ENOUGH!

Wear Red, Show Stand On Drugs

October not only brings falling leaves and cooler temperatures, but
the annual observance of Red Ribbon Week. Sponsored by the National
Family Partnership, it is held each Oct. 23-31 to honor the memory of
a federal drug enforcement agent who was assassinated in Mexico by a
drug cartel in 1985.

Officially established by Congress in 1988, the week focuses on
encouraging youth to resist peer pressure to use drugs, and
unquestionably it is extremely important that youth understand the
harmful effects of drug use, physically, emotionally and socially.
The theme for this year's observance is "Plant the Promise to Keep
Kids Drug-Free," and from all indications, it's needed more than
ever, because in spite of all that's being done to warn young people
about the dangers of drugs, they continue to use them.

According to a recent report by the National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University, half of all teenagers this
fall are attending a school where drugs are sold, used or kept. And
drug use is not limited to high schools, but extends to the middle
school level, and even on occasion to elementary schools.

Underscoring the gravity of the situation are estimates by the
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that by the time
students complete high school, 47 percent of them have smoked
marijuana, 24 percent have used another illicit drug and 81 percent
have used alcohol.

Youth need to understand that drug use can cause irreparable harm to
their bodies. It also can result in their being expelled from school
if they are caught using drugs, and could mean never graduating.
Moreover, a high school record tarnished by drug abuse could result
in youth being denied admission to college, meaning that without the
education they need, they never achieve their full employment
potential.

While some perhaps are inclined to dismiss Red Ribbon Week as just
another observance, studies have found that there is merit to pinning
on a red ribbon. Indeed, only seven percent of students who
participate in Red Ribbon Week later are considered at high risk of
using drugs, compared with 18 percent of those who do not
participate. Eighteen percent of Red Ribbon Week participants later
fall into the moderate risk category, compared to 27 percent of
non-participants. Perhaps most important, 75 percent of participants
fall into the low- risk category, compared to only 55 percent of
non-participants.

We're grateful that a special week is set aside each year to focus
young people's attention on the importance of being drug free.
Certainly all who have placed a red ribbon on their clothing are to
be commended, and hopefully everyone, young and old alike, will
determine anew this week they'll do their part to fight drug abuse at
every opportunity.

While schools and the community at large clearly have a role to play,
as the theme for this year's observance of Red Ribbon Week notes,
keeping children drug free starts with the home. Today more than ever
parents must instill a strong sense of values in their children.
They'll also need to keep the lines of communication open, providing
both the encouragement and moral support youth need to resist the
temptations that will invariably confront them.

Like the war against terrorism in which this country is now engaged,
the fight against drugs will not be quickly or easily won. But for
the sake of our children, we must not tire, because ultimately it is
the country's wellbeing that is at stake.