SCHOOLS DOING THEIR PART TO PREVENT DRUG, ALCOHOL USE

Weeklong Event Stresses Parental Involvement

MINERAL SPRINGS - So much is said and done throughout our country to
address the issue of alcohol and drug use by children.

We may mistakenly believe that because we live outside of a large
city, we are immune to the drug-use epidemic affecting our youth.
Unfortunately, this terrible problem may potentially affect any one
of our family members.

It is comforting to know, however, that Union County Public Schools
does its share to protect our children. Last month, from Oct. 23
through Oct. 31, all the schools in our county participated in a
prevention message program titled Red Ribbon Week.

Denise Cavoly, UCPS's Safe and Drug Free School and Communities
program coordinator, organized the event. She describes Red Ribbon
Week as the "least expensive way for parents, teachers, communities,
faith groups and others to touch children with the prevention message."

In her message, Denise emphasizes the importance of parent
involvement and communication with children. To quote an e-mail from her:

"Simply talking to our children has been proven in research study
after research study that it makes a difference. Casa Columbia
research shows that when children and families simply sit down to
dinner together the percentage of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use
decreases up to 50%. This happens just by talking -- not even having
the drug or substance discussion. Parents or caring adults are the
anti-drug message that we need for our children here in Union County."

The Red Ribbon Week program runs two projects: Plant the Promise, in
all UCPS elementary schools, and Poster and Poetry Slam Contests, in
our middle and high schools. Both projects reverberate the same
message: "Be 100% Me -- Drug Free."

The first project involved having each elementary school plant red
tulip bulbs that had been provided by UCPS's Safe and Drug Free
Schools Program. Of course, our own Western Union Elementary School
participated. In total, Union County elementary schools planted about
16,000 tulips.

The latter project counted on the talent, imagination, and creativity
of middle and high school students. They were asked to express their
views about being drug free through the creation of posters and poetry.

While I am almost certain that all submissions were wonderful works
of art and highly creative literature pieces, I must brag about our
own Parkwood High School since one of the school's students won the
countywide poster contest.

The concept of Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 in a small community in
California. Residents there began wearing the ribbons to honor the
memory of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Enrique
"Kiki" Camarena, who had been killed while working undercover. Thus,
Red Ribbon Week serves both as a commemoration to Camarena and as an
effort to disseminate the importance of a drug-free lifestyle.

Red Ribbon Week reminded us how important it is to give children the
tools they need to stay drug-free. In Denise's words, "students need
to explore ways to prevent drug, alcohol and tobacco use.... (They)
need to learn about effective decision making that they can
incorporate into their life to help make positive choices." Thus, our
role as parents and caregivers is to discuss drug use with our
children and help them practice different ways of saying "no" to drugs.

I would like to leave you with a thought that the very dedicated
Denise gave to me: "If we believe youth are our future, we are
procrastinating." -- author unknown