Pubdate: Fri, 03 Nov 2006
Source: Gary Post-Tribune, The (IN)
Copyright: 2006 Post-Tribune Publishing
Contact:  http://www.post-trib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/827
Author: Kass Stone, Post-Tribune

GARY STUDENTS HEAR DANGERS OF DRUGS, ALCOHOL

Nurse Graphically Recounts Tragedies She Has Dealt With

Fifth- and sixth-graders in Gary's Franklin Elementary  School 
listened to a firsthand account of the dangers  of drugs and alcohol.

The students gathered in the gymnasium to hear Glenda  Brooks, a 
registered nurse at The Methodist Hospitals  in Gary, talk about the 
many tragedies she has seen due  to drug use. She told them about 
various drugs and  answered their questions about drug and alcohol use.

Brooks used graphic details about the aftermath of  accidents caused 
by people abusing drugs and alcohol.  Her stories of mutilation and, 
often, brain damage  seemed to strike a chord with her young audience.

"I was totally shocked about how bad drugs are, how  much damage can 
happen and the things drugs will make  you do," said sixth-grader 
Ebony Cardine. "It gave me a  whole change of heart."

Cardine, along with fellow sixth-graders Milynn Sims,  Laura Webster 
and Mahagonie Smith, opened the program  by reading essays they wrote 
on why they vow to live  drug-free lives.

"I learned that if you get brain damage, you can't fix  it," Sims 
said. "If that happens to you, you should  never have (used) drugs 
and then you wouldn't have had  that happen to you. You can't ever fix it."

Added Smith: "You can hurt your children. You can sell  their clothes 
and use your rent money to buy drugs and  end up on the street, or 
you can go to jail or die on  the street and your children can get 
hurt or die  because they starve ... . That's what I wrote about in  my essay."

Brooks was chosen by hospital officials to speak to the  students 
after Franklin personnel asked about providing  a medical 
professional to outline the dangers of drugs  and alcohol.

A school survey of fifth- and sixth-graders showed that  the students 
believed they would benefit most from a  professional who could speak 
to them on the subject.

"This is the first community thing like this that I've  done," Brooks 
said. "When I was doing the research for  this and I saw the numbers 
for drug use for children  over 12, I couldn't believe it.

"I thought to myself, 'We need to do something; we need  to get out 
there and educate.' "
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MAP posted-by: Elaine