CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Zama Middle High School capped off its Red Ribbon Week with a army working canine demonstration right here Tuesday as a part of numerous occasions that inspired a drug-free way of life.
Held yearly, the weeklong celebration is the nation’s largest and longest-running drug-use prevention marketing campaign that has reached tens of millions of individuals world wide.
Students right here had the chance to take an anti-drug pledge and attend a presentation by the Army Substance Abuse Program and college liaison workplace. Students additionally wearing costumes, sports activities jerseys and the colour pink to get into the spirit of the week and present that they make constructive decisions of their lives.
“We want to remind the students consistently that drugs are not an option,” mentioned Zyra Sanchez, a faculty counselor who helped set up the occasions. “There are other alternatives that students can do in living a healthy lifestyle.”
On the final day of the marketing campaign, which started Oct. 23, Soldiers assigned to the 901st Military Working Dog Detachment demonstrated the talents of their dogs to college students throughout their lunch breaks.
The dogs sniffed out narcotics hidden in a suitcase, displayed their agility in a brief impediment course, after which practiced apprehending a suspect, who was performed by one of many Soldiers after which by the principal whereas carrying protecting clothes.
Sgt. Taylor Reed, a MWD handler, mentioned the mission of their dogs could be complicated, starting from utilizing their sturdy sense of scent to alert troops to roadside bombs to finding a suspect in the dead of night.
“A working dog is a force multiplier, because they can find bad guys and they can also find bombs or drugs,” he mentioned.
While medication are usually not a lot of an issue on Camp Zama, Reed mentioned the dogs can nonetheless deter any illicit drug exercise from occurring.
“Camp Zama is luckily a very safe place,” he mentioned. “But that doesn’t mean drugs aren’t around here, so we do have drug dogs on this installation to be looking for somebody trying to smuggle drugs through the gate or hide it in a package.”
Marcus Childs, an eighth grader, mentioned the demonstration helped drive home that there are penalties for many who determine to make use of medication.
“They’re saying if you do drugs, you may get hurt at some point,” he mentioned, “whether it’s by a dog when you’re trying to run away, or you do something while you’re on [drugs].”
Childs mentioned he participated in most of the week’s actions and even volunteered to help at a sales space that inspired college students to signal the anti-drug pledge.
While some folks could strive medication due to peer strain, Childs mentioned that may also be true to persuade others to not strive them.
“If a lot of people are doing something, then I feel that a lot of people will try to join in,” he mentioned. “So, if a lot of people try to be happy and learn about [Red Ribbon Week]then a lot of people will try to be happy and learn about it with them.”
The marketing campaign, with the theme this 12 months of “Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free,” is a good way for college students to unfold consciousness, Sanchez mentioned, including it additionally exhibits them that the varsity is there for them.
“We promote having students live a life where they enjoy it physically, mentally and emotionally,” she mentioned. “We want to ensure that our students are aware that we care for them.”
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U.S. Army Garrison Japan information