Pubdate: Wed, 23 Oct 2002
Source: Burbank Leader (CA)
Copyright: 2002 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/tcn/burbank/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/63
Author: Molly Shore, The Leader
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

HEALTHY AND DRUG FREE -- THE WAY TO BE

That's The Message At Burroughs High School, As Red Ribbon Week Begins.

MAGNOLIA PARK -- Red hands were the order of the day at John Burroughs High 
School's kick-off of Red Ribbon Week.

Guests attending the lunchtime program Monday allowed their hands to be 
painted red before putting their prints on a large poster that declared 
"Hands Off Drugs."

Event chairwoman Teresa Mackey joked that PTA President Ruth Frechman would 
have preferred the red paint on guests' feet so that the slogan, "Stamp out 
drugs," could be used. However, for the benefit of everyone who consented 
to be slathered in red paint, the organizing group opted for hands.

Guest speaker state Sen. Jack Scott (D-Burbank) said that even with all the 
talk today of Iraq's ability to produce chemical weapons of mass 
destruction, "it's much more likely that people will be destroyed by drugs, 
also a chemical weapon, than by destruction from an outside enemy."

Other guests who put their hand prints and signatures on the poster 
included Mayor David Laurell, school board President Richard Raad, district 
Supt. Gregory Bowman, Burroughs Principal Emilio Urioste, student body 
officers, Miss Burbank Lindsay Muriedas and Miss Teen Burbank Mallory Sorkness.

"This is really exciting for me because I get to see students in high 
school make a commitment to be drug free," said Muriedas, who attends 
Burbank High School.

Sorkness, who graduated Burbank High School in June and is now a student at 
College of the Canyons, said that the event gives the community a chance to 
show that it supports the anti-drug message.

The district's D.A.R.E. program has been successful in keeping students off 
drugs, Urioste said. Since elementary school, many of Urioste's students 
have had a good relationship with the police officers who teach the program.

"We do not have the problems you read about in many urban high schools," he 
said.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D