STUDENTS TARGETING DRUGS

Just as her teachers hope, eighth-grader Catherine Muse makes a
connection between a symbolic lap around the track at Risley Middle
School and drug use.

"It's to let us know we can be drug-free and you can walk around the
track and do more physical things if you're drug-free."

On Monday, students at Risley Middle School kicked off Red Ribbon
Week, a national initiative to coordinate activities aimed at keeping
children drug-free. Numerous schools around Glynn County have planned
activities for this week, but there is no county-wide program.

Students at Risley Middle School learn about drugs and drug use in
their health classes, and activities like this week's help reinforce
anti-drug concepts, said Terri Doak, parent involvement worker at
Risley Middle.

"It keeps it right up there in their minds, keeps them thinking. If
they see it enough and hear it enough, maybe it'll stick," she said.

But a key to keeping students from using drugs is parental concern,
Doak said.

With that in mind, she runs a parent resource center at the school
where nearly half of the resources are related to drug use.

"Some of these children think (drug use) is OK because it's what their
parents do," Doak said.

If other adults can serve as role models for those children, they
might learn other habits, said Gary Cook, whose business, Mr. Clean
Car Wash, is a partner in education with Risley Middle School.
Megaphone in hand, Cook led groups of students around the school's
track on Monday.

Such an event may help students "more freely" reach the conclusion not
to use drugs, Cook said, adding that the activity can make a difference.

"If the community gets back involved, if the city government, the
county, get involved, then yes (it can make a difference)."

According to teacher JoAnne Schreiber, the risks of drug use are
discussed all year, particularly in health class.

"The more different ways we can hit them with 'no drugs,' the better,"
she said.