Getting the message to children - anti-drug message

Getting The Message To Children

For more than four decades, schools, USDA, state agencies, and food companies have been partners in providing nourishing meals to children through the National School Lunch Program. Now, some new partnerships are helping get the anti-drug message to children. Here are some examples:

Pet Dairy Gives "Just Say No" A Boost In The Southeast

Kids are used to being told, "Drink your milk, it's good for you." But, "Read your milk carton"? That's something new.

This year, in many schools across the country, kids will be seeing a daily reminder of the "Just Say No" message on milk cartons used in the National School Lunch Program.

Pet Dairy, headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, is one of the major sponsors of the "Just Say No" movement in the Southeast and was the first dairy in the nation to incorporate the now familiar "Just Say No" logo on its school-distributed milk cartons.

Since April 1986, Pet has printed "Just Say No" messages on more than 90 million half-pint milk cartons used by schools in their food service programs.

"Returning something to the community"

Ralph Gombert, Pet's director of marketing, explains that the company is interested in returning something to the community, not only with jobs, but in service opportunities like "Just Say No."

Pet Dairy has used milk side panels to show information such as good dental practices and pictures of missing children as well as to raise money for needy youngsters.

"The 'Just Say No' campaign seemed like a natural for us," says Gombert.

Pet has worked with the Just Say No Foundation to spread the anti-drug message through many activities. One way they have done this is by mailing to 750 elementary schools throughout the Southeast informational packets encouraging the formation of "Just Say No" clubs.

As an incentive for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders to participate, Pet gives away prizes such as "Just Say No" banners and sponsors ice cream carnivals. Pet also presents U.S. Savings Bonds and citizenship awards to deserving students.

For other companies interested in helping, Gombert recommends contacting the national Just Say No Foundation or state organizations.

"If you have a local promotion idea, th national organization will be very flexible in working with you and will co-ordinate the use of the logo to ensure a consistent message is being promoted," he says.

Many communities have gotten involved

Throughout Tennessee, interest in helping kids stay away from drugs is growing. The Tennessee Department of Education has been very active in organizing a "Just Say No" effort, and in what's called the Tri-Cities area-- which includes Bristol, Pet's homebase Johnson City, and Kingsport--"Just Say No" is especially strong.

At Johnson Elementary in Kingsport, former school food service worker Wilma Roberts is part of the solution when it comes to drug and alcohol awareness. Roberts, who recently became a teacher's resource aide at the school, has always been interested in students' well-being. This year she is PTA chairperson for "Just Say No" activities at Johnson.

"It's important that students have friends who can say no to drugs," says Roberts, who is promoting a drug-free environment with a variety of activities that are fun for children.

Events already planned include a 1950's sock hop with trophies; slogan and button design contests; and community service projects.

"Just Say No" clubs in the Tri-Cities area have a variety of local sponsors. For example, in Johnson City, a regional department store is sponsoring the club at Towne Acres Elementary. The clubs at Kingsport's John Sevier Middle School and Johnson Elementary are sponsored by local chapters of a national civic organization, the Optimist Club.

School staff are supportive

School administrators and staff are eager to help.

School food service managers, for example, are incorporating "Just Say No" activities in their school food service programs in a number of ways. In addition to using the special milk cartons, some are serving meals on styrofoam trays with the "Just Say No" message embossed on them. Other ideas being considered include displaying the slogan on murals, banners, table decorations, and meal tickets.

School superintendents are also involved. Jimmy Fleming, superintendent of schools in Sullivan County, participated in Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander's drug awareness task force.

"As a result of this task force, we recognized we could face a real drug and alcohol problem. One of our recommendations was to set up a drug prevention effort, which turned out later to be the 'Just Say No' program," Fleming says.

The reaction to the "Just Say No" program has been positive, Fleming says, because so many people are affected. "It's difficult to say you want to educate a child and not be concerned with habits that may be developing in public schools."

