Pubdate: Fri, 10 Feb 2006
Source: Ile Camera  (MI)
Copyright: 2006 Heritage Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.ilecamera.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4093
Author: Alexandra Santori, Meridian
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

KIDS D.A.R.E. TO BE GREAT

Drug Abuse Resistance Education has been taught in Grosse Ile schools since 
1993 and has graduated approximately 150 students per year. Although the 
curriculum has changed, the primary emphasis is for students to recognize 
and resist the temptations to do drugs.

"We focus on a variety of different principals: decision-making, 
consequences, building strong friendships and confidence, to name a few," 
said Detective Kenneth Pelland, who runs the program for the Grosse Ile 
Police Department. "There are 10 lessons in the D.A.R.E. curriculum, 
however I expand the program by adding a high school role model lesson."

Since the program was started on Grosse Ile, the drug surveys in the school 
have shown a significant drop in usage for those students that participated 
in D.A.R.E., according to Pelland.

"This is evidence that the program works here," he said. "Plus, the 
D.A.R.E. instructor is able to build bonds with the students and school 
staff. D.A.R.E. is the most rewarding part of my job."

Each student had to write a report about what he or she had learned in the 
program. During graduation ceremonies at the two elementary schools, a few 
of the students had the opportunity to read their essays.

The following are the essays that were read during the ceremonies at both 
Meridian and Parke Lane elementary schools.

Editor's note: Only one of the essays appeared in the paper. The rest are 
available at http://www.ilecamera.com/stories/021006/loc_20060210007.shtml

My D.A.R.E. Report

By Alexandra Santori, Meridian

I learned in D.A.R.E. that trying drugs is bad for you and your body. If 
you try drugs, you will have side effects like feeling dizzy and out of 
control. You can also get hurt by trying tobacco, especially if you are 
under age, because your body is just developing. If somebody asks you to 
try drugs, they are not your friend, and you should just say no.

D.A.R.E. taught me that inhalants, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco all 
affect your body in different ways. All of these drugs can affect your 
brain, mouth, throat, lungs, heart and liver. The addiction you can develop 
will cause problems for not just you, but your friends and family too.

I saw how smoking hurt my papa and the cancer he got from it. First they 
took out his voice box and he couldn't talk to me without covering the 
permanent hole left in his throat. Then the cancer spread to his lungs and 
they had to cut part of his lungs out. The cancer then spread through his 
body and he was in a lot of pain until he died just after Christmas.

People that are addicted to drugs often spend all their money on drugs. You 
can't support yourself or family when you are addicted to these drugs. 
Often drugs lead to violence.

People on drugs harm others because they are not thinking straight and also 
commit crimes to get more drug money to support their addiction. Jails are 
filled with people who were once good people that just messed up on drugs. 
They can spend a long time, if not their whole life, in prison because of 
their bad choice.

I commit not to ever smoke or do drugs. My answer would be NO to anyone who 
asked me if I wanted a cigarette that costs too much money or a puff of a 
marijuana cigarette. I love myself and my family too much to give either up 
to drugs.

I would like to have as healthy a life as possible. I chose not to have a 
habit of smoking, smell bad/have yellow teeth, or worse, die a painful death.

[snip]
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D