Anti-drug campaign gets early opening in Cape

Will wearing mismatched socks or a hat to school prevent students from using drugs? Maybe not, but local educators hope such activities during the coming week will at least catch their attention long enough to get a strong message against drug abuse through to them.

Throughout the academic year, Cape Girardeau schools engage in activities that involve educating students about drugs, but the biggest push comes during Red Ribbon Week, a nationally recognized time for drug awareness.

This year's theme for Cape Girardeau elementary schools is "Show Good Character, Be Drug Free." Due to scheduling conflicts, the district is actually celebrating Red Ribbon Week a week before the rest of the country. The official weeklong recognition takes place between Oct. 23 and 30.

The number of serious drug-related offenses -- those requiring at least a 10-day suspension -- in Cape Girardeau schools has more than doubled in the past two years, according to discipline incidents filed with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Even so, drug-related violations make up only a small percentage of discipline incidents in Cape Girardeau each year. For 2004, the district's 17 drug incidents represented only 15 percent of the overall 109 serious discipline infractions reported to DESE. The other 92 incidents included weapons violations and fighting.

Educators say the way to decrease the number of drug-related incidents is to start teaching children early about the effects of drug abuse.

"The earlier you target them, the more they have a chance to make up their minds about drugs," said Lisa Johnston, a nurse at Central Middle School involved in Red Ribbon activities. "Hit them early and keep reinforcing it every year."

On Monday, all elementary students will don red ribbons and sign a pledge to be drug-free. At Alma Schrader Elementary School, representatives from Generations at Southeast Missouri Hospital will visit students this week to discuss drug-related issues.

Alma Schrader counselor Julia Unnerstall said the school also had visits last week from representatives from the National Guard's Drug Demand Reduction program.

"Children who have been at Alma Schrader before understand the significance of the week. There's a sense of pride, too, that our school really gets on board and that we care about this issue," Unnerstall said.

"We have to start out simple with kindergartners. It's hard for them to understand what drugs are. With the smaller ones, it's more about educating them on healthy lifestyles," Unnerstall said.

cclark@semissourian.com

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