KIDS SEE RED, SEEK DRUG FREEDOM

Young people pledge to remain drug-free in honor of Enrique Camarena,
a fallen DEA agent.

This week marks the 21st annual Red Ribbon Week for schools in Allen
County and across the United States.

Local schools are participating in all types of fun activities
designed to promote saying "no" to drugs. The events range from
basketball free-throw shooting contests and a special appearance by
Ronald McDonald to a drug-free pledge that will be recited over
intercoms after the Pledge of Allegiance.

"The events are all-age appropriate, but with the same message to the
kids. You can say 'no,'" said Debbie Morgan of Fort Wayne Community
Schools. Both high schools and elementary schools are involved and
will be wearing the red ribbon anti-drug symbol throughout the week.

The symbol of the red ribbon came from the death of a former U.S.
Marine turned U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Enrique
"Kiki" Camarena.

He worked undercover in Mexico investigating a drug cartel that
supposedly involved members of the Mexican army, police and
government. He was abducted in February 1985, and his body was found
in a shallow grave a month later.

In order to honor Camarena's fight against illegal drugs, friends and
family wore red satin badges to commemorate him. Afterward,
coalitions formed and adopted the red ribbon as a symbol to fight
drug abuse. The National Family Partnership was the first to organize
the nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign, which has since spread the
anti-drug message to millions of children.

"The more students who wear the ribbons, the more influence they'll
have on other kids to show them that it is not foolish," said
Assistant Principal Mary Beth Stevens of Lane Middle School. She
hopes Red Ribbon Week encourages students to make good choices about
the way they treat their bodies.

"This way the kids help to enable each other instead of contributing
to peer pressure," she said.

Jeff Studebaker, behavior specialist at East Allen County Schools,
has been working with the Bowen Center on the problem of drug abuse,
specifically for high school students.

"We have made an effort to utilize the services of the Bowen Center
year-round to gain constant awareness for safe choices," said
Studebaker. Some of the events he has organized are activity nights
after football games at Grace Gathering Church and getting parents to
sign a pledge to keep a party-safe home for community teenagers.

The main goal of Red Ribbon Week is to get students of all ages to
pledge they will not take drugs. School officials hope this pledge
will empower children to think and make the right choice when offered
unsafe substances.

"I pledge allegiance to myself

And who I want to be,

'Cause I can make my dreams come true

If I believe in me.

I pledge to stay in school and learn

The things I need to know,

To make the world a better place

For kids like me to grow.

I pledge to keep my dreams alive

And be all I can be.

I know I can, and that's because

I pledge to stay drug free!"

RED RIBBON WEEK EVENTS

Below Is a List of Fort Wayne-Area Schools and Some of the Events
Planned for Red Ribbon Week:

Fort Wayne Community Schools

- - Shawnee Middle School, 1000 E. Cook Road, has a classroom
door-decorating contest, with most creative anti-drug theme winning a
pizza party. Each student also was given a drug-free numbered
bookmark, with five numbers called each day for door prizes. They are
also celebrating with themed dress-up days.

- - Haley Elementary School, 2201 Maplecrest Road, is celebrating with
themed dress-up days, with today's theme as Inside Out Day.

- - Shambaugh Elementary School, 5320 Rebecca Drive, will celebrate
Friday with a drawing for prizes for students wearing red. A
free-throw contest is also scheduled, with a winner from each grade
to be chosen.

- - Snider High School, 4600 Fairlawn Pass, has red "Don't monkey
around with drugs" bracelets on sale all week for $1 from the
Students Against Destructive Decisions.

- - Pleasant Center Elementary School, 2323 Pleasant Center Road, is
celebrating today with Wacky Wednesday by encouraging kids to wear
wacky clothing.

- - Holland Elementary School, 7000 Red Haw Drive, gave pencils with
the words "Drug-Free" on them to all students and is hosting a
canned-food drive.

- - Harris Elementary School, 4501 Thorngate Drive, will have a clown
visiting classrooms Friday and is encouraging kids to dress up as
clowns as well.

- - Lane Middle School, 4901 Vance Ave., tied ribbons around trees and
light poles in the school courtyard and had each class sign an
anti-drug pledge card.

East Allen County Schools

- - New Haven Elementary School, 800 Homestead Drive, New Haven, is
hosting a food drive and anti-tobacco activities with students.

- - Monroeville Elementary School, 401 S. Monroe, Monroeville, had an
all-school assembly Monday with Ronald McDonald.

WHAT DRUGS DO TO YOU

Here Are Some Facts on the Effects of Drugs:

- - Tobacco is known for causing lung cancer and other diseases when
smoked and leads to the deaths of more than 100,000 people a year.

- - Marijuana is known commonly as a gateway drug to other more harmful
drugs. People who use it have a possibility of paranoia and anxiety,
loss of coordination and short-term memory. Psychological dependence
on the drug is also possible.

- - Alcohol, when abused, can lead to alcohol addiction and possible
overdose and death by alcohol poisoning.

- - Cocaine is an extremely addictive stimulant that has been linked to
heart attack, which increases sevenfold in likeliness for users.

- - Heroin is extremely addictive and leads to intense withdrawal
symptoms if use is stopped.

Source: Wikipedia.org