SUMMIT SCHOOLS CELEBRATE RED RIBBON WEEK

SUMMIT COUNTY - Summit students fought the war on drugs this month
with the help of the Colorado Air National Guard.

The thumping beats of helicopter rotor blades filled the air in Summit
County last week as members of the Guard's Drug Demand Reduction Team
touched down at six local schools to talk to students about the
dangers of illegal drug use.

"You go to the best school in the best state in the best country in
the world," Capt. Glen Blackburn said through a bull horn to a crowd
of Silverthorne Elementary students, minutes after touching down.
"Because you live in the best country in the world, you have freedoms.
And one of those freedoms is freedom of choice."

The helicopter visits kicked off the schools' 10-day celebration of
Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign aimed at preventing drug abuse
among students. Throughout the past several days, schools have
distributed red ribbons for students to wear in support of drug-free
lifestyles.

"I think it's important to be drug-free, because people who do drugs
aren't as healthy," said Silverthorne fourth-grader Erica Duplan. "It
affects your body. I like to run, and I wouldn't be able to run as
fast if I did drugs. And I wouldn't be able to think either."

So far this month, the Guard has visited about 75 schools throughout
Colorado.

"I love it," said pilot Ron Trani. "It beats flying circles around
Denver. For two weeks every October, we try to shift our resources to
reducing the demand for drugs by spending time in schools with students."

Most other weeks, Trani and his colleagues provide overhead coverage
for law enforcement during narcotics investigations. But the handful
of days they spend with Colorado students make just as crucial an
impact, he said.

"It's a good influence on kids, because they'll remember it for years
as they deal with the peer pressures out there," Trani said.

According to Summit Prevention Alliance's Heather Gerhart, high-impact
events like the helicopter landings facilitate important conversations
for children about drug use.

"It's such a big event to have a helicopter land at your school,"
Gerhart said. "It's one of those things they're going to go home and
talk about and bring that awareness back to their families. And
teachers have a bouncing-off point to bring the discussion into the
classroom."

Summit County Sheriff's Deputy Lamont Hall said the helicopter
landings help reinforce his messages about law enforcement and drug
use.

"They're at the age where they're easily influenced by others, and
they're exposed to situations with drugs and alcohol at younger and
younger ages," Hall said. "It's important to teach them about the
effects of drugs and alcohol on their minds and bodies.

"It's also important for them to understand that law enforcement is
there to help," Hall added. "They're not alone in these situations.
We're people they can come to. There is a lot of support on our
community."