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Show . , S . . . COLLEEN M. BANGERTER Clipper praised in address to Drug Conference By GARY R. BLODGETT Editor WASHINGTON, D.C. - Davis County Clipper was praised for its against drugs and alcohol abuse during an address here Monday afternoon. Colleen M. Bangerter, Utah's First Lady, was highly complimentary com-plimentary of the Clipper, Bountiful High School, Davis County Alliance Task Force and the Utah Federation for Drug-Free Youth in her address to the First National Conference on Alcohol Alco-hol and Drug Abuse Prevention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C. During her hour-long talk, "Sharing Knowledge for Action," "Mrs. Bangerter said: ... . "Newspapers statewide, particularly the Davis County Clipper, Clip-per, published dozens of stories about the danger and destruction destruc-tion caused by drug abuse." She added: "The State Legislature is proposing a tax of one cent per each can of beer to raise $2 million to expand prevention, preven-tion, education and public awareness of drug and alcohol abuse among our teenagers." She emphasized that one of the key issues in statewide and national prevention efforts is cooperation and collaboration. "We must do what we can to get our young people to have the courage to say 'no' and we must also put our efforts into stopping the distribution of illegal substances." She noted that love in its purest form is for someone to watch a loved one stumble and then help to pick him up. She added that the heroes of the war against substance abuse include the following: fol-lowing: A Highway Patrolman who stops a suspicious car and discovers discov-ers a million dollar shipment of cocaine; a teenager who loves his best friend into a rehabilitation center and finds a counselor who cares enough to help; an undercover detective who breaks up a high school marijuana ring; a parent who finally gains the courage to turn in his child instead of "covering up" one more time; a citizen who calls the police when things look suspicious; or a policeman who is in a high school to teach instead of to arrest. Then highlighting the importance of our children's role models, mod-els, she asked that we might learn from the tragedies of Len Bias and Don Rogers while at the same time following the examples of Mary Lou Retton, Edwin Moses and Wally Joyner. Mrs. Bangerter told the national convention that Utah has taken a lead role in the fight against chemical abuse with its K-12 Kindergarten through 12th grade - educational prevention program; student peer programs in secondary schools; a statewide state-wide network called, Utah's Youth Reach; and the "Just Say No" clubs organized in the elementary schools. She cited Bountiful High School where one girl from "Youth Reach" helped to organize a group now totaling more than 125 students. Their program was taken to at least 10 other schools where similar programs are being started. Mrs. Bangerter said that her governor husband has established estab-lished two task forces to address alcohol and drug problems. The Task Force on Youth Drug and Alcohol proposed several pieces of legislation to the State Legislature designed to increase in-crease parental involvement and to increase cooperation between be-tween schools and parents. Noting that all 29 Utah counties now have a taks force (Davis County was the first), she said that results of last year's efforts and goals for next year will be presented at an August meeting. Utah's second task force was convened to work on problems relating to Driving While Under The Influence (DUI) cases involving motorists under the influence of drugs or alcohol. She also praised the school Parent-Teacher groups and the many other student, parent and civic organizations who have joined in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse. Mrs. Bangerter closed with this poem about children written by Kahili Gilbran: You may give them your love, but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies, but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. |