Pubdate: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 Source: Oroville Mercury-Register (CA) Copyright: 2006 Oroville Mercury Register Contact: http://www.orovillemr.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2277 Author: Kristofer Noceda, Staff Writer A TRIP TO THE DRUG STORE Students Exposed To Consequences Of Substance Abuse OAKLAND - Shortly After peeking into a coffin, a teary-eyed Tiama Watson proclaimed she's never doing drugs. Mission accomplished. Watson and 300 other seventh-graders from San Lorenzo's Edendale Middle School participated in the Drug Store program Thursday at the Dunsmuir House and Gardens in Oakland. "Oh boy, I was scared. It was like, 'It could've been me,'" Watson said. What she and other students saw inside the coffin was a mirror. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, combined resources to host the program designed to educate youth on making the right choices over drug use and abuse. "This isn't like a field trip where kids stand around and look," said Casey McEnry, DEA special agent. "We make them participate and give them a 'scared straight' type of experience. It's a great way to get this information to children." Groups of students traveled into nine tents set out along the Dunsmuir grounds.Within each tent, students were put in real-life situations revolving around the pressures, dangers and consequences of using drugs. Scenes included students seeing a classmate get peer pressured into taking and overdosing on Ecstasy, a mock-emergency-room scenario and funeral services. School officials tout the importance of the program, which hit home with many students, who were seen with their arms crossed and heads down. "This is so beneficial. It opens their eyes to see the decisions they make go way beyond than just today," Superintendent Arnie Glassberg said. Created by the University of Alabama in 1993, officials say the national program's name reflects the easy access to drugs on the street compared to a drug store. Thursday's event marked the growing program's third showcase to local students since coming to the Bay Area last year. "It's one thing to hear about it, but it takes on a whole new meaning when you actually see it and participate in the program, which is why I think it's been very successful," McEnry said. Some students got the message loud and clear. "Drugs not only can do harm to your body, but it also affects everyone around me in my friends and family," student Matthew Angenete said. "I really learned a lot today." The Drug Store program is a collaborative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Alameda County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. For further information, contact your school resource officer or the state Department of Justice. - --- MAP posted-by: Amy