Area schools to emphasize drug-free lifestyles

From the Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Area schools to emphasize drug-free lifestyles
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

By the time Millie Haller started high school, she had participated in drug awareness activities multiple times, and she even was an essay finalist in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, program.

But when she became a student at McHenry West High School, she quickly found out that applying the lessons she had learned wasn't so easy.

"You wouldn't expect it to be that hard, but [there's] peer pressure," Haller, 17, said as she assisted at a Red Ribbon Week kickoff event Friday. "It's pretty much [about] fitting in."

As part of a national campaign to promote drug-free lifestyles and discourage drug use, many McHenry County schools will participate in Red Ribbon Week drug awareness activities this week and next week.

Red Ribbon Week is one of the oldest and most recognized anti-drug use campaigns in the country. It was established in 1988 to honor the memory of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico while investigating a major drug cartel.

Many schools will have themed dress up days tied to anti-drug catchphrases for students.

The theme Monday at Richmond Grade School is "Lay off drugs," and students are encouraged to wear Hawaiian style clothing, said Associate Principal James Block. At Riley School in Marengo, students are encouraged to wear team jerseys to school one day for the theme "Stay in the game, play drug free," said Cathi Kunde, a second-grade teacher who is organizing the activities.

"The children really enjoy the theme-related activities," Kunde said. "[With] those little fun reminders, hopefully they'll remember them when they get older."

Local police will reinforce the drug-free message by visiting some area schools and talking to students about drug use effects.

Crystal Lake Police Officer Sean McGrath will talk with students at Lundahl Middle School in Crystal Like next week.

"We've known children prior to drug use, seen the decline and talk about where they end up," McGrath said.

Exposure to drugs usually starts in middle school, he added, and it's not unusual for high school students to start out by using prescription drugs.

"It's not uncommon ... to see some students getting into their parents' prescriptions, taking them to school and selling them," McGrath said. "If we only talk about marijuana or cocaine and meth, we're only covering part of the problem."

In McHenry County, the three most frequently used drugs are cocaine, marijuana and heroin, McHenry Count Sheriff's Department Sgt. John Koziol said.

In 2007, the sheriff's department handled 50 marijuana possession cases. The cases don't include possession instances in cities, just unincorporated areas. The number in 2007 is slightly down from the number of cases between 2004 and 2006. In 2004, there were 68 cases; in 2005 there were 63 cases; and in 2006 there were 71 cases, according to department statistics.

Among teens in the city of McHenry, the most popular drug of choice is marijuana, said McHenry Deputy Police Chief Bill Brogan.

While activities during Red Ribbon Week are worthwhile, McGrath said it's crucial for parents to be the first to warn teens against using drugs.

"The family needs to be aware of what the child is up to," McGrath said. "It's more education, not so much a lecture."

He said parents shouldn't wait until high school to have conversations about drugs, because children are exposed to drugs as early as middle school. Sometimes high school students aren't as receptive.

At Woodstock High School, for example, there won't be any Red Ribbon Week activities this month.

"There's not a very strong student response," said Lisa Terry, a social worker at the school. "I think it's more productive in the middle school and elementary school."

Terry said the school instead emphasizes the drug-free lifestyle around Homecoming time, when students are tempted to drink at parties.

Not all high school students are immune to the message, though.

Haller was among a handful of volunteers from Johnsburg High School and McHenry's high schools who assisted at a Red Ribbon Week kickoff event sponsored by the McHenry Area Youth Commission Friday.

High school volunteers such as Haller oversaw activities for more than 75 students in districts 12, 15 and 36. Students who attended brought red ribbons back for their peers and also pledged to refrain from drug abuse as they get older.

"It's something nice to promote and show kids to be drug-free," Haller said.