Area youngsters will be encouraged to have fun during an anti-drug rally Friday where they will learn the effects drugs, alcohol and tobacco can have on their bodies.

The event will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the recreation center at the rear of the Show Me Center. More than 150 youngsters from Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City and Sikeston have registered to attend the free event.

Registration continues through 6 p.m. Friday.

Transportation to and from the rally will be provided within Cape Girardeau. From 4:30 to 5 p.m., a bus will make stops at the Salvation Army, 701 Good Hope, Cape Girardeau Civic Center Boys and Girls Club, 232 Broadway, and Family Resource Center, on South Sprigg.

"It's totally interactive," said event organizer Leah Shrum, a prevention advocate with Southeast Missouri State University Community 2000. "They're going to be up doing activities, they're going to be dancing," she said. "The main thing is fun."

Shrum expects as many as 400 youngsters from throughout the region to attend.