DRUG EDUCATION THE FOCUS AS RRISD CELEBRATES RED RIBBON WEEK

Teenagers ages 14-18 are becoming drug and alcohol addicts quicker
than any other age group and Red Ribbon Week is a prime opportunity to
educate students about the negative effects of drug and alcohol use,
said a Stony Point High School crisis counselor.

"The largest population of young people being affected falls in that
range and that is scary," said Eileen Krampitz, also a school social
worker.

Red Ribbon Week was officially proclaimed for the first time in 1988
by the U.S. Congress as a week to celebrate the life and efforts of
Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, who was kidnapped and killed during a drug trafficking
investigation.

Stony Point High School, like many other schools in the Round Rock
Independent School District and around Texas, is celebrating and
promoting drug-free lifestyles with Red Ribbon Week through Friday.

"The more we can do to make kids aware of the dangers in drug and
alcohol use the better off we are," said Krampitz. "We have a great
opportunity because we have a captive audience."

Almost every elementary, middle school and high school in the district
will be passing out red ribbons, wearing all red to school or
celebrating themed days such as "Hugs Not Drugs" by bringing bears to
school.

Krampitz said this year's Red Ribbon Week at Stony Point High School
is more personal than it has been in the past because students who
have personal stories with drug or alcohol abuse are sharing their
stories with their fellow students every morning over the classroom's
televisions.

"Several kids involved in their own programs of recovery or maybe
they've lost someone to substance abuse are talking to the kids," she
said.

Eight students at Stony Point Ninth Grade Center were recently accused
of allegedly using and distributing illegal drugs at school, but
Krampitz said these type of problems happen at every school.

"The fact that Stony Point makes the news lately is crazy because all
schools have the problem," she said. "If you live in the United States
of America, substance abuse is a problem. All schools have it."

While the school operates under a zero tolerance policy, Krampitz said
the school focuses on preventing students from using drugs or alcohol
and providing helpful resources for students who are already involved
with drugs.

"The emphasis is always safety for the kids who aren't using, to offer
to those who are at risk the opportunity to get help," she said.

"Red Ribbon is a small piece of what we do here year round," she said.
"We've always been on the bandwagon and every year we add new
instruments."

Instilling drug-free messages into younger students is especially
important to stop drug use before it gets started, Krampitz said.

The Stony Point Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) group spent part
of Red Ribbon week at Robertson, Gattis and Voigt elementary schools
encouraging kids to maintain a drug-free lifestyle.

"We put a lot of focus on younger kids this year. Then throughout the
year, we'll follow up with presentations," Krampitz said. "We' re
talking a real global approach."

Sgt. David Boswell, a Williamson County EMS public education program
coordinator, said drug-free lifestyles need to be reinforced at home
to have a positive impact on a child's life.

"Parents and family members also need to be involved in their
children's lives to encourage them," he said. "We try to catch them as
young as possible but parents must do their part as well or else it
doesn't work."

Boswell said the public education program is available to any group
that requests the EMS' services. During Red Ribbon Week, they gave a
presentation and were available for counseling at Stony Point High
School.

"We see a lot of drug and alcohol related accidents on streets and
injuries and deaths in the community," he said. "Whatever we can do to
prevent those such injuries and pain and suffering of families, we're
willing to lend a helping hand."