In The News

Students In Westerly Launch Campaign Against Drugs, Drink
Originally printed in The Westerly Sun
Tuesday, June 23, 2009

WESTERLY - Agroup of Westerly High School students is using a new approach to reduce and prevent substance abuse, one that focuses on the positive.

The goal of the Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force-supported Social Norms Marketing Campaign is to demonstrate for teens - with new statistical data - that the vast majority of their peers aren't drinking or using drugs, contrary to popular perceptions.

With the support of WHS Principal Paula Fusco, the substance abuse task force conducted a health and wellness survey at the school that found 71 percent of WHS students don't regularly drink alcohol and 74 percent don't use marijuana.

While these numbers point to the need for the presence of groups such as the WHS chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (previously Students Against Drunk Driving), Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse and the services of the RI Student Assistance Program, the reality is that most students are not drinking or using marijuana.

The student focus group created a positive message poster that will be displayed on the walls of Westerly High School, the Westerly schools Web site and the video screen at Westerly Middle School.

It will also appear in the inboxes of all WHS students' e-mail accounts and soon on appropriate social networking sites like Facebook.

The poster includes an image of teens on the beach at sunset and features a positive message created by SNM students based on the data collected from the survey: "You've been given the chance to live life. Don't waste it getting wasted. Be one of the more than 70 percent of WHS kids that are living life to its fullest without drugs and alcohol."

Several VAASA students will be taking this positive message to the middle schools when they make presentations there in the fall.

"This is important because younger students benefit from hearing that it is not necessary to drink or use drugs to have fun or fit in when they get to the high school, especially when the message comes from a high school athlete," said SNM student focus group spokesperson Emily Vyse. "Rhode Island has the highest rate of illicit drug use in the nation. However, members of the high school's Social Norms Marketing focus group are intent on providing accurate information about what their classmates are doing for fun," said Vyse. "So the next time students hear someone bragging about drinking, hopefully they will remember that most of their peers are not getting drunk, but are going to the movies, going to the beach, or going out for ice cream." The Social Norms Marketing program is funded through a Rhode Island Substance Abuse Prevention grant.