Pubdate: Sun, 10 Feb 2008
Source: Hickory Daily Record (NC)
Copyright: 2008 Hickory Daily Record
Contact:  http://www.hickoryrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1109
Author: Sarah Newell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

Drug Resistance Program Celebrates 25 Years In Schools

HICKORY -- For Hickory High School student Ashley  Wilson, the Drug 
Abuse Resistance Education program  helped her handle the pressure of 
saying no to drugs  and alcohol. She said it taught her how to handle 
peer  pressure before she got to high school, so she would  know what 
to do when someone tried to get her to try  something illegal.

D.A.R.E. has been taught in schools for a quarter of a  century. 
Students get to ask everything from whether a  vitamin is technically 
a drug (yes) to what to do when  a friend offers you alcohol or ecstasy.

Two Hickory police officers teach the 10-week program  to 
sixth-graders at Northview and Grandview middle  schools. Officer 
Paul Murphy, who teaches D.A.R.E. at  Northview, said the program has 
changed some in his 15  years of teaching it.

"About four years ago, they cut it back from 17 weeks  to 10 weeks. 
They also included more decision-making  and problem-solving in the 
curriculum," he said.

Murphy establishes rapport with students by joking with  them, but he 
also drives home the key points about a  subject. He is passionate 
about D.A.R.E. because Murphy  has seen first-hand what he is 
counseling against.  Murphy lost his brother, father, mother, aunt 
and uncle  from smoking-related illnesses.

"I feel really cheated, really ripped off, because  everyone in my 
family died because of cigarette  smoking," Murphy said.

"Every year, 400,000 people die from smoking, and the  tobacco 
companies have to get 400,000 new customers  every year just to break 
even," he told one D.A.R.E.  class this week. "The ads are everywhere 
you look, so  it's important you know the facts about tobacco. It's 
the No. 1 cause of heart disease in the U.S."

Murphy's case in point: A magazine, with three  full-page ads 
appealing to young people, for three  different cigarette companies, 
in less than 40 pages.  The magazine was taken from the school library.

Josh Becker said some of the information he's learned  in the class 
is startling.

"The fact that some people are already smoking, and  that 400,000 
people die from it every year really stuck  out," he said.

In addition to listening to Murphy talk about the  dangers of 
smoking, students practice what to say to  people who offer them 
drugs, cigarettes or alcohol, or  to friends who may try to get them to buy it.

Becker said sixth grade is a good time to learn what's  being taught 
in D.A.R.E. Some people will try to sell  drugs to you in middle 
school, and having practiced  what to say to them in class will 
prepare him for real  life, he said.

Alexia Jenkins said Murphy's intimate knowledge of the  subject is 
what makes the class so effective.

"It's great that he's teaching what will happen if we  even try to 
smoke one time," she said. "As most of us  get closer to high school, 
we may have the chance to do  drugs. It's good to know what to say."

Murphy is not afraid to tackle some of the more current  issues 
students ask him about. One student wanted to  know where marijuana 
comes from, if it's illegal.  Murphy said since it's a plant, it's 
frequently grown  in the woods like a regular crop or in some 
people's houses with special lights. One student asked 
about  medicinal marijuana.

"I don't know if pot really does relieve the pain with  glaucoma or 
not. But why would I want to smoke  something that can give me 
cancer, memory loss and  breathing problems? I think some people who 
want to smoke marijuana are looking for an excuse to do it," he  said.

What Murphy teaches has stuck with his students.  However, some 
students feel they need a refresher  course when they get older.

"Sixth grade was a good age to have it, but you should  do it again 
in eighth grade, because that's when the  pressure starts," Wilson said.

Hickory High junior Christian Cooke agreed with Wilson.  She said 
D.A.R.E. taught her important information, but  she needs more.

"It was effective, but it could have been more so. You  need to do it 
again in eighth grade because you get  more pressure, people are more 
in-your-face about it,"  Cooke said, adding that although D.A.R.E. 
helped her,  her own morals and the way her parents raised 
her  helped her say 'no,' too. "But I think it could  have helped 
others who were not raised like I was."

Sophomore Tyler Barnette said teaching D.A.R.E. after  sixth grade 
may not do much good.

"It might be good to have it again, but no one would  listen," he said.

However, he and friends Preston Harris and Sebastian  Gill say the 
lessons of D.A.R.E. stick in your head, so  you have reasons not to 
want to take drugs.

And that's the whole point, Murphy said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom