Grim Look at Effects of Drug Abuse

Standing in the hot sun outside Capistrano Valley High School, the white makeup on Joann Villanueva’s face had already begun to melt and Eddie Snyder sweltered underneath his grim reaper costume.

But the reason for these disguises wasn’t Halloween; it was the dangers of drug abuse that are being publicized throughout Orange County and the nation as part of Red Ribbon Week. Schools and communities are holding various events this week to discourage drug use, from pep rallies to parades.

At Capistrano Valley, 37 students donned white makeup to represent the estimated number of drug-related deaths in the United States each day. Snyder, dressed as the grim reaper, pulled students out of class, painted their faces white and returned them to their seats as “corpses,” unable to talk or communicate.

At the end of the school day, all 37 students gathered in a line in front of the campus, as motorists and other students passed by.

“A few people were smart alecks, but overall I think we got the message across,” said Snyder, a sophomore drama student who volunteered to be the grim reaper.

But there were others who didn’t take the “death” of their classmates as seriously.

“(The other students) told me I was stupid for painting my face white,” said ninth-grader Sara Fielstra. “People just don’t understand the seriousness of drugs. They just think, ‘Oh we’re going to die anyway, someday.’ ”