needed.

"[School is] boring, so we just leave, and we skip, and we go get drunk or get high," said Mindi Decarie.

"I've seen a lot of kids fallen down in the hallways pretty drunk at school," said Jordon Canough.

"There's quite a few people who smoke pot everyday," said Jessica Gorka, a Grade 12 student.

"You smoke weed, and you start trying other stuff, and it just keeps escalating until you know people that are doing coke and other stuff," said Audrey Harris.

These students attend All Saints, but they could be describing just about any school in the city.

Paul Welsh, executive director of Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services, which provides counsellors for the high school program, said a lot of kids need someone with whom to talk.

"The profile of the kid is: they're using drugs five or six days a week; they're binge drinking on weekends," Welsh said.

Welsh said the counselling has already made a difference at several schools.

The newly funded program will make sure that even more students have access to the same help, he said.