S.T.O.P. Celebrates Third Anniversary

By GEORGE H. RYAN
Lieutenant Governor

It has been my privilege over the past three years to have worked with a fine group of professional athletes. S.T.O.P. (Sports Teams Organized for the Prevention of Substance Abuse) was founded in the Spring of 1984 when the management of the Chicago Bears asked me to help them develop a program using their athletes to help fight against substance abuse. The other five Chicago sports teams were asked to join us, and S.T.O.P. was off and running. In our first year, S.T.O.P. athletes made 23 appearances reaching more than 30,000 young people. S.T.O.P. representatives also carried their message through the media, appearing on television and radio broadcasts and in print. In addition, we have put together a 30-minute film documenting the problem of substance abuse and what can be done through S.T.O.P.

The program continues to grow. In our second year, we made 39 appearances and requests continue to increase. Because of its growing popularity, S.T.O.P. has enlisted the aid of the St. Louis sports teams to reach out to the southern part of the state.

But S.T.O.P. is more than a one-shot appearance by a "name" athlete. S.T.O.P. is founded on the premise that the best way to fight substance abuse is through on-going community prevention programs. For this reason, communities which sponsor S.T.O.P. events must demonstrate their commitment to on-going programming. Participation in S.T.O.P. requires a comprehensive prevention plan including follow-up to the athlete's visit. We realize the importance of local autonomy in developing such plans, so we have called on the state's Prevention Resource Center to help communities in developing their programs.

Our programs reach out to all age groups. Athletes speak to students ranging in age from 13 to 18. They also speak to parents' groups and other community organizations. We have also developed a program for younger children. The elementary mascot program features team mascots such as Ribbie of the White Sox and Fred-Bird of the baseball Cardinals. The mascots perform skits for school assemblies where young people are encouraged to say "No" to alcohol and other drugs. The program also includes an activity book the youngsters can take home and share with their families. Since it was published, nearly 20,000 children have received copies of the book.

S.T.O.P. is unique in that it is not a government program. All of our funds have come through private donations and fundraising efforts. The athletes and mascots donate their time and the funds are used to administer the program.

S.T.O.P. has been extremely successful, but how do we measure that success? We can't. We can't quantify the look in a child's eyes when he listens to his favorite sports star. We can only guess at its significance. And we can't point to a Tommy or an Anne and say we prevented them from smoking their first cigarette or drinking their first bottle of beer. We just don't know what they would have done if we hadn't been there. But we do know that we are trying. And we do know that the kids are receiving good, positive messeges from people who matter to them. And — most important of all — they know that someone cares. •

Page 4 / Illinois Municipal Review / May 1987