ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996 TAG: 9610280034
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
THE VISITOR IN RED talked with East Salem Elementary School students about the dangers of substance abuse.
Timothy Schofield quickly grasped Red Ribbon Man's message.
"He's trying to save people from getting sick or having lung cancer because they use drugs or smoke," said Timothy, a second-grader at East Salem Elementary School.
All of the East Salem children wore red shirts, blouses or dresses this week as they greeted the masked crusader - in a red cape and black boots - who gave them ribbons to promote substance abuse awareness.
The children also placed a ribbon around the outside of the school and tied red balloons to the front.
Nancy Pettengill, president of the East Salem Parent-Teacher Association, said the children also helped decorate the halls as part of the anti-drug activities.
Red ribbons will be seen throughout Roanoke Valley schools during the next week as a symbol of intolerance for illegal drug and alcohol use.
Most schools are participating in the national Red Ribbon Week campaign to promote a drug-free lifestyle.
But the schools alone cannot prevent students from using drugs and alcohol, says Mary Gwen Parker, coordinator of the "It Takes a Whole Valley to Raise a Child" campaign.
Parents should get involved because they can be the greatest deterrent to drug abuse by youths, Parker said Friday at a news conference to begin the campaign. She asked parents to sign a pledge that parties for young people in their homes will be drug-and alcohol-free.
"This is a problem that parents need to understand is happening in their homes," she said. "Parents must take responsibility, set expectations for their children and have consequences."
She said a survey indicates that Roanoke Valley youngsters are most likely to use alcohol and drugs in a friend's house or their own home or car.
The survey by the Parent's Resource Institute for Drug Education showed that 64.8 percent of the valley's teen-agers had reported drinking beer. The most frequent places for drinking was a friend's house, 33.3 percent, car and home, 22.4 percent. Schools ranked at the bottom at 1.8 percent.
"Clearly, the solution doesn't just lie with the schools," Parker said. "Kids know how to network with each other - this is an attempt to help parents network with each other so that parties for young people can be safe and drug-free."
She said the campaign is designed to create a registry at each school of parents who have signed the pledge that parties will be supervised.
It has been organized by the Roanoke Valley Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council in cooperation with the Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Council.
The campaign was initiated with contributions to the Bonnie Kitts Memorial Fund. Kitts was a Roanoke County teacher who was killed in 1995 when hit by a car driven by a student who had been drinking.
Parent-Teacher Associations at schools in Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County are being asked to reprint a brochure on drug and alcohol issues in the valley and distribute it to all parents. The brochure provides statistics on drug abuse, tips for parents on recognizing if their children have a drug problem, and other information, in addition to the request to sign the pledge on alcohol-and drug-free parties.
Juvenile Court Judge Philip Trompeter, chairman of the drug and alcohol abuse council, said Red Ribbon Man has been added to the schools' activities this year because the Mill Mountain Star won't be lighted red for the week as in the past. Ribbon Man will be visiting more schools next week.
The star is now illuminated red only if there has been an alcohol-or drug-related traffic fatality.
The week's activities in the schools will include guest speakers on drug and alcohol prevention topics, poster and essay contests, and red ribbon decorations. Schools are competing for three $500 prizes in recognition of their projects and programs in support of a drug-free community.
There were a variety of activities at schools Friday to mark the beginning of the substance abuse awareness week:
* At William Byrd Middle School in Roanoke County, Lt. Frederick Scott and Sgt. John Hawkins, who work in the drug education and reduction program for the Virginia National Guard, spoke to the students on the school's closed-circuit television show about the dangers of drugs. "Don't be pulled in by peer pressure," Hawkins told the students, as he gave them tips on resisting efforts by others to get them to use drugs.
* The pupils at Glen Cove Elementary in Roanoke County held a drug-free rally, including singing a song they had learned as part of the Red Ribbon Week activities.
* At the Roanoke Academy for Mathematics and Science in Roanoke, the children tied a red ribbon around a tree in front of the school to pledge their opposition to drugs. Three pupils gave a history of Red Ribbon Week over the intercom, and Roanoke Circuit Judge Diane Strickland spoke at the school.
Several organizations will hold a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. Sunday at Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center in memory of those who have died in alcohol-and drug-related accidents. The ceremony will be held in the patio of the conference center. Candles will be provided, and participants are asked to dress warmly.
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: CINDY PINKSTON/Staff. Red Ribbon Man visits withby CNBfirst-grader Karel Carreon. color.