Pubdate: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 Source: Times-Republican (Marshalltown, IA) Copyright: 2005 Times Republican Contact: http://www.timesrepublican.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3497 Author: Stephanie Suckow LOCAL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN RED RIBBON WEEK Putting good stuff in her body and keeping bad stuff out is a concept that Abigail Ruiz, fifth-grader at Woodbury Elementary School, now has a firm grasp on thanks to lessons she has been learning through Red Ribbon Week. Ruiz and every other student in the Marshalltown school district are taking part in the week designed to keep students off drugs and alcohol. "Smoking cigars and drinking alcohol are all really bad for you," Ruiz said. "We learned that we need to keep our bodies healthy by putting good stuff in our body." Ruiz's classmate Ana Fernandez said she also understands the harmful effects of drugs after the lessons she has learned this week. "If you chew tobacco then you're teeth are going to turn black and if you smoke your lungs are going to turn black," Fernandez said. "Both of those things won't make you healthy." At Woodbury Elementary School, Counselor Deb Vos has been in charge of the informative part of the week by sharing healthy living tips and harmful effects of drugs and alcohol. Throughout the week she has various activities planned to help students in each grade level understand the overall purpose of the week-long program. "With the older kids you can tell that they understand the concept and realize that if they do take drugs bad things will happen," Vos said. "With the littler ones though it's more about helping them to make good decisions overall." Despite varying lessons, Vos said the school is unified in showing their support of the week by wearing red ribbons around their wrist and taking a pledge to be drug-free. Red ribbons can be found throughout the Marshalltown Community School District this week as each school has devised their own way of recognizing the campaign. For example, Hoglan Elementary School will be hosting an inflatable Jurassic Survivor obstacle course Thursday, and Franklin Elementary students can wear their favorite team apparel on Friday. Each day's event coincides with lessons the students will be learning that day. Activities throughout Marshalltown are taking place as part of the statewide Red Ribbon Week campaign that is designed to help prevent students from starting, and decrease the number of students already using alcohol or tobacco. According to the 2002 Iowa Youth Survey on the Iowa Red Ribbon Web site, sixth-graders reported six percent current use of alcohol or two percent current tobacco use in the last 30 days. Eighth-graders reported 18 percent current use of alcohol or 10 percent current tobacco use in the last 30 days. For more information on student statistics or the history of Red Ribbon Week check out www.redribboniowa.org. For more information on specific school activities contact your student's school counselor. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman