DARE PROGRAM HELPS WESTRIDGE STUDENTS DEAL WITH DRUGS, LIFE

Sixth-graders at Westridge Elementary School showed they know the
damage drugs can cause at a DARE graduation ceremony on Friday.

DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a
national program that teaches students the dangers of tobacco,
alcohol and marijuana.

Friday's ceremony concluded 10 weeks of DARE sessions at Westridge.

"This is kind of a final culmination of all their work," said West
Des Moines police officer Scott Davis, who met with the kids once a
week to teach them about drugs and how to resist taking them. "It
teaches the kids a lot about peer pressure and how to identify it,"
Davis said.

The sixth-graders and their teachers dressed in matching DARE
T-shirts for the ceremony, which took place in the school lunchroom.
Parents snapped pictures as students shook hands with police
officers and were given certificates for completing the program.

Students Caitlin Edwards, Rachael Wiggins, Mickel Edwards and Maddie
Vincent read essays they wrote about their experiences in DARE.

"Some people say smoking makes you more of a man," Mickel said in
his report, "but I know better."

"I only have one life to live, and it's my life," Rachael said. "I
am in control."

The lessons of DARE were still on the kids' minds as they posed for
pictures and ate cookies after the ceremony. Some students had fond
memories of their classmates trying on a pair of goggles that offer
a distorted view to simulate intoxication.

"It was really fun to watch other people," said Tiana Lynn,
explaining how friends would stumble around in the goggles.

But for the students who got a chance to experience the
mock-intoxication, the experience was more helpless than humorous.

"When I looked down at my feet I fell over," said Casey Johnson. "It
was so scary."

Students also reminisced about a picture of a bacteria-covered
tongue Davis brought to class.

"I learned, like, never, ever, ever smoke," Tiana said. "I never
want my tongue to look like that."

Classmate Morgan Torbert had a more succinct description of the
photo, and smoking in general: "Like, eww."