By Heather Tressler

This year marks 20 years of educating children around the world about the dangers of drugs. The Francis Grandinetti Elementary School is stepping forward to encourage students to stray from the use of drugs; Drugs including alcohol and tobacco.

Red Ribbon week will be observed at FSG Oct. 27 through the 31st. The week will kick off on Monday with a day to wear pajamas. Followed by Tuesday's theme 'Put a Cap on Drugs' where students will be permitted to wear hats. Wednesday will be a day to 'Lei off Drugs'; Hawaiian style where students will be displaying their Hawaiian shirts. Thursday is a day to wear sweats or lounge wear; Thursday also includes the one mile pumpkin run so the students can harvest the benefits of exercise. Friday will close red ribbon week with students' favorite sports apparel along with a BMX bike presentation, and Halloween parties.

FSG Guidance Counselor, Autumn Myers says red ribbon week was established by Congress in 1988, making this year red ribbon week's 20th anniversary. Myers says it was established to encourage kids to say no to drugs and alcohol; she feels it benefits the kids because they can develop an understanding of drugs, alcohol, and their effects.

"A lot of info the kids have is incorrect," Myers said. "Red ribbon week gives them the correct knowledge they can carry over as they grow up."

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 30 percent of kids have experimented with drinking alcohol by the age of 13.

Some tips Myers offers for talking to your students about alcohol is: don't wait until you think your child has a problem, get involved, be a good listener, give clear concise messages and expectations, practice ways to say no with your child, be aware of other influences, set a good example, and emphasize that using alcohol or other drugs is illegal for all children.

Some hardening facts about alcohol Myers points out is two out of five people in the United States will be involved in an alcohol-related crash some time in their lives; drunk driving is the No. 1 killer of teens and young adults; alcohol can increase your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, stomach, liver and lungs; 100,00 people die every year as a result of alcohol use; nearly 14 million people in the U.S. abuse alcohol or are an alcoholic; alcoholism is a disease; by the time the average American person is 18 years of age, they have seen 100,000 beer commercials, and alcohol is the drug most frequently used by teens.