Cover the door with paper and tie a big red ribbon on it or paint one on the paper. Have the kids make a hand print of their hand and sign their names. Then write a slogan on the paper --"We Say No to Drugs!-- We pledge to a drug free life. Or something like that. Drug free and proud.

I don't have any ideas about the door, but I would like to ask you to try to differentiate between alcohol use and alcohol abuse.

Last year my son (then 6) came home from school and wanted me to spill out all the beer (there were about 5 bottles) in the refrigerator because "alcohol is a drug". It is amusing now, but not so amusing to try to explain that it really is ok for grownups to have a beer every now and then!!

Mommabear

I loathe this whole, "drug-free" campaign, DARE is a joke!

No one bothers to make any sort of distinction between ANY of the drugs readily available to those who would seek them out.

How many of YOU have smoked grass ("done" worse? how many will, "step up to the plate" and admit it?)? I've smoked a lot of grass. I've always held a job, paid my taxes, and frankly, I KNOW the whole, "anti-drug" crusade of the past 20 years has done nothing but fill prisons and increase our tax burdens.

Spare me the red ribbons! If we really want to control abuse (whatever kind) in our society, we have to start with EDUCATION. Making something illegal is NOT going to be enough. Did it work for those of you who, "tried" drugs, or continued to (ab)use them? Did it, "work" in the 20's, when Prohibition was instituted? What we need is thoughtful diaglogue, the sort that never seems to make it into classrooms.

I hate the drug free week also. The same child referenced above is now 8 years old. He hurt his back at football practice. Not a serious injury, just a muscle ache. When he got home I told him he should take a shower and then take some Advil. He had a fit. He WAS NOT taking drugs. DRUGS ARE BAD! I sarcastically said "Well it's not heroin you know." So he said "What is heroin?" Well with all this nonsense about Red Ribbon week you would have thought that they would teach the kids WHAT DRUGS ACTUALLY ARE. No-it's all just sloganeering and nonsense. I am thinking of keeping my kids home next year during Red Ribbon Week and teaching them about drugs myself. What I would teach them would scare the S-IT out of them.

Mommabear

I'm 43. I have a brother who is 53. He, "appeared" in the parking lot when I was getting off the school bus...

"Hey, dink! C'mere..."

He drove a white Chevy El Camino, wore white painter's pants (cut-off) and clogs. His hair was to his shoulders and he was a, "hippie". (OOOHHH!).

I got into his car (skipping school!) and went to Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA.. Any of you who think I dont know what's it's all about need a serious, "attitude adjustment"! I've likely forgotten more about drugs than many of you ever,likely, "knew". I'm not saying my perspective it the, "right" one, but I AM saying that I probably have a better foundation in what, "drug use" is all about than many of you do. (I grew up in house with 2 drunks).

Pink ribbons, red ribbons, COLOR OF THE DAY. Spare me!

Grow up, America! drugs, legal/or not, will always be part of the menu from which children must select. Educate your kids and learn to vote in a way that will promote the policies you'd like to see espoused!

Touch a nerve?

This will help if you study it and teach it.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/index.html

Another case where one's efforts live on.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.tcada.state.tx.us/redribbon/history.html

Arkansaboy,

Look, your, "whole scene" is about a million light years away from my own. You probably figured that out, though, huh? (LOL).

Did the discussion, "touch a nerve"? like, YEAH! Have I, "done drugs"? YUP. Did, "doing" them and being exposed to their use give me a unique perspective? Unquestionably.

Did you happen to listen to the discussion of the D.A.R.E. program (among others) on NPR on Friday afternoon? Fascinating. My point is that MY tax dollars are being used to fund these, "programs". I don't believe in them, nor do I believe they, "work".

The best advice I ever got was from my brother. He told me people rarely become addicted to things that don't feel good. He warned me that things that make you, "feel good" in the short term, won't necessarily continue to do so in the future... . He told me drugs were expensive because they were illegal and using them would drain MY coffers while fattening others'. He also told me that ANYONE who derided me because I might be unwilling to try drugs was someone whose, "friendship" I should carefully scrutinize. Real friends like you no matter what! if you're, "too chicken" to smoke grass, well... that will be OK with them! Nothing, Ak.boy is EVER black and white.

"Just say, 'No'" was too easy. It was based on nothing. And the kids I know (like and respect, even!) who've, "done" the D.A.R.E. program all say that is was so dumb they saw through it in elementary school.

Everyone remembers the frying pan and the egg in it, "... this is your brain on drugs... any questions?...". That was simply stupid. What ad. did I remember most? The one with the girl sniffing a bro' box, a stereo, a car up her nose. If you really want to make an impression on kids talk to them in terms of MONEY. Marihuana costs this much, cocaine costs this much, crack this much, etc. . If you factor in the cost of automotive insurance with an OUI "surcharge" on the base fee you might just start to, "get" their attention.

And we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the "legal" drugs. If we're going to attempt to teach moderation in the use of the legal ones, why are we do unwilling to teach the same thing with regard to the ones our government has deemed, "illegal"? All or nothing has never worked, and it never will.

Thanks Chelone,
I believe the greatest impression upon someone may be seeing and hearing about the results of someone who has been there and done it. But, what about those who did not live to tell their story, only the death and tragedy reveal the truth of the matter.
There are different ways of reaching some and some will not be reached by any ways or means, but I believe we must try. You never know who will or who will not listen nor when. It is the choice from the start. It is up to the individual.
If you never start you will never become an addict. Decisions do make a difference. You can never continue to do wrong and get away with it forever. It pays to do the correct things now and later. A mind and a body is a great thing to waste. A life is filled with time and opportunity why squander it. It is so short at the most.

Have you, AKgardenboy, ever smoked marijuanana? (yes or no; a simple question).

No I have never smoked marijuana. I would be better off if I had never tried cigarettes. I don't smoke. I don't chew tobacco. I don't really like to be around people when they are smoking or dipping or chewing tobacco. We just don't allow anyone to do those things in our home. No works for me now. Praise the Lord.