HIGH COUNTRY HOLDS RED RIBBON CELEBRATION

The first lady of North Carolina helped kick off the High Country's
Red Ribbon Celebration.

Mary Easley, wife of Gov. Mike Easley, attended the celebration's
kick-off breakfast Tuesday in Boone, along with Mrs. North Carolina
Globe, Christina Welch.

Hosted by Appalachian State University and the Alcohol/Drug Council
of Watauga County, the breakfast is intended to complement National
Red Ribbon Week. The week is celebrated from Oct. 22 through 28 and
is now in its 19th year as "the largest alcohol, tobacco, and other
drug prevention campaign observed nationally," a press release reads.

The local observance features a series of mobilization meetings,
focusing on policy, enforcement and advocacy efforts in the High
Country, all held at the Watauga County Public Library.

Roseanne Peacock, wife of ASU Chancellor Ken Peacock, welcomed the
attendees to the breakfast. She said one of Appalachian's goals is to
provide students with a safe environment. In doing so, the university
has strengthened its alcohol policy and provides a substance abuse program.

Peacock mentioned the theme of this year's Red Ribbon Week, which is
"Work together to make things better." "The question is, what will
you do when you leave here this morning to become part of the
solution," she said.

Welch, also a school counselor at Mabel Elementary School, provided
unsettling statistics on adolescent alcohol and drug abuse. One in
five kids between 12 and 20 years old will have five or more drinks,
while 20 percent of eighth graders and 42 percent of tenth graders
will have also partaken. These statistics, Welch said, are not acceptable.

Adolescents that drink retain 10 percent less of learned material
than those that don't drink, Welch said, adding that by day's end,
5,400 children less than 16 years old will take their first dink.
"That's unacceptable," she said. "We must take our children back."

Welch then offered tips for parents to help their children avoid
alcohol and drugs. She said parents should talk to their kids about
the matter in a casual manner, such as over shopping or dinner, and
set clear rules and expectations.

Parents should also not be afraid to say "no." "It's worth the
confrontation to keep our kids safe," Welch said, adding parents
should know their children's friends and their friends' parents.

She said parents should monitor their children's activities, in
public and online. Computers, she said, can prove dangerous in that
Internet content can expose children to alcohol and drugs. Welch
suggested keeping the computer in an area of the house where parents
can monitor their children's activities.

She said parents should make sure alcohol in the home is located
where a child cannot get it, and specified it shouldn't just be kept
out of arm's reach, but somewhere else altogether.

Welch recommended that parents communicate with their children's
school, since teachers spend a considerable amount of time with their
students. She also suggested parents join parent-teacher
organizations and actively participate in school functions.

Parents should also set a good example for their children. For
instance, Welch said it's difficult to tell a kid not to smoke while
the parent is doing just that.

For the kids, Welch suggested they become involved in school
activities; find a trustworthy adult with whom they can share their
problems; and let alcohol and tobacco companies know they're not
fooled by their marketing.

Easley, also the national co-chair for Leadership to Keep Children
Alcohol Free, said the cost of alcohol's effect on children amounts
to $62 billion. The damage, though, is uncalculated in terms of the
problems and hurt it can cause families, she said.

It is particularly important, though, to examine the local situation,
Easley said, telling how 43 percent of local freshmen and 69 percent
of seniors reported drinking alcohol during the year. Furthermore,
she said one-third reported riding in a vehicle with someone who'd
been drinking.

Easley said there is a serious deficit in factual knowledge on the
role adults can play. She suggested people act "to change today's
landscape, so we can move on to a more promising future."

On that note, Easley said there are three components to an effective
strategy -- regulation, enforcement and education/awareness. The
combination seems to be working, she said, as the number of ASU
students afraid to attempt purchasing alcohol with a fake
identification has increased, while the number of underage drinkers
has decreased. Easley thanked law enforcement for its effort to
reduce underage drinking and drug-use, as well as the retailers that
consistently pass alcohol compliance checks, calling them "vital and
valuable tools for success in our efforts."

She thanked local government, particularly the Boone Town Council,
for denying a request from the Downtown Boone Development Association
to sell North Carolina wines at the Kraut Creek Festival.

A successful effort, she said, requires partnerships. Partnerships
between community colleges and universities are also important to
study and gather valuable data. "This work is really essential, and
it can be just the thing to produce results," Easley said.

She encouraged the community to continually seek new partners, talk
with other communities, and use the university and community college.

Referring to the "drink responsibly" tagline used in alcohol
commercials, Easley asked what constitutes drinking responsibly. She
suggested the "0, 1, 3 Domino Strategy," which means zero drinks if
one's under 21 or if one is driving, one standard drink per hour, and
no more than three drinks on one occasion and never daily.

"It's kind of off-putting, isn't it, to even define it that way?"
Easley said. "But it makes sense, if you think about it.