To put it bluntly, students are jaded when it comes to drugs. Growing up in a society that decides it’s better to sweep problems under the rug tends to do that to a person.

Did the district give up on us? Where are the red ribbon week announcements? Why don’t we have any more anti-drug activities and contests? What happened to ‘just say no’?

Driving past Magnolia and seeing those words spelled in faded strips of red isn’t enough for us. We have a perfectly good broadcasting team…why not just throw out a quick ‘hey, let’s not do drugs’.

Red ribbons meant something back in elementary school. As you tie yours to the fence, you know you’re part of a solution, no matter how fuzzy and vague it may be.

Red ribbons meant something back in middle school. It meant hearing Kiki Camarena’s story for what felt like the millionth time, acknowledging that someone is fighting for our health out there.

Red ribbons mean nothing after eighth grade. It’s like the school decided we’re lost causes, and perhaps some of us do nothing but prove them right.

But there are other students here. These are the students who are forced to slow down their studies to accommodate those who’ve drugged their brain out of function. These are the students who have no choice but to listen to stories of “magic” parties made better with narcotics and alcohol. These are the students who watch people disappear from their classes because mind over matter doesn’t apply to ‘that will never happen to me’.

So what can the school do?

Frankly, zero-tolerance seems like the way to go.

People will complain. They always do. However, keep in mind, last year’s ‘Grad Night’ was a disaster; there are the arrests in the party buses and prescription drug abuse is on the rise.

It doesn’t matter what other people say. This is a big problem. Big problems require big solutions. We need a zero-tolerance policy on drugs at the school…at least to make the red ribbon mean something again.