Pubdate: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen (IA) Copyright: 2007 Iowa City Press-Citizen Contact: http://www.press-citizen.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1330 Author: Rob Daniel STUDENTS GO ON AIR AGAINST DRUGS Losing family members, friends and opportunities are all reasons for teens not to drink or do drugs, the members of Teens Against Alcohol and Drugs say. In April, they hope to put their message on the air with a 30-second commercial. "We tried to reach everybody," said Jeannea Williams, 17, a City High senior. "Everybody can be affected by drinking and smoking." The group, also known as T.A.A.D., has been working to communicate its anti-drug message since spring 2006. Sponsored by MECCA Services in Iowa City and funded with a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, T.A.A.D. is a community-wide effort to stop teen drug and alcohol use, said Marilyn Wright, MECCA's community relations manager. Currently, the group consists of about 10 students, all from City High. "We really want to replicate this around the county since this group has been so successful," she said. In the past year, the group has distributed about 300 T-shirts at school and at the Johnson County Fair last summer. They've also spoken with students at Wood Elementary and met with Iowa City councilors about the alcohol issue. The students hope to continue their work with a commercial as part of national Students Against Drunk Driving month, said senior Rodney Anderson, 17. After conducting a survey of students last year about what approach would affect them the most, the students decided to feature fictional stories about teens who used alcohol and drugs and were losing friends and opportunities. "We tried to cover every part that would be affected," said junior Jammie Hillard, 17. Anderson said he hopes to air the commercial on local television before City High's prom April 21. "We want to do it before prom because that's when people get wasted," he said. Henri Harper, City High's juvenile court liaison and at-risk facilitator, said the students in T.A.A.D. have had a positive effect at City High. "They live what they preach," he said. "They have lived as an example of what they're talking about." - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine