Pubdate: Tue, 03 May 2005
Source: El Dorado Times, The (KS)
Copyright: 2005, The El Dorado Times
Contact:  http://www.eldoradotimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3354
Author: Steve Smith, Times Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE STUDENTS PLEDGE TO AVOID DRUGS

Here are some things Aaron Long learned from the program he and dozens of 
other youngsters recently completed:

Marijuana smoke contains 50-75 percent more cancer causing chemicals than 
tobacco smoke.

Too much alcohol can slow down the body and lead to coma and even death.

Per serving, beer, wine and liquor all contain about the same amount of 
alcohol; "there are so many alcohol advertisements," he said, "and I think 
that's horrible."

There are 200 poisons in cigarette smoke, "and that can harm you even if 
you don't smoke."

Long, a fifth grader at Washington Elementary School, got up in front of 
his peers and their parents Thursday night and told them why smoking, 
drinking and drugs will never be a part of his life.

He earned that honor by being the overall winner in the essay contest for 
El Dorado USD 490's elementary schools DARE program.

Long read his essay as part of the DARE elementary graduation program held 
in the auditorium at El Dorado Middle School.

DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a program designed to help 
children resist alcohol, tobacco, drugs and violence.

In USD 490 it is taught to fifth graders over an 11-week period.

"The DARE program showed me how to get out of situations dealing with 
drugs," Long said in his essay; in fact, he added, "it even told me facts" 
he otherwise would not have known.

"I'm glad I had DARE," he said, "because if you ask someone if they did 
drugs they will most likely say they wish they never started drugs.

"It's important to avoid drugs and violence," Long said, "because if you 
keep on doing it you'll eventually die."

If he was to get the kind of job like his father has, he said, "I would 
have to concentrate all the time;" also, he said, "if my brother and sister 
saw me drink, they would do it too, so I won't drink.

"I promise never to smoke or drink," he concluded, "so I can be a good 
example."

In all, seven classroom essay winners were announced at Thursday night's 
graduation.

Montana Boone, a Lincoln Elementary fifth grader, promised to never do 
drugs or drink alcohol "for all my life."

"I think it's important to be drug-free," Boone said, because "it'll keep 
you going," enable a person to live longer and allow them to be healthy.

Boone pointed to what he learned through DARE (marijuana has more tar than 
tobacco, and alcohol affects the bodies of teenagers more than those of 
adults), and also noted how it enabled him to "learn how to get out of 
risky situations.

"Avoiding violence will help you not be violent!" he declared.

"Staying drug and violence free means if someone is pressuring you, you can 
use facts to get out of the situation," wrote Lincoln Elementary student 
Jared Erpelding, who said he was also pledging to live a "drug-free, 
drink-free and smoke-free life.

"If you avoid violence and be drug-free it can change your life," Erpelding 
said.

"If you use violence as an answer you will get into more trouble. Avoiding 
violence is pretty easy; all you have to do is stay away from people and 
places that get involved" in that kind of activity.

"Staying drug-free is very important," he said, "because taking drugs is 
very dangerous."

"I think they should keep the DARE program," said Washington Elementary 
fifth grader Breanna Gomez. "It taught me not to drink, smoke or do drugs. 
It can also help you and other kids and keep them in school and learning.

"I promise not to smoke," she said, "because I don't want to die from lung 
cancer or have breathing problems or yellow teeth.

"I promise not to drink because it can lead to a coma or even death.

"I promise not to do drugs because I don't want to get cancer."

In all, Gomez said, there are nine ways to say "no" to drugs, alcohol, 
tobacco and violence.

She pointed to the DARE decision making model -- "D" for define, "A" for 
assess, "R" for respond and "E" for evaluate.

"I think it is very important to stay drug-free," wrote Washington student 
Holly Lea. "This way you'll stay out of jail and make great friends. You'll 
also live longer and go on to do amazing things in life.

"If you are to do drugs you could get hurt and you could hurt others; so 
stay drug-free. Your life will be better that way."

Lea said she hoped what she learned through DARE "will stick with me all my 
life.

"When DARE class ended I was so mad because I wanted to learn more about 
the dangers of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

"I can't wait until we have DARE again in middle school."

Lea said her pledge is to "always say 'NO, NO, NO!' to drugs, cigarettes 
and alcohol. You can count on that for sure!"

Alex Pennington, a Grandview fifth grader, entitled his essay "DARE: The 
Anti-Drug" and pledged "never to do any bad drugs or smoke any kind of 
cigarettes.

"DARE was very important to me," he said. "I learned a lot from it. I 
didn't ever plan to do drugs, but this helped anyway because I learned 
being near to smoke can be deadly."

Through DARE, Pennington said, "I also learned ways to avoid and get out of 
risky situations."

Some of them, he said, involved using humor, giving a fact "or even as 
simple as saying 'no.' "

Lincoln student Madison Strate made a pledge to "stay drug-free, not to 
smoke, make right decisions and to avoid any violence coming my way."

Strate said DARE "has not only taught us how to say 'no' in many ways but 
also how to protect ourselves from any violence.

"Also, it shows us what to do in dangerous situations.

"I think it's important to stay drug-free and avoid violence," Strate said, 
"because sometimes you can be injured. You may also be put into prison or 
even killed.

"Avoiding violence and drugs is the biggest choice of your life, so make a 
good one."
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