California middle school devotes entire day to spread anti-drug and anti-alcohol message

By Staff Writer

A middle school in California recognized Red Ribbon Week by staging a day-long rally in an effort to prevent kids from drinking alcohol and using drugs.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that it was the second consecutive year that the school devoted an entire day to warn students about the dangers of substance abuse. Red Ribbon Week is nationally recognized every year, typically in October, to spread awareness about the negative effects of tobacco, alcohol, drugs and violence.

The first half of the rally event featured 15 presentations from law enforcement officials, recovered addicts of drugs and alcohol, and alumni from the school who talked about how their rejection of harmful substances led to success and other positive experiences.

A nursing professor at a nearby college demonstrated the effects of drugs and alcohol by showing the kids - through use of a mannequin - what happens to an individual who overdoses. The news provider reports that many students were disturbed by the process, which included the nurse sticking a tube up the mannequin's nose.

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey revealed that 37 percent of eighth graders have experimented with alcohol.