PUPILS PLEDGE DRUG LOCKOUT

Dressed in red, nearly 800 kids and teachers joined hands Wednesday to
form a human chain around Oak Tree Elementary School.

Together, they pledged to lock out drugs.

As part of national Red Ribbon Week, schools in Gilbert declared the
importance of saying 'No' through parades, police officer chats and
other activities.

At Oak Tree, some kids wore silly-looking socks as a way of "socking
out" drugs.

Others recited a Red Ribbon rap over the loudspeaker.

Children at Island Elementary released red balloons. On Friday,
students at Desert Ridge Junior High will get to meet the SWAT Team.

School-driven programs like these are imperative, said district
prevention coordinator Kathy Horlacher, as federal funding for
drug-prevention curriculum has been cut significantly over the past
few years.

Gilbert schools no longer use the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance
Education) program, and the tobacco-abuse awareness series for
second-graders has been trimmed.

"It's a shame," said Horlacher, who hosts parent workshops on talking
to kids about drugs and alcohol. "We can't just have Red Ribbon week
and say that's all they need. There needs to be a sense of community.
There needs to be norms."

Research has shown that kids who learn the anti-drug message at home
are 42 percent less likely to start using, according to A Parent's
Guide to Drug and Gang Prevention, issued by the Maricopa County
Attorney's Office. The handbook suggests that parents share their
personal feelings on illegal substances.

Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman did just that. This week, Berman visited
contest-winning sixth-graders during the lunch hour.

"Please don't do drugs, kids," Berman said during a pizza party at
Carol Rae Ranch Elementary School. "It'll hurt you more than you can
ever dream."

Berman told the story of his 24-year-old stepdaughter, whom he
described as the "shining star" of the family.

"She was the prettiest, the smartest and everyone's favorite," Berman
said.

But Berman then described how her life fell apart once she started
smoking marijuana in high school. Soon, he said, the teen started
experimenting with stronger substances like crystal methamphetamine.
She became addicted and ended up with permanent brain damage.

"With drugs, you lose the choice," Berman said. "One thing you never
want to give up is who's in charge of your body. That's the ultimate
weakness."

Berman answered students' questions like, "Why is marijuana illegal
but cigarettes aren't?" and "What's the difference between illegal
drugs and prescription drugs?" He later spoke about his role in the
community.

Gilbert Crime Prevention Specialist Vickie Owen said that sixth grade
is an important year in making sure students understand the dangers of
drugs, since junior high can often be packed with peer pressure.

"People might tell you, 'Everyone does it,' " Owen said to the class
at Carol Rae Ranch. "But you want to be different. You want to be unique."

One student asked why police officers sometimes turn away when they
see kids smoking cigarettes at the local skate park.

"I think police officers need to pay more attention to kids," said
Rachel Marx, 11. "In 20 years, we are going to be the citizens who are
running this place, so we need know what's right and wrong."

Kids lined up to get the mayor's autograph on their red ribbons. Above
his signature, Berman wrote the words "Be Strong. Say no."

"They can't hear the message too often," Berman said.