Pubdate: Wed, 25 Oct 2006
Source: Flower Mound Leader (TX)
Copyright: 2006 Star Community Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.flowermoundleader.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3561
Author: Chris Taylor, Staff writer

CHILDREN HEAR FIRSTHAND ABOUT THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

Red Ribbon Week Is Here for Texas Schools, and Each School Has Its 
Own Activities.

Cpl. April Roppolo, school resource officer for Highland Village, 
said that each school and each day has its own theme.

"You'll see some of the kids wearing camouflage, to show that we are 
at war with drug use," she said.

As an example, Roppolo said that one of the schools has a wrecked car 
on campus. The message to kids is: Don't wreck your life with drugs. 
Roppolo said that the schools organized the activities for Red Ribbon 
week, but that the police were overseeing the festivities for the week.

"The goal is to make kids and parents aware of the dangers of drug 
use," she said.

Red Ribbon Week is in honor of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was sent 
to Mexico to work undercover for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). 
On Feb. 7, 1985, the 37-year-old Camarena disappeared on his way to 
meet his wife for lunch.

One month later, his body was discovered in a shallow grave. It 
appeared that he had been tortured to death.

He became something of a martyr to enraged parents, who wanted to 
fight back against drug use.

As part of the Red Ribbon Week celebration, the DEA surveillance 
helicopter made an appearance at Flower Mound Elementary school.

Special agent, Steve Laird, spoke to the students about how they 
followed the "bad guys" around in the helicopter, using binoculars 
and a camera.

He also told the students about how when the helicopter is equipped 
with one, it can fire a red laser on the ground that finds fugitives.

"It's like Star Wars. The bad guys can't see it, but it's pretty 
cool," Laird said.

The event was mostly for the education of the students. Laird 
explained to the eager students the difference between good drugs and 
bad drugs. Laird admits that the topic of drugs is more complicated 
than it was in the past, but thinks the children understand the 
difference very well.

"The kids realize the difference between good drugs and bad drugs. I 
tell them that good drugs are ones that make you feel better, and 
that you get them from a doctor," he said.

One designation is that good drugs are medicine while the bad ones 
are sold by a stranger, he tells the children.

No questions are asked about the difference between good and bad 
drugs, showing that he has explained the topic satisfactorily to the 
curious crowd.

The children had many questions for the crew of the helicopter.

Diane Norwood, of the DEA, answered random questions from the children.

One of the questions was how many people they had "caught." The 
answer "of about 100" people gathered some smiles.

The answer that got the most response was when Norwood was asked how 
much she made.

"Most people wouldn't want to answer that, but I want people to know 
that I have a great job which I love," she said. The answer of about 
$70,000 a year had many children whispering in the crowd.

In case the children thought that the life of a helicopter DEA agent 
was too glamorous, Agent Laird had warned them otherwise earlier in 
the presentation.

"Bad guys don't have jobs, and they are out at all hours of the day. 
Sometimes our dinner is crackers or a Snickers," Laird said.

Another delicate topic was the history of "Kiki" Camarena, whose fate 
was the impetus for Red Ribbon Week.

When a child asked how he died, Norwood was honest, but delicate when 
explaining that he had been tortured to death.

Laird said that he tries to "tone down" the story of Camerena's 
death, and tries to keep it age-appropriate, but that it is important 
that children understand what happened.

"The message gets lost over time," he said.

Laird said that Red Ribbon Week is still important and relevant with 
terrorism and drug sales being intertwined with each other.

The DEA helicopter will be making several more stops in the area 
throughout the rest or Red Ribbon Week.
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