The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
D.A.R.E.
by Amber Mann
Hello. My name is Amber Mann and I'm in the fifth grade. I've been in the D.A.R.E. program for a few months now. I think the D.A.R.E. program is excellent, because I've learned a lot about how to stay drug free.
I feel better now, because I know what to do if someone offers me some drugs. I also learned how to deal with being threatened. I would become very nervous if I hadn't learned what to do from the D.A.R.E. program.
I learned a word called "peer pressure," which means a force or influence on you from others my age. I also learned way to say "NO" to drugs, like changing the subject or walking away. I could also give them the cold shoulder or ignore them and pretend I didn't hear what was just said.
Something else I learned from the D.A.R.E. program, which is very important, is that drugs are very dangerous to my health. If I do drugs, it is possible I could get cancer, and the more times I would use drugs my brain cells would die causing me to become dumber and dumber each time I used them. Most importantly drugs could kill me or make me very ill.
I want to stay drug free, because I do not want to get cancer or die. I also want to keep my brain cells alive so I can learn and fulfill my dreams. Being healthy is important to me.
I feel the D.A.R.E program should also be offered to the younger children and in more schools so those kids can learn how to stay healthy and safe like I did.
Drugs Are Bad
by Brandon Gapen
I think D.A.R.E. is really great for kids so that they don't make mistakes that could kill them. D.A.R.E. has helped many kids around the United States. I think it is great to be participating in the D.A.R.E. at our school so that I don't make the wrong decisions.
I learned that you can be "cool" without drugs in your life. Drugs can make you weak and irresponsible, mess with your thinking and get you into trouble.
Drugs can also cause your body not to function right and even cause disease like lung cancer. Drugs can make you very nervous and cause stress in your life. They can even make your eyes bloodshot.
Drugs could make your grades go down because you don't think right, so your life starts to go downhill. The more you use drugs the more you think you need them.
Sooner or later your life revolves around drugs. The person selling you drugs says he's your friend, but not really. He wants to get you hooked on drugs so he can take your money, so say NO to drugs all the time!
Drugs are one of the greatest causes of deaths every year. Marijuana is a bad drug. Cocaine is the most addictive drug in the world and it kills the most people. Cocaine and Marijunana are illegal drugs. Cigarettes are a kind of drug but they are legal.
A way to stay drug free and avoid violence is to get away from people who use or sell drugs, even if they are your friends. Believe in the strength of numbers. Walk away from the bad crowd and walk into the good crowd. You make your own decisions: Wrong decision=death Right decision=life
As you can see, I think D.A.R.E is good for kids. It helps them to learn about drugs and teaches them to stay away from them and the people involved with drugs. It teaches them to make the right decisions and it helps them to about think drugs and the results they can cause.
D.A.R.E.
by Zach Nelson
Hi, my name is Zach Nelson. I am a student in the Dare program at Union Elementary School. I think Dare is an effective program for kids of all ages. It shows what drugs can do to your body. For example, people that smoke will have lung damage and sometimes it turns out to be fatal. Another example is when someone takes a drug they can become addicted and have several major health problems for the rest of their life. The Dare program also shows several ways to resist drugs and alcohol.
One way is when someone is trying to make you an offer to try drugs you could try and change the subject. Another way is to just avoid the person or persons trying to offer or sell you drugs. If this does not work, then always try to find an adult to help you out of this dangerous situation.
What I have learned from the Dare Program to protect me from drugs is to "Just Say No!" This will keep your head on straight and keep you away from a lot of trouble.
This program has made me think about what could happen to my body if I take drugs or alcohol. I don't want to experience the pain and suffering people have when they are addicted to narcotics.
The DARE program has helped me think about my life. I don't want to mess up my future by taking drugs or smoking.
My future is real important to me. I want to stay healthy and be smart so I don't start any bad habits.
I have plans for my future that don't involve drugs or smoking. I would like to make something of my life that doesn't involve hospital visits or rehab treatments. I would like to spend more time with my family and friends instead of a doctor.
My grandmother suffered from emphysema (lung disease) because of smoking all her life. My dad lost her at a very young age. She was on oxygen and lots of medication during her last years. She wanted to enjoy her family and life but, this nasty habit took it away from her.
Seeing how much my dad misses her make me realize how important a healthy lifestyle is.
I would like to sum up my opinion about the Dare program by saying how effective it is to kids like me.
I just wish that every kid could be involved in a program like this. I have been fortunate to learn about not doing drugs or smoking from my family, but there are some children who are not this fortunate at home, so this program has a very important message for all children to know. "Just Say No!"
D.A.R.E.
by Ashley Ericson
Hi my name is Ashley Ericson. I am in Officer Schaley's 5th grade D.A.R.E. program.
I think D.A.R.E. is important because we should be drug free. My mom smokes. I think its bad for her. People are asking what D.A.R.E. means? Why do we take D.A.R.E.? This is your answers to your Questions.
D rug cigarettes, crack, cocaine
A buse drugs to abuse your body
R esistance to drugs and violence
E ducation drugs lower your grades
We take D.A.R.E. because 5th graders or 10-11 year olds are going through a lot of pressure points when we are this age. People pressure us about smoking, drinking, and sniffing stuff.
Kids think that smoking is cool and we don't need D.A.R.E. but, you do. People need to know about how bad smoking if for your body and not to drink or sniff cleaners or markers.
I love my life. I have never smoked or drank before. I think it is bad. If I was going through peer pressure about smoking, I would walk away.
I think you should be drug free because you don't want to die. Lots of people smoke cigarettes or pot, that sort of thing. I am not in that. I want to be a good kid not somebody that gets high every day.
Therefore, I have learned in D.A.R.E. that you can be in a pressure point when you don't even know it and if you think somethings bad give that person the cold shoulder or walk away. D.A.R.E. is so fun and I wish I could be in it next year but I can't. And Remember, Stay Drug Free!
D.A.R.E.
By Sam McCraw
I feel that DARE teaches us about Drugs. DARE is fun because teacher is cool. We learn that drugs are bad for your heart, brain, and your body. We learn that we need to stay away from drugs and try to keep other people away from drugs too. That is what I think about DARE.
I learned that drugs can kill me. You will get cancer from drugs. I will have a shorter life. I will get messed up. I can get addicted to it.
I can have consequences for drug use. Such as tobacco it can give you lung cancer. Marijuana use can land you in jail. Alcohol can give you liver disease.
It is important to stay drug free because you could get an F on your paper. You could not sleep at night if you take drugs. You could get hurt if you use drugs. You would get sick and die if you use any kind of drugs.
Why I am going to stay drug free is because people can try to get me to do drugs and I will say NO! I will keep saying NO! I will give them the cold shoulder. Then I will walk away.
D.A.R.E.
by Justin Allaman
Hi, my name is Justin Allaman and I think DARE is an excellent program because it teaches kids how to say no to drugs and avoid violence. Without DARE many kids would be persuaded by peer pressure and would do drugs. This is my essay about DARE and how it teaches kids how to stay off drugs.
In DARE, I learned really what drug is. Before DARE I thought a drug was a harmful substance that you aren't suppose to take. Now I know that a drug is any substance other than food that can affect the way your mind an body work. I can now be more aware not to do drugs.
In DARE, I learned how the media says drugs make you stronger or make you cool.
Through DARE, I learned that drugs harm you or can even kill you. In DARE I learned what drugs are easier to get hooked on, and which ones are harder too.
I think it is important to stay drug free because drugs just harm our world. Drugs can lead to violence. Violence tears apart our world, too.
Everyone would be much better off if people did not use drugs. I wish that people stayed off drugs. Through DARE my wish is closer to reality.
Many people don't think DARE works but if it didn't work it wouldn't be growing and spreading all over the world.
Many kids have not taken drugs thanks to DARE.
DARE has really saved a lot of kids from drugs.
DARE Essay Winners from Union Elementary 5th grade are from left front: Sam McCraw, Ashley Ericson, and Justin Allaman. Back left- Amber Mann, Brandon Gapen and Zach Nelson. Their winning essays of What Dare Means are below. Each received a DARE Lion along with a medalions and DARE certificates for completing the course.