Manhattan Beach Unified School District Parent Teacher Student Association introduces anti-drug campaign

By Catelyn Dileva

Staff Writer

Mira Costa administration and the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Parent Teacher Student Association are introducing a new anti-drug and alcohol campaign called Pass On It, which focuses on navigating schoolwork, friends, family, stress and the pressure of drugs and alcohol.

MCHS administration and PTSA members have started to introduce this campaign to Costa this year because Red Ribbon Week was put on by PACE which is no longer a class. The Pass On It Campaign is centered around kids who pass on drugs and alcohol by artistic activities like singing, poems, painting and other arts.

This campaign will replace Red Ribbon Week for a more personal and sophisticated campaign that could help students realize the consequences of drugs and alcohol, according to Costa Principal Dr Ben Dale. Instead of Red Ribbon Week the PTSA will try and connect and inspire students want to have personal help with situations instead of one week just for Red Ribbon Week.

“At Costa the main message we want to send out to students through this campaign and in general is just to make good choices when you are on and off campus,” Dale said. “It is important to us to make sure that students make responsible decisions when they are at school as well as not at school because it affects them in so many ways.”

According to founder of the Pass On It campaign Laura McIntire, the campaign is created to show teens and adults that they do not have to use drugs and alcohol to connect with people or decompress from work and stress.

“Teens often feel like they have to drink or do drugs to fill a void,” McIntire said. “But teens all around the country are passing on drugs and alcohol for countless reasons. I want teens to know that it is your body and your mind, so the decision is yours.” “The campaign is made to let teens know that they are not alone,”

This campaign is different than South Bay Families Connected, a program that targets parents who have addiction problems. But Pass On It targets adults and teens who are struggling with drugs and alcohol. Students and adults share stories about how they have passed on drugs and alcohol through social media.

“Besides being introduced to it by Mira Costa, I saw the campaign on my Facebook page,” said MCHS Counselor Jennifer Wildenberg. “A student had passed on their story about how they had passed on drugs and alcohol and it showed how much they had learned and grown since they decided to stop, which makes me want to pass the story onto other teens who might have a similar story.”

The campaign also has ways where teens can get directly involved with other teens and the campaign and inspire positive change. The campaign holds a Public Service Announcement Contest which has a $500 reward. The PSA Contest will focus on creating a Public Service Announcement for the campaign. A Blog and Video Blog Contest, which awards $100, will focus on creating inspiring videos to help other teens. Project Contributors program, is an opportunity for people to have their own original writing published on the Pass On It website.

“The contest is a great way to inspire and connect everyone from all around the country,” McIntire said. “Seeing results that teens and adults have from all around the country inspire everyone to pass drugs and alcohol.”

According to McIntire, anti-drug campaigns are often heavy handed and have scare tactics as a way to connect with teens. Pass On It instead is all about learning ways to stay productive and healthy, by passing on drugs and alcohol. The campaign is also about reading and watching content created by other teens and is a way to get creative and express themselves and share what is important in their lives. Instead of using drugs and alcohol, Pass On It inspires teens to get creative and find an artistic interest that fulfills them.

“I hope with Pass On It, teens will find the tools and resources to help and inspire them to pass on it as much as possible,” McIntire said. “Ranging from everything from negative thinking to drug use and everything in between that can hurt our minds, bodies and self-esteem.”