THE VENICE SUMMIT : Mrs. Reagan Joins Entertainers in Anti-Drug Campaign : Music and Protests Greet First Lady in Sweden

Blaring rock music, exuberant dancing, serious discussions and shouting protests marked First Lady Nancy Reagan’s initial outing as she took her anti-drug campaign to Sweden on Monday.

While President Reagan was in Venice for the 13th annual economic summit, Mrs. Reagan set out on a two-day fact-finding visit to Sweden, continuing a battle against drug abuse that has taken her more than 100,000 miles, to 31 American states and seven countries.

During her visit to Vilunda High School in Upplands Vasby, a suburb of Stockholm, 200 protesters shouted “Nancy, go home!” and held up signs, one of which bore the words, “USA Out of Central America.”

Ignores Protests

Back at the Grand Hotel where she is staying, another protest awaited the First Lady, this one by a leftist group that calls itself “Commando Coca-Cola.” This one also involved about 200 people, protesting what they called American imperialist policies. Ninety of them were arrested and charged with disturbing the peace after damaging several police cars.

Mrs. Reagan paid no attention to either group.

At the high school, she watched a performance by a group called FAMN, made up of Swedish entertainers and artists who tour the country encouraging young people to “Sag nej till knark!”-- “Say no to narcotics.” This is the Swedish version of the “Just Say No” campaign that Mrs. Reagan is widely associated with in the United States.

Hundreds Involved in Campaign

In a school auditorium filled with students, Lars Berghagen, a Swedish singing star, performed as the students clapped along. Mrs. Reagan appeared on stage and danced with him briefly, waltz-style.

Earlier, Berghagen, the chairman of FAMN, had explained to Mrs. Reagan that the group consisted of 300 singers, dancers, writers and other artists who perform for teen-agers and encourage them not to use drugs.

Mrs. Reagan expressed her approval and said that similar activities take place in the United States.

“We have a lot of actors and athletes and celebrities doing spots on TV,” she said. “They (young people) will listen more to them than to a doctor or a nurse.”

Mrs. Reagan also saw a dance by the group “Touch,” moving to the lyric “Hold Me, Squeeze Me, Sexy Lady, I’m a Little Crazy.” And she listened to a loud rock music performance by the “Wells Boogie Boys” and later took the stage to sing an anti-drug song to the tune of “We Are the World.” The last lines of the chorus were, “It’s true we’ll make a better day, just say no.”

Mrs. Reagan told the students she was “terribly, terribly impressed” by the activities of FAMN. She said there are 12,000 “Just Say No” clubs in the United States.

‘Always Say No’

“I hope every one of you will always say no to drugs and help your friends and classmates do the same thing,” Mrs. Reagan told the students. “Your country needs you to be clear-minded, clear-thinking individuals.”

She was warmly received by the crowd inside the school and was given a standing ovation after she was introduced by Berghagen as “someone who could be on the Riviera drinking champagne, and instead is here with us in our little town.”

Mrs. Reagan also took part in a discussion with community leaders about Swedish drug-abuse programs.

They explained to her that parents, teachers, policemen, social workers and recreational leaders cooperate to detect drug abuse at an early stage.

Signs of Abuse

She was told that they have trained themselves to look for such signs as increased pulse rate and red, lackluster eyes. The various treatment programs available in Sweden were explained to Mrs. Reagan.

In the evening, Mrs. Reagan was the guest of honor at a dinner given by Jertrud Sigurdsen, the minister of health and social affairs. A number of government officials joined Mrs. Reagan on board the boat Rex Solaris.

Mrs. Reagan toasted Sigurdsen, saying: “I want you to know that after only a few hours here I’m very impressed by the involvement of both the Swedish government and private organizations. I can see they’re working hand in hand and are truly dedicated to finding a solution to this problem.”