Red Ribbon Week: Drug-Free Awareness

While not necessarily planned this way, the Parkway School District  kicked-off National Red Ribbon Week (October 24-28) by hosting a public forum at Central High School on the epidemic use of heroin in the greater St. Louis area. It was a well attended, standing-room-only event that educated parents and kids on how heroin use has resulted in overdose deaths of epidemic proportions. In 2010, over two hundred people died of overdose deaths in the St. Louis area, with West County and South County having a marked increase in use.

Heroin has become St. Louis's drug of choice because it is cheap and can be smoked, snorted--and eventually if your addiction is strong enough, injected. It is a clean, pure form that can result in death the first time you try it. It is a particularly insidious drug that needs our attention to stop the accidental, preventable deaths. The forum was a first step in educating St. Louisans on how heroin use has become an increasingly dangerous and deadly habit.

With the backing of former first lady Nancy Reagan, Red Ribbon Week began in 1988 to commemorate the life and death of Enrique Camerena, an officer of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. He died in the fight against drugs in 1985. After his death, people began to display and wear red ribbons to demonstrate a commitment to live a drug-free lifestyle and to honor Officer Camarena.

At Parkway South Middle, Teresa Politte, a phyiscal education and health teacher, commemorates Red Ribbon Week (RRW) by encouraging students to stand up against drug use by participating in daily themes to give the cause attention. On Monday the 24th, the kids were encouraged to wear red as the kick-off event. On Tuesday, students wore crazy cloths or socks for the themes "Drugs Make You Crazy". Wearing a tie or scarf on Wednesday was for the theme "Don't Get Tied Up w/Drugs". Thursday was "Don't be Scared into Using Drugs" by wearing black and orange. Finally, on Friday the 28th "Team Up Against Drug" day encouraged kids to wear team jerseys or sports shirts.

In addition, each day during RRW students were given a fact about drugs or alcohol and also given a question of the day to answer during lunch. When the questions were answered correctly, winners were announced and could select from an array of t-shirts, Frisbee's, water bottles, erasers, etc. that had the Red Ribbon logo.

Each year, Ms. Politte selects a group of 10-15 8th grade students to participate in the planning and execution of the week's activities and are considered Red Ribbon Leaders. She elaborates by saying, "I select (the students) who either show interest in RRW or who show leadership and a passion for being and staying drug free. This passion and leadership comes across during Health class."

Kudos to Parkway South Middle, Teresa Politte and the Red Ribbon Leaders for standing up against drugs and bridging the opportunity for conversations to take place between parents and their middle-school child. Burying our heads in the sand will not make the problem go away. But education can make that difference.