Pubdate: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 Source: Corsicana Daily Sun (TX) Copyright: 2005 Corsicana Daily Sun. Contact: http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2968 Author: Debbie Riggs Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) RED RIBBON WEEK A VERY USEFUL TOOL The Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking (CPUD) is joining with the Corsicana Independent School District (CISD) to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles during Red Ribbon 2005. "Red Ribbon Week (held last week) is about encouraging kids to be drug-free and marking the progress we've made. Many teens are choosing not to use drugs," said CPUD Chair, Ronnie Willis. "This campaign provides communities with a forum to bring together parents, schools, and businesses as we look for new and innovative ways to keep kids' drug free." CPUD supplied Corsicana schools with 1,500 red wrist bands and 1,200 red ribbons for students in grades six through 12 to demonstrate their participation in this state-wide event. About 215,000 Texas students in grades four through 12 participated in the department's 2004 Texas School Survey of Substance Use, the largest of its kind in the nation. The agency has been conducting the statewide survey every two years since 1988. Among the findings: Alcohol continues to be the most widely used substance among Texas students with 68 percent of students reporting they had used alcohol at some point in their lives. This percentage has dropped 4 percent since 2002, and the past month use has dropped 6 percent. The percentage of seventh through 12th graders reporting they had used tobacco in the month before the survey fell again, from 18.2 percent in 2002 to 17.0 percent in 2004. Seventh graders reported a 21 percent decline, and ninth graders reported an 18 percent drop. Students at all grade levels have been showing a sharp decrease in Ecstasy use in the past two years. Marijuana remained the most commonly used illicit drug among students. 30 percent of all seventh through 12th graders in 2004 reported having smoked marijuana at some point in their lives, down from 32 percent in 2002. Past-month use of marijuana was 12.6 percent in 2004, compared to 14.4 percent in 2002. The percentage of seventh through 12th graders reporting they had ever used any illicit drug remained stable in 2002. Inhalant abuse declined for lifetime use but remained stable for past-month use. The overall rate for lifetime use in 2004 was 17 percent and the past month use was 7 percent. Like elementary students, both seventh and eighth graders showed an increase in inhalant use during the past two years. The first Red Ribbon Celebration was organized in 1986 by a grassroots organization of parents concerned about the destruction caused by alcohol and drug abuse. The red ribbon was adopted as a symbol of the movement in honor of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration who was kidnapped and killed while investigating drug traffickers. The campaign has reached millions of children and has been recognized by the U.S. Congress. "Red Ribbon Week is a chance to be visible and vocal in our desire for a drug-free community," Willis said. "Research shows that children are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs when parents and other role models are clear and consistent in their opposition to substance use and abuse." For more information about Red Ribbon Week or prevention resources, visit www.drugfreetexas.com/redribbon or contact the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking at (903) 874-4263, or www.dpri.com and click on Community Coalitions. - -- Debbie Briggs, RN, serves as a school nurse for the Corsicana Independent School District. She is a concerned parent and a member of the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom