Red Ribbon Week raises awareness about drugs and alcohol
By Ashley Hill, ahill@mariettatimes.comFact Box
By the numbers:
3,900 - Children ages 12-17, per day, who smoke their first cigarette.
5 million - Deaths caused by tobacco use each year.
22,073 - number of deaths caused by alcohol use in 2006 (excluding accidents and homicides).
Source: www.cdc.gov
WILLIAMSTOWN - If students at Williamstown Elementary School were to show up for class wearing their sunglasses and their clothing inside out during a normal week, they would probably get some strange looks.
This week, the students were encouraged to do these things as part of the school's Red Ribbon Week activities.
According to the Red Ribbon Coalition's Web site, www.redribboncoalition.com , the purpose of the week is to "provide multiple opportunities for students, parents, teachers and others to join together to address the alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence related issues or concerns in their community."
All of the school's 522 pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade students and their teachers were encouraged to participate in the week's activities which began Tuesday and will conclude today.
"It's important that the students see that adults are participating and we believe we should live our lives drug free," said Williamstown Elementary School secretary Becky Newell.
When they weren't sporting their shades or wearing their clothing inside out, the students had a chance to wear crazy outfits on "Drugs are Ridiculous" day. Thursday was "Team Up Against Drugs Day," for which students wore clothing to support their favorite sports teams. Eleven-year-old Taylor Hunkele, a sixth-grader at the school, participated in all of the Red Ribbon Week theme days.
"Kids should have good influence (from) other students and teachers that you should not do drugs or drink alcohol," said Hunkele.
Belpre's elementary and middle school students are also observing Red Ribbon Week.
"They have fun and they actually understand the importance of drug prevention," said Cathy Harper, coordinator of The Right Path for Washington County.
The Right Path provides a support system for the youth in Washington County and is a sponsor of the local Red Ribbon Week.
Frontier High and Middle School students were encouraged to wear hats and camouflage during Red Ribbon Week. There was also a contest in which students designed anti-drug posters.
"One student from the middle school and one from the high school were chosen as winners and received free Cici's Pizza buffet tickets," said Jessica Fox, who is completing an internship in the school's guidance office and organized the week's events.
Drug use statistics and facts were also announced over the school's intercom each morning of this week.
"It's a good way for the students to learn about the negative consequences of drug use," said Fox.
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10-30-09 11:54 AM
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I don't believe any of these so called statistics in the Facts Box. There is NO way they can say 3900 kids smoke their first cigarette per day. How did they get these lies err I mean FACTS? Do they have a call in line kids use to say they smoked their first cigarette? This is almost as ridiculous as Obama saying he saved all these thousands of jobs!
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