About 20 Florida students — under guidance of the Drug Free America Foundation — have formed an anti-pot group aiming to educate kids about medical marijuana and living drug-free.
Don’t Roll Up, Roll Out is a the student-led group that hopes to encourage Florida youths to learn “as much as they can” about the harms of marijuana, arising out of concerns over Amendment 2, the proposed ballot initiative that would legalize medical marijuana.
“We want to get the word out to students that marijuana is a dangerous drug and should be avoided at all costs,” said Heaven Taylor-Wynn, a member of Don’t Roll Up, Roll Out.
Through a statement released on Thursday, members say that if Amendment 2 passes in November, it would “send a bad message to their peers with negative consequences.”
Roll Out has joined another grassroots anti-marijuana campaign, Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot, led by the Florida Sheriffs Association and includes a coalition of law enforcement and substance abuse associations.
As part of its launch, the fledgling anti-drug group is hosting a poster contest open to Florida’s SunCoast students to demonstrate and help share information about the dangers of marijuana, with the theme “Florida Youth Keeping it Real About Marijuana.”
The contest divides entrants into two age groups, 9-13 and 14-17, with entries judged by a panel of community leaders. Winners from each age group will receive an iPad Mini, and additional prizes offered to each age group for most creative and best messaging.
Participating counties include DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Pasco and Pinellas.
“I’m thrilled to be part of an effort that allows students to showcase their creativity while empowering them to abstain from pot,” said executive director of Drug Free America Calvina Fay, a Roll Out judge.
Don’t Roll Up, Roll Out meets once a month in the Tampa Bay area and hopes to expand throughout Florida as membership grows.
