RED RIBBON WEEK IS WORTH THE EFFORT

The dangers from substance abuse are as real today as they were 21
years ago when Red Ribbon Week began after drug traffickers in Mexico
City murdered Drug Enforcement Administration agent Kiki Camarena.
The red ribbon is used as a symbol of the commitment against drug abuse.

Red Ribbon Week is scheduled from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31. A look through
the newspaper from the arrests by police and sheriff's departments to
even the sports pages shows that substance abuse is, unfortunately,
part of daily life. From illegal drugs to legal substances such as
tobacco, substance abuse robs individuals from becoming full
participants in the world around them.

Red Ribbon Week is most famous for focusing the anti-drug message on
students. A story this week reported on a program at Jackson
Elementary in Pascagoula where Joseph Stallworth of Singing River
Services spoke to the after school Boys & Girls Club program. "The
most dangerous drugs for children are the ones you try first," he
told the kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

While the initial focus of Red Ribbon campaigns two decades ago was
on illegal drugs, it was quickly recognized that youngsters likely
would first be tempted to use tobacco and alcohol. The health hazards
from smoking tobacco are well known but still youngsters experiment
with smoking then find themselves addicted. Red Ribbon Week events
teach them about the danger involved in experimenting with such drugs.

The aim of Red Ribbon Week is to create a drug-free America. If the
programs save one youngster per school from becoming addicted to even
smoking, Red Ribbon Week is worth the effort. The publicity may even
make adults think again about their behavior if they are in a
position that they can't stop smoking or drinking.

With all the demands on teacher and student time in today's schools,
it is worth noting that Red Ribbon Week survives probably because it does work.