Pubdate: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 Source: Davis County Clipper (UT) Copyright: 2010 Clipper Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.clippertoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2484 Author: Louise R. Shaw ANTI-DRUG MESSAGES FOCUS OF RED RIBBON ACTIVITIES CENTERVILLE - When Rick Freeman asks his kids how many illegal drugs are good for them, they have a ready answer: "As many as none," say Sami and Josh. The Freemans weren't alone in discussing the harms of drug abuse last week. Fathers walked hand in hand to school with their children at Centerville Elementary School for an event held in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week called "Dads Do Donuts not Drugs." "We want the kids to talk to their dads about the dangers of using drugs," said Lindsay Zesiger of the school PTA, which sponsored the event. Dads were enthusiastically eating donuts and anxiously talking about the dangers of drugs. Lists left on the tables to encourage discussion suggested questions such as, "What are the consequences of taking drugs?" or "Who can I talk to?" or "Who might try to make me take drugs?" At the Freeman's table, Sami shared what she's learned about drugs: "They make you sick and hurt you a lot." Josh also knew the reason they were there together: "To pledge to be drug free," he said. Later in the day, students just down the road in Farmington at Knowlton Elementary had made a similar pledge. After writing their commitment to remain drug free on paper, they put their promises in balloons and set them in flight. "We hope one will fall down in front of someone who needs the message," said one teacher. An e-mail address is included on each message in hopes people will let the kids know how far their pledges reached. Another teacher said she emphasizes that drugs are bad, though people with addictions aren't necessarily bad. Several children in her class have already been impacted by drug use in their families, she said, including one child whose parents are in jail. Red Ribbon Week, which many schools conduct during an October week, is the nation's oldest and largest drug prevention program and reaches millions of school children each year. Every school plans events to inform their students, from a drunken driving crash reenactment at a high school to the balloon release and the doughnut date. "I want to support my child and make sure they never take drugs," said Freeman as he breakfasted with his kids. "I want to make sure they know they can be open and honest with their dad, whether about drugs or anything else." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt