Pubdate: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 Source: Santa Rosa's Press Gazette (FL) Contact: 2009 Freedom Communications Website: http://www.srpressgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4941 Author: Destiny Redd Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hallucinogens.htm (Hallucinogens) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) EMS holds D.A.R.E. graduation For the sixth year in a row, Deputy Mike Donlan conducted the awards ceremony marking the end of several weeks of D.A.R.E. instructions. Lt. Tommy Gunn also represented the Sheriff's Office and helped present certificates and prizes. Ard's Closed Loop, Inc. was the sponsor for this year's D.A.R.E. program, and provided the tee-shirts and materials for the lessons. They also provided funds for the many frisbees, water bottles, soccer balls, basketballs, and footballs awarded to each student. The support of local businesses is very much appreciated by the school and the Sheriff's department. Each student completing the program has the requirement of writing an essay about what they learned during the class sessions. A top winner is selected from each of the fifth grade classrooms, and from those winners one essay is selected as the best. The essay winners each received a medallion for their efforts. Winners were Taylor Johannes/ Mrs. Rorie; Amber Ray/ Mrs. Barber-Morris; Brittney Musgrave/ Mrs. Dillard; Destiny Redd/ Mrs. Keyser; Danny Mullins/ Mrs. Poggio; and Elana Trimblade/ Mrs. Silcox. Overall winner was Destiny Redd. Destiny also was presented with a gift certificate and a special D.A.R.E. Director's Chair. Congratulations to all of the students. Destiny's essay is at the end of this article. The ceremony ending was bittersweet for Deputy Mike Donlan. After 6 years of conducting the program for the school, Deputy Donlan announced that it would be his last D.A.R.E. program, Donlan reminded the students that he would still be a deputy with the SRSO, and that he has a long-term commitment to each of the many students he has worked with over the last 6 years. Winning D.A.R.E. Essay by Destiny Redd I learned a lot of important things that I never knew in D.A.R.E. Now I know how to make healthy choices. It also helped me to make good decisions in any situation. I learned how to get out of risky situations. I learned about tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and other sorts of drugs that are bad for the body. Facts about tobacco; smoking causes breathing problems, smokers have more colds and upper respiratory problems. Smoking causes heart disease and smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer. Also a leading cause of cancer of the mouth, throat, bladder and kidneys. Smokeless tobacco can cause mouth cancer, tooth loss, or other health problems. Also there are 200 known poisons in cigarette smoke. So I learned a lot about tobacco that I never knew. Facts about marijuana: Smoking marijuana causes breathing problems, Marijuana users have more colds and upper respiratory problems. Marijuana gives you short term memory loss; loss of ability to concentrate. It slows coordination and reflexes; affects your ability to judge distance, speed and reaction time. These are important in sports or even riding a bike. I wouldn't ever want to have all that trouble happening to me. Plus I love playing sports and riding my bike, so I wouldn't want those types of problems. Facts about alcohol; Alcohol slows down the brain and body and that could lead to coma or death. Alcohol goes directly into your bloodstream and can increase your risk for a variety of diseases. It can also damage every organ in your body. Some examples of this are loss of coordination, slowed reflexes, loss of self control, poor judgment, memory lapses or slurred speech. Why in the world would someone want those types of things to happen to them. I wouldn't know. Some facts about other drugs that are bad for your body; Cocaine addiction causes pupil dilation, elevated blood pressure and heart rate, increased body temperature and you could die from an overdose. Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Heavy use may produce hallucinations, paranoia, aggression, insomnia and depression. Mushrooms; cause increased blood pressure, sweating, nausea, and hallucinations. Many mushroom users purchase hallucinogenic mushroom spores via mail order. Facts about inhalants: Headaches, muscle weakening, abdominal pain, severe mood swings, and violent behavior. Numbness and tingling of hands and feet, decrease or loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, and lots more effects could happen. Hundreds of legal household products can be sniffed or heuffed to get high. All inhalants can be toxic. So all of these different types of drugs, I never would of thought that they could do so much harmful things to your body. Especially the inhalants because a little kid could sniff one of the inhalants and that little kid could get high. I am so excited that I learned these facts about tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and other drugs that hurt our body. But if my friend ever tried to make me do something like all that stuff, I would just tell them "If you are my friend you wouldn't try to make me do something I don't wanna (sic) do." And I'd walk away. The kids and teens that do tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and other bad drugs, they are not very smart because they're messing up their life. I don't care if I'm cool or not, but I think the people that do that stuff are the ones that are not cool. I'm glad I learned about things. So I thank you D.A.R.E.