8th-graders hear Red Ribbon Week anti-drug message with input from a minister who is a former drug addict, the head of the parish anti-drug coalition, Sheriff Pohlmann and drug-free schools

Students at Trist Middle School hold a long red ribbon as Charles Cassar, drug-free schools coordinator for St.Bernard schools, starts an anti-drug rally for 8th-graders.	Corey Hicks, minister and ex-drug addict, tells his story to students.
Sheriff James Pohlmann speaks to students.	Dan Schneider, chairman of the St. Bernard Community Anti-Drug Coalition, speaks to students.

Eighth-grade students at Trist Middle School in Meraux got a lesson in making good choices in life, part of the school system’s annual anti-drug campaign known as Red Ribbon Week.

Several speakers including former drug addict turned minister Corey Hicks, St. Bernard Community Anti-Drug Coalition Chairman Dan Schneider – who lost a son to drug violence years ago – Sheriff James Pohlmann and Drug-Free Schools Coordinator Charles Cassar told students their future is bright if they can avoid the pitfalls of drug use.

The Trist program was the culmination of events at schools throughout October.

This year, Red Ribbon Week also coincided with the release of a community-wide resolution, spread mostly through some 10,000 copies given to St. Bernard school students but also to churches and other groups, by the parish Anti-Drug Coalition.

It asks residents to pledge to work towards a drug-free community, to not tolerate drug abuse or drug-dealing and encourages them to report such activity to the Sheriff’s Office. Its message is “We are all in this together. Be a life-saver.’’ Residents can call Schneider at (504) 430-3154 for more information on the coalition.

At Trist, 8th-grade students took part in the anti-drug event as well as hearing its message, with several holding a long red ribbon and taking turns explaining the origin of Red Ribbon Week.

Red Ribbon Week was originated in 1998, set up to honor the memory of Enrique “Kiki” Camerena, a U.S. Drug Enforcement agent murdered while assigned to investigate drug trafficking in Mexico near the U.S. border. He was kidnapped, tortured and killed.

Congress proclaimed the first Red Ribbon Week in honor of the agent and cause he died for and some 80 million people continue to participate in the event each year.

Cassar said the school system has celebrated Red Ribbon Week in October for some 25 years, in recognition of the importance “of trying to bring substance abuse awareness”” to students.

“This is done to put you in a position for success,’’ Cassar told students in the school gym on Oct. 31.

Any group of students could contain a future millionaire, doctor, Nobel Prize winner or famous actor or actress, Cassar said, but students will never reach their potential if drugs get in the way.

Cassar also urged students not to believe the misconception that most young people do use drugs. The real statistic is that surveys have shown maybe 12 percent of high schoolers have tried drugs, he said.

“It might make it easier for some to try them if they think more people are doing it,’’ Cassar said, but it would be a mistake to think that.

Schneider, a pharmacist, told students the story of his own son who was murdered while attempting to purchase narcotics years ago. Many of his son’s friends knew he was using drugs but didn’t come forward with that until after the murder, he said.

“Look out for your friends,’’ Schneider told students. “Don’t start drugs and try to keep your friends off drugs.’’

Students paid close attention to the story of Hicks, now a minister but who formerly served time in prison after getting hooked on drugs in high school and moving on to deal them.

Hicks told students they should realize using drugs “is like playing Russian roulette’’ and could cost them their lives as well as hurt others. “You are better than that,’’ Hicks said.

Sheriff Pohlmann told students that in his 31 years in law enforcement, “I have seen a lot of death and destruction caused by drugs and alcohol.’’

The sheriff said young people have to make the right decisions in life, including who they associate with.

“I have 250 people in my jail who made bad decisions,’’ the sheriff said. And he told them to realize not very many people come back from being hooked on drugs.

“I don’t want you to be a statistic,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “We don’t want to have to tell your mother and father you died of an overdose.’’

“We’re not trying to scare you but to educate you,’’ the sheriff said.