Drug Education Program is Turned Over to Youths

              Drug Education Program
Is Turned Over to Youths
How do you inform students about
drugs?
The Drug Abuse Commission of
Shreveport and Bossier City has decided
to turn the matter over to students for
one week and has dubbed Nov. 1-6 Drug
Education Week, in an attempt to "get
the kids involved," according to Forrest
Dunn, chairman of the event which is
being sponsored by the Shreveport-Bos-sier
Drug Abuse Commission.
"But parents also need to be
involved," D_r. Pattie Van Hook, secre-tary
to the commission, said.
Money is the Source
"Education is the key to management
of the problem," said Dr. G. Peyton
Celley, chairman of the commission,
iho added, "the problem always gets
vorse before Christmas when students
ave the most money."
Both Dr. Van Hook and Dunn said
arents, many times, are connected with
heir children using drugs.
"Drugs cost money and where do
the students get the money?" asked
Dr. Van Hook, while Dunn said it has
been found that many students who take
drugs have had too much discipline, not
enough discipline, or "an unhappy home
life."
To make Drug Education Week a
success "we decided to turn the
program over to the kids and see what
they would do with it," said Dunn.
Officially, the week begins with a
program on KSLA-TV Nov. 1 at 5 p.m.
Dr. Paul Ware, member of the
commission, is in charge of the
program. Panelists are Carol Almand,
"Miss Louisiana;" Mike Stone and Jim
Shuey, both students at Byrd High
School; Karen Hughes, student at
Captain Shreve High School; Randy
ruminello, student at Fair Park High
School and governor of Boys State;
Gerald Lavan, Shreveport attorney, and
Gerald Davis, a special guest.
Monday there will be an hour
discussion of the television program in
an English class, while Tuesday and
Wednesday there will be half hour
discussions.
A test will be given Thursday based
on the television program and on Friday |
the students will formulate plans and
discuss ways to help other students as
well as themselves.
Although the week is for grades 5-12,
Dr. Van Hook said the program in the
elementary schools "will be geared
down with emphasis on the general
health aspect of drugs."
"The students should be given a good
basic understanding as to the beneficial
and harmful effects of drugs," she said.
Students Make Plans
At Captain Shreve High School, Drug
Education Week "has been left primari-ly
up to the students to plan and
conduct," Evie Lieber, chairman of the
Steering Committee, said in a letter to
the commission.
According to Miss Lieber, the school
has been divided into discussion groups
by English classes, with the committee
selecting "students who have different-opinions
about the use and misuses of
drugs, so that the classes will be kept
moving by opposing ideas."
On Tuesday at Captain Shreve each
student will compose a paper or critique
and "will be reminded to think of any
improvements on the school program in
the process, and to write their ideas."
And, students at Captain Shreve will
be doing their homework even before
Nov. 1, for class representatives have
been urged "to read the laws, protest
articles and current news pertaining to
drug misuse."
Northwood High School plans bulletin
board competition, bumper stickers,
skits and student speeches based on "I
don't take drugs because . . ." while at
Linear High School the art class will
make posters and large banners to be
displayed at a football game.
Three films will be shown at J. S.
Clark Junior High School during the
week; Eden Gardens Junior High School
will distribute literature on "Drug
Abuse," and Broadmoor Junior High
School will ask students to make
recommendations for combating the
drug problem.
School Plans Told
Topics which will be discussed in
individual classrooms at Herndon Junior
High Schools are "Signs and Use of
Drugs," "The. Appeal of Drugs," "Mind
Drugs — Their Human Price," "Law
and Drugs," and "What Parents Can
Do."
The art class will decorate stage for
programs at Oak Terrace Junior High
School.
Films will be shown at Woodlawn
High School. Rusheon Junior High
School, Hamilton Terrace Junior High
School, and Parkway High School, while
Vivian Junior High School and North
Caddo High School and Byrd High
School will use posters to publicize the
week.
The Fair Park Student Council feels
that "a discussion in the classroom
would reach more individuals than in an
auditorium situation," but "later in the
year, we plan to coordinate a drug
education program with our physical
education health program. This would
involve outside speakers and films to
give us more up-to-date information on
drugs."
Suggested activities at Linwood Jun-ior
High school are making scrapbooks
and preparing bulletin boards while the
committee at Valencia Junior High
School has suggested research papers on
various topics.