Students fight back against drugs, alcohol in school DANVERS - Students
like Audrey Ruskowski don't need the media to tell them that there's a
problem with drugs and alcohol at local schools. The Danvers High senior
has been working to curb it for years. Ruskowski is one of 15 students
participating in PROTECT - Peers Reaching Out to Educate the Children of
Today. The senior spoke to parents at the districts' PACE - Parents and
Administrators Communicate for Education - meeting on Friday. Over the
past several months, PACE has attempted to start tackling the drug
and alcohol problem at local schools.

"We're not preachers, we just offer an example," said Ruskowski. "We don't
preach about the dangers of drugs and alcohol every second of every day.
We're a group of students that show students that it's possible to live
chemical free." PROTECT participants sign a pledge to not drink, smoke or
use drugs and go through an interview process before being allowed to join.
The members speak to elementary and middle school aged children to talk
about bullying, racism and substance abuse.

On Friday, Ruskowski offered parents the student perspective of the drug
and alcohol subculture that has been growing in Danvers and other schools
on the North Shore. Representatives from each of the seven schools in
Danvers, the police department and school administrators listened as
Ruskowski listed what her group has been doing to bring home the message of
positive decision making to her peers.

"It's an individual choice each of us makes to participate or not
participate in certain behaviors," said Ruskowski. "For the most part,
students respect the decisions that we have made, especially as we have
gotten older." PROTECT will be organizing a mock accident scene before
prom, where police, paramedics and students will stage a fake accident with
a real crashed vehicle at the high school stadium.

Students will also have a "walking dead day" where dozens of students will
dress in black and paint their faces white to demonstrate how many people
are killed each day because of drunk driving. "It might be gruesome, but
especially because of recent events, we think it will be particularly
effective," said Ruskowski.

Eileen Erwin, principal of Danvers High, said the school is working hard to
make sure PROTECT's message is not lost as students find drinking and drug
use more socially acceptable.

"It's just become so ingrained in our culture.

There are a lot of kids out there who could join, who should join, because
that would offer them a reason not to give in to peer pressure," said
Erwin. "What's not helping us is how easy it is for kids to get drugs and
alcohol.

This is something that starts at home." "We'll stand at the hockey game
tonight and watch for children who show up impaired, but as their parents
walk by you can smell the alcohol from a mile away," said Erwin. "It's hard
for students to not give in to peer pressure and it's even harder when
they're getting mixed messages." As tradition in Danvers, on graduation
night, the school will offer "Project Graduation" an all-night, chemical
free event where students are taken to Cedardale Athletic Club in
Haverhill. Graduates participate in a variety of activities after the
student and parent signs a pledge to not show up intoxicated or under the
influence of alcohol.

The event is supervised and have a participation rate of more than 80
percent of the senior class. According to Ruskowski that's just one way
that the message is getting out. "There are students who say no. As more
say no, it makes it easier for others," said Ruskowski.