DARE STUDENTS PLEDGE TO AVOID DRUGS

Here are some things Aaron Long learned from the program he and dozens of
other youngsters recently completed:

Marijuana smoke contains 50-75 percent more cancer causing chemicals than
tobacco smoke.

Too much alcohol can slow down the body and lead to coma and even death.

Per serving, beer, wine and liquor all contain about the same amount of
alcohol; "there are so many alcohol advertisements," he said, "and I think
that's horrible."

There are 200 poisons in cigarette smoke, "and that can harm you even if
you don't smoke."

Long, a fifth grader at Washington Elementary School, got up in front of
his peers and their parents Thursday night and told them why smoking,
drinking and drugs will never be a part of his life.

He earned that honor by being the overall winner in the essay contest for
El Dorado USD 490's elementary schools DARE program.

Long read his essay as part of the DARE elementary graduation program held
in the auditorium at El Dorado Middle School.

DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a program designed to help
children resist alcohol, tobacco, drugs and violence.

In USD 490 it is taught to fifth graders over an 11-week period.

"The DARE program showed me how to get out of situations dealing with
drugs," Long said in his essay; in fact, he added, "it even told me facts"
he otherwise would not have known.

"I'm glad I had DARE," he said, "because if you ask someone if they did
drugs they will most likely say they wish they never started drugs.

"It's important to avoid drugs and violence," Long said, "because if you
keep on doing it you'll eventually die."

If he was to get the kind of job like his father has, he said, "I would
have to concentrate all the time;" also, he said, "if my brother and sister
saw me drink, they would do it too, so I won't drink.

"I promise never to smoke or drink," he concluded, "so I can be a good
example."

In all, seven classroom essay winners were announced at Thursday night's
graduation.

Montana Boone, a Lincoln Elementary fifth grader, promised to never do
drugs or drink alcohol "for all my life."

"I think it's important to be drug-free," Boone said, because "it'll keep
you going," enable a person to live longer and allow them to be healthy.

Boone pointed to what he learned through DARE (marijuana has more tar than
tobacco, and alcohol affects the bodies of teenagers more than those of
adults), and also noted how it enabled him to "learn how to get out of
risky situations.

"Avoiding violence will help you not be violent!" he declared.

"Staying drug and violence free means if someone is pressuring you, you can
use facts to get out of the situation," wrote Lincoln Elementary student
Jared Erpelding, who said he was also pledging to live a "drug-free,
drink-free and smoke-free life.

"If you avoid violence and be drug-free it can change your life," Erpelding
said.

"If you use violence as an answer you will get into more trouble. Avoiding
violence is pretty easy; all you have to do is stay away from people and
places that get involved" in that kind of activity.

"Staying drug-free is very important," he said, "because taking drugs is
very dangerous."

"I think they should keep the DARE program," said Washington Elementary
fifth grader Breanna Gomez. "It taught me not to drink, smoke or do drugs.
It can also help you and other kids and keep them in school and learning.

"I promise not to smoke," she said, "because I don't want to die from lung
cancer or have breathing problems or yellow teeth.

"I promise not to drink because it can lead to a coma or even death.

"I promise not to do drugs because I don't want to get cancer."

In all, Gomez said, there are nine ways to say "no" to drugs, alcohol,
tobacco and violence.

She pointed to the DARE decision making model -- "D" for define, "A" for
assess, "R" for respond and "E" for evaluate.

"I think it is very important to stay drug-free," wrote Washington student
Holly Lea. "This way you'll stay out of jail and make great friends. You'll
also live longer and go on to do amazing things in life.

"If you are to do drugs you could get hurt and you could hurt others; so
stay drug-free. Your life will be better that way."

Lea said she hoped what she learned through DARE "will stick with me all my
life.

"When DARE class ended I was so mad because I wanted to learn more about
the dangers of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

"I can't wait until we have DARE again in middle school."

Lea said her pledge is to "always say 'NO, NO, NO!' to drugs, cigarettes
and alcohol. You can count on that for sure!"

Alex Pennington, a Grandview fifth grader, entitled his essay "DARE: The
Anti-Drug" and pledged "never to do any bad drugs or smoke any kind of
cigarettes.

"DARE was very important to me," he said. "I learned a lot from it. I
didn't ever plan to do drugs, but this helped anyway because I learned
being near to smoke can be deadly."

Through DARE, Pennington said, "I also learned ways to avoid and get out of
risky situations."

Some of them, he said, involved using humor, giving a fact "or even as
simple as saying 'no.' "

Lincoln student Madison Strate made a pledge to "stay drug-free, not to
smoke, make right decisions and to avoid any violence coming my way."

Strate said DARE "has not only taught us how to say 'no' in many ways but
also how to protect ourselves from any violence.

"Also, it shows us what to do in dangerous situations.

"I think it's important to stay drug-free and avoid violence," Strate said,
"because sometimes you can be injured. You may also be put into prison or
even killed.

"Avoiding violence and drugs is the biggest choice of your life, so make a
good one."