Students Spread Anti-Drug Message

Elementary school students in the San Fernando Valley are spreading messages of drug and alcohol awareness across the community in celebration of national Red Ribbon Week.

Thousands of students are wearing red ribbons and decorating their classrooms, hallways and neighborhoods in honor of the national drug awareness week through Friday. The week was created to educate children about the dangers of substance abuse after Drug Enforcement Adminstration agent Enrique Camarena was killed in 1985.

Students from Bertrand Avenue, Melvin Avenue and Shirley Avenue elementary schools collected thousands of unused grocery bags from area stores, decorated the bags with anti-drug and alcohol messages and returned them to the stores to be used by customers.

A number of schools will host anti-drug speakers at assemblies, and several will hold contests for the best decorations on classroom doors. Others will tie 3,000 yards of red ribbon--donated by the San Fernando Valley Partnership Against Substance Abuse--on trees, fences and telephone poles.

Pacoima Elementary School and 40 other community organizations began the week of events with a “Clean and Sober Festival” on the school’s campus Saturday. Seven northeast Valley elementary schools will conclude the week with a news conference Thursday at Gridley Street Elementary School. Students will distribute red balloons as administrators address the importance of early drug-prevention education.

“It’s more than saying no,” said Lou Garcia, director of the Valley Partnership Against Substance Abuse. “The younger you can reach these kids the better. We have to offset the peer pressure. This is the time they start forming attitudes.”