SANTA ANA : Students Stand Up to Drug Abuse

Wearing red shirts and waving wildly to a photographer in a police helicopter overhead, more than 900 students at a local school formed a giant human ribbon and bow to promote Red Ribbon Week’s anti-drug use message.

The students, at Sierra Intermediate School, lined up on the school’s soccer field Wednesday morning for a group photo in which they held up signs including one that read, “Sierra says no to drugs.”

“It was fun getting everyone together,” said Hector Ramirez, 14. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with several classmates and smiling, the eighth-grade student added: “It’s important to show everyone that some people are drug-free.”

Rosa Meehan, 14, who is also in the eighth grade, agreed.

“I have friends who do drugs and this may help them” to stop, she said.

The event was one of several at the school--and at schools countywide--designed to teach students the consequences of illegal drug use.

Other events included signing pledges to avoid drugs, and speeches from local police officers and Assemblyman Mickey Conroy, as well as boxer Ernesto Tobias.

While students generally praised the school’s Red Ribbon Week activities, others said they doubted whether it would change the attitudes of students who are already involved in drugs.

“It’s not very effective. When you tell someone to do something, they might not do it,” said Edward Becerra, 15.

The best part for students “is the fact that we’re emphasizing it in a fun way, with hands-on activities instead of the lecture bit,” said Principal Dan Salcedo.