When he visits other communities he tells them they must set their own standards and decide what to emphasize in an anti-drug effort. He tells people they need to get involved because their children are at stake.

An example of what communities can do

What's happening in Tennessee is a truly cooperative effort, with private industry, civic groups, parents, teachers, and school administrators working together to help children make good choices.

As school superintendent Jimmy Fleming puts it, "Aren't our children worth it?"

For more information, contact: Clay Coble, Director Tennessee Child Nutrition Programs Department of Educaton 208 Cordell Hull Building Nashville, Tennessee 37219-5338 Telephone: (615) 741-2927

Ralph Gombert, Director of Marketing Pet Dairy P.O. Box 0, CRS Johnson City, Tennessee 37602 Telephone: (615) 282-2711

article and photos by Kent Taylor

Cincinnati-Based Pierre Frozen Foods Lends Merchandising Know-How and Support

In the Midwest, employees of the Cincinnati-based Pierre Frozen Foods company have taken a personal interest in the "Just Say No" campaign, inspired by the commitment of Pierre's director of manufacturing, Fred Rutherford.

When President and First Lady Nancy Reagan went on national television to support the "Just Say No" initiative, Rutherford was one of the millions of viewers across the country.

"The television program was still on my mind as I drove to work the next day," he says. "It occurred to me that we could use Pierre's merchandising skills to help sell the 'Just Say No' program to school children."

Pierre Frozen Foods is a leading processor of pre-portioned meat products and has for many years supplied school lunch programs with processed products made with USDA-donated beef and pork.

Company responded quickly to idea

Within days of the President and First Lady's pleas for support, Pierre was furnishing schools throughout the country with red, white, and blue "Just Say No" banners and stickers.

Now, a year later, Pierre has distributed more than 100,000 "Just Say No" banners and more than 4 million stickers in thousands of school cafeterias.

Pierre is currently promoting the "Just Say No" school food service merchandising program through direct mail and advertising in the American School Foodservice Journal.

Rutherford says that one of the most rewarding aspects of the promotion is the many letters of appreciation Pierre Frozen Foods has received from school food service directors who care about their students.

"Some schools have built a special occasion around a 'Just Say No' sticker day," he says. "A Frankfort, Kentucky, school invited Governor Martha Lane Collins to attend, and an Oshkosh, Wisconsin, school extended an invitation to Nancy Reagan herself."

"This has been our most successful promotion ever," says Pierre's government relations manager Jean Harris.

"Not only have we had the highest response we've ever gotten, all Pierre employees have taken an enormous amount of pride in the fact that we are helping students say no to drugs."

For more information, contact: Jean Harris Pierre Frozen Foods 9990 Princeton Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 Telephone: 1-800-543-1604 outside Ohio, or 1-800-582-7116 in Ohio.

article by Lawrence Rudman

McCluskey Foods Tells Students To "Be Smart" About Drugs

Idaho students are reminded to "Be Smart, Don't Start" in a steady stream of materials provided by McCluskey Foods, a commercial food wholesaler and distributor.

The Idaho Department of Education approached McCluskey to carry the message to students because of the firm's long history of close association with school districts across the state. McCluskey is under contract with the Department of Education to deliver USDA commodities to schools, elderly feeding programs, and institutions.

Laura Burns at McCluskey says, "It's very appropriate that we do this kind of thing because we're in such close contact with the districts." Along with food, McCluskey has always provided schools with newsletters and other materials about health, fitness, and other topics.

The target for the anti-drug materials is fifth and sixth graders. "We feel we need to reach students before they're exposed to the greater temptations to experiment which they'll experience in junior high," says Burns.

McCluskey gives schools a variety of materials, including posters and stickers (which can be used on lockers as well as car bumpers) and a variety of pamphlets targeted to teachers, parents, and students.

Schools can also request from McCluskey videotape and slide show programs provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. McCluskey recommends schools show the 2- or 3-minute musical programs during lunch periods to catch everyone at once.

