JUDITH Burgess is a mother with a mission - to protect Bermuda's young people from falling prey to the perils of drugs.

As one of the founder members of PRIDE (Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education) she has been pursuing that mission for the past 16 years, trying to arm the young with the knowledge and the desire to say 'no' to drugs.

This week is Red Ribbon Week, held to celebrate the efforts of all those involved in drug prevention and as executive director of organisers PRIDE, Ms Burgess is right in the thick of it.

And she had a message for drug dealers targeting progressively younger children.

"The morality of the dealers has changed over the years," said Ms Burgess. "Years ago, it was only very rarely that they would aim at children as young as 12 or 13. Now it seems they are aiming at everybody and and every family has been affected in some way.

"We at PRIDE feel that something can be done about that. And we will fight just as hard as the other side who are trying to capture our young people and snatch away their dreams."

It is clear from the passion with which Ms Burgess speaks that she is on something of a crusade. As if to bear that out, she said: "This is not a job, it's a total belief."

IT was during the mid-1980s that the mother of four, together with other concerned parents, founded PRIDE.

"When I first got involved, I had a teenage son and three other young children," said Ms Burgess. "It seemed to me like there wasn't anything I could do on my own to prevent my children from going into a direction different from the one I hoped they would go in.

"Back then people said Bermuda had no drugs problem. But those of us who were parents could see what was happening. We knew we had to do something to stem the tide.

"Three other parents travelled with me to an overseas conference and we came back and formed PRIDE. Now we have six full-time staff and 40 advisers running programmes in schools. There are also many parents who are support people who help with fund-raising."

Ms Burgess said PRIDE aimed to guide young people away from drugs, not by using scare tactics but by instead focusing on the positive aspects of avoiding drugs.

"The last two Government surveys have shown us that drug use among children is not increasing but the age of first use is dropping," said Ms Burgess. "We used to think we should target our programmes at kids of 13 and upwards, now we are starting at ten-and-a-half, so we are having to go into elementary schools.

"Scare tactics don't work, because kids aren't afraid of anything. We try to make them look at the positive aspects of going in the right direction. The most important thing is that they should be able to make the right decision.

"PRIDE believes that if we can at least delay the age of first use until at least 19, then there is much less chance of that person becoming an abuser."

PRIDE aims to reduce risk factors among children and increase protective factors. And its programmes are aimed at a cross-section of young people, not only those considered at high risk of developing a drugs problem, partly because it is hoped those not at high risk will "pick up the banner and set the standard" for others to follow and partly because it is impossible to know for sure who will fall into drugs. Anyone who wants to celebrate the battle against drugs is welcome to join a candlelight walk around Hamilton tonight, as part of Red Ribbon Week. Walkers will meet in the Cabinet building grounds at 6.15 p.m. and the walk will last between 60 and 75 minutes.

PRIDE is looking for extra advisers to work in schools and can be contacted on 295-9970.