Local News in Brief : Anti-Drug and Gang Campaign Unveiled

Sen. Diane Watson on Friday unveiled a new anti-drug, anti-gang campaign that will use milk cartons to get its message across.

At a news conference outside a Boys Market at Rodeo Road and Crenshaw Boulevard, Watson (D-Los Angeles) thanked the supermarket chain for agreeing to print the message on its store-brand milk cartons. The message reads “Be smart! Don’t start! It’s your right to say no” and has two circles with heavy red lines through the words gangs and drugs.

The milk cartons list Watson as the sponsor of the message and give a toll-free, anti-gang hot line. Watson acknowledged that the project is “just a starter” but said it will especially reach parents and young children.

Peter Sodini, president and chief executive officer of Boys Markets, said that about 500,000 cartons of milk are sold daily throughout the Los Angeles area. “If we can make some small contribution, we’re more than happy to do that,” Sodini said.