And marijuana is mostly what Wesley High School Students were talking about today in their 20th annual Red Ribbon march. The March - and a full week of activities - is all about sending a message that these students can and want to live free from drugs, mostly marijuana and alcohol.
Wesley is in our neighborhood, so, we've probably covered most of those 20 Red Ribbon days. And today, as ever, we heard the students talking about why they have to say no to weed:..
Mariseli Soberanis, School Counselor
"Today, our big day, wear red day, we started with a church service and now we are having a bicycle competition and then a parade. We have lunch and then we go on Yabra court for a poetry slam and a guest artist."
Reporter
"Why is it important for your school to have Red Ribbon week?"
Participant 1
"Because it is important for people to stay drug free."
Reporter
"Why is it important for your school to have Red Ribbon week?"
Participant 2
"To stop the influence of drugs."
Reporter
"Why is that a bad thing?"
Participant 2
"Because it is addicted and in the future it could cause a lot of stuff."
Participant 3
"Red Ribbon week is to make people stop smoke weed and to be drug free."
Reporter
"Are you drug free and alcohol free?"
Participant 3
"Yup. I don't smoke and I don't drink."
Reporter
"This week is a good thing for you?"
Participant 3
"I am a church person."
Participant 4
"In life you have to be drug free and you can't be smoking weed, because it's a bad thing. Because our brain is not fully develop yet, so it damages your brain when you smoke you from young."
Participant 5
"You have to stop smoke weed and thing. Have the youths stop smoke weed and pick up their books and thing."
Reporter
"What do you do on Red Ribbon week to keep the message going?"
Participant 5
"Spread the word to all the weed smokers out here."
Reporter
"Do you know classmates that are not using the right message?"
Participant 5
"Can't say."
Participant 6
"It was a success and having fun out here today. Seeing everyone in red was a great thing."
Participant 7
"It's important to stay drug free, because it can damage all of your knowledge that you know. Probably you've learnt a lot of stuff throughout your years and maybe at high school you had peer helpers, but no one choose to do that. It's important to go and speak to people and stay drug free."
Mariseli Soberanis, School Counselor
"I know what everyone else is saying, like why do we even bother because of what society is. We've been doing this for 20 years and no matter what happens we are going to continue to give that positive message and it's not just one week just being drug free, but it's about empowering the students, letting them have high self-esteem, so that they make that choice when they're ready and for them to go forth in this world and be productive citizens of Belize."
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