National Red Ribbon Week Celebrated at Finley
John Amato is the thorough type. He likes to cover all the bases. So, the principal of J. Taylor Finley Middle School is a strong supporter of National Red Ribbon Week's anti-drug campaign.
The Finley PTA recently sponsored two days of drug prevention education that also raised awareness to the scourge of alcohol use and abuse, especially among young people.
The program was presented by the Huntington Youth Bureau's drug and alcohol counseling and education center. Over the two-day period, Finley's eighth graders were given a unique interactive presentation. The teenagers signed a pledge banner, promising to live a drug-free life.
"Last year we had a presentation on the topic of drug and alcohol awareness and it was great," Mr. Amato said. "So, the PTA decided to do it again. The staff from the Huntington Youth Bureau did a great job with the students."
Students participated in various activities over the course of the sessions, including a Jeopardy-style game that focused on having students develop a plan for how they would handle compromising situations they might find themselves in related to drugs and alcohol.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency website, "Red Ribbon Week is the nation's oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year. By wearing red ribbons and participating in community anti-drug events, young people pledge to live a drug-free life and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enriqué 'Kiki' Camarena."
An 11-year veteran, Mr. Camarena worked out of the DEA's office in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he was keeping tabs on the country's biggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers. While nearing fruition of his efforts to crack a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline in 1985, the special agent was kidnapped, savagely tortured and ultimately murdered by the same drug traffickers he was investigating.