Countywide : Students Celebrate Red Ribbon Week

Various contests celebrating National Red Ribbon Week--from decorating classrooms to writing slogans--have been part of the activities at Ventura’s Mar Vista High School and Opportunity School, with more than half of the 146 students participating.

Principal Robert Nolan said he was amazed at the participation of the students who attend Mar Vista, a continuation high school for students who, for the most part, have had problems at other Ventura schools.

“I didn’t think the students would get into it like they did,” Nolan said. “I thought the students here would be more jaded or cynical, but they really backed this.”

After a week of events celebrating being drug- and alcohol-free, students will have an assembly today featuring Norm Fort, supervising criminologist for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department crime lab.

Fort will talk to students about the effects of alcohol.

“In general, I will be telling them how alcohol affects their mental faculties. It takes over your thinking. This is why it’s so dangerous to operate a car,” Fort said.

In addition, he will tell the students how medical examiners do their work in the coroner’s office.

“Fifty percent of the drivers we see killed have alcohol in their blood, and most that we see are over the legal limit. At 0.05%, the odds of having an accident have doubled. At 0.08, it is six to 12 times greater. Those statistics have to tell you that it is a stupid thing to get into a car and drive after drinking.”

Fort said his main point to the students will be for them to make a conscious decision before drinking if they are going to drive.

“Once they drink, they can’t make that decision.”