For more information, contact: Laurie Burns McCluskey Foods P.O. Box 1390 Caldwell, Idaho 83606-1390 Telephone: (208) 888-3300

article by Tino Serrano

Cartoons Lead The Way In L.A.

In Los Angeles, more and more products are showing up in school kitchens with anti-drug and alcohol messages, according to Anita King of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

It began in school year 1986-87 when milk from Adohr Farms began arriving in half-pint cartons with an Archie cartoon filling one panel. The cartoons portrayed different situations where Archie and his friends defer from drugs. Archie Comics supplied the "I Don't Need Drugs" public service messages and Adohr incorporated them into the milk packaging.

This school year the Balian Ice Cream Company is printing "Just Say No to Drugs and Alcohol" on the packages of two of their products-- "Orange Frosties" and the "L.A. Fruit Blend." Both the 100-percent fruit juice which is "slushed" and frozen and eaten out of the cup with a spoon.

Los Angeles students also see the "Say No" message on styrofoam cups which the district buys from Cocoa Cola. Coke provides the artwork free and will even custom-design cups for schools' anti-drug efforts.

King feels the movement is gaining momentum and she expects students will see more anti-drug and alcohol messages as more manufacturers get involved.

"I've got some sample napkins sitting here in front of me, for example," she says, "with several different 'Say No' messages to choose from.

"We're serious about getting the word to these kids," King says, "and these all help."

For more information, contact: Beth Louargand, Food Services Los Angeles Unified School District P.O. Box 2298 Terminal Annex Los Angeles, California 90051 Telephone: (213) 742-7064

article and photos by Tino Serrano

Student's Design Helps Spread Word in Alaska

In Alaska, state school food service association president Linda Stoll is playing a key role in spreading the "Just Say No" message.

As a result of her work, two of the "big four" Alaska school districts are already using milk cartons with a special student-designed anti-drug message on them, and the remaining two districts are expected to pick up the idea soon.

Stoll attended the ASFSA annual conference in July and resolved to do something to get the "Just Say No" message to students. On her flight home, she spotted a fellow traveler drinking from a milk carton with such a message.

When she returned to Alaska, she approached Anchorage high school student Nueharth Shane, whose T-shirt design she'd seen at an anti-alcohol fundraising run. Shane had drawn a stop sign superimposed over cigarettes, beer, and alcohol, and the words, "Stop, Think. Just Say No to Drugs and Alcohol."

Matsunuska Maid Dairy agreed to put the message on half-pint milk cartons they supply to districts in Matsunuska and Kenai.

In addition to using the artwork themselves, company managers are also making it available to another dairy which serves Anchorage and Fairbanks. If the second dairy uses the idea, Shane's bright red stop sign will reach three-quarters of the students in the state.

Stoll has other plans, too. The Alaska ASFSA, for example, is designing a menu planning form with the same artwork, which they will make available to every district. Carr's, a large supermarket chain throughout Alaska, is considering putting the message on their shopping bags, and Matsunuska Maid may put the message on quarts and half-gallons of milk sold in stores.

Not only young Alaskans, but their parents, too, will get the message to stop and think about drugs and alcohol.

For more information, contact: Linda Stoll Matsu School District P.O. Box 1688 Palmer, Alaska 99645 Telephone: (907) 376-5381

article by Tino Serrano

Photo: "Just Say No" has become a regular part of school lunch in many areas, thanks to companies like Pet Dairy, which is printing special messages and illustrations on milk carton side panels.

Photo: Tim Hall and other Kingsport students are proud of the autographed picture they received from the President and Mrs. Reagan for starting one of Tennessee's first "Just Say No" clubs.

Photo: Milk cartons from California's Adohr Farms feature cartoons from Archie Comics. Archie's message to kids: "I don't need drugs."

Photo: Whether they are drinking their milk or eating frozen fruit "slush," these Los Angeles students get daily reminders to say "no" to drugs.

COPYRIGHT 1988 U.S. Government Printing Office
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