STUDENTS REVEAL THEIR ANTI-DRUGS

What is your anti-drug? It can be a hobby, person or passion that stands
between you and drugs. An anti-drug is as unique as each person's goals and
interests. Hints: music, dancing, computers, family, friendship, fashion,
comedy, football, soccer, baseball, writing, drawing, acting, singing, band,
school.

I do not have just a single anti-drug, and I really haven't thought about it
until today. I know I would never do them just because of things I have
seen. I have goals for myself. I plan on attending West Point Military
Academy. To do that, I not only have to do well in school, but I also have
to be physically and mentally fit. Drugs wouldn't really help on either
part.

Another reason why I don't is because too many people think I do them,
including most of my family and friends. A goal in life, for me, is to prove
people wrong. I cannot prove them wrong if I do exactly what they say I
will.

I do not drink now because of things that happened when I was younger. A
couple of years ago, I lost my closest friend to drinking. He wasn't the one
drinking, but he was shot by someone so drunk they didn't even know they
were pulling the trigger until it was too late. I do not want to get messed
up in something like that.

I guess the main reason I don't do drugs is because I have seen what happens
to friends and family on drugs. I do not really feel like being the cause of
something like that. Hurting people is not fun.

Anonymous, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

My anti-drug would have to be my memories. In my thoughts every day, I
remember my friends who died; I grew up with them through good and bad. I
was there when they got awards in school, and I was at their funerals when
they died. The most important thing was a promise I made to my best friend
at the hospital. I promised him that if I ever did do drugs, I would at
least know my limits. He died later that day.

The next was my girlfriend who died from suicide. I believe that her
incident was an accident. She would have survived if she would not have
popped pills because her system would have been stronger. I was there with
her family when she was in the hospital. I could not even stand to go to her
wake to see her body. I was in denial and could not believe what happened.

Anonymous, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

My anti-drug is my family. There is no question about it. If I did drugs and
my parents found out, it would destroy them. I'm not about to lie and say
that drugs have never come into a situation in my life. They have. I've
smoked weed before but stopped for two reasons. It didn't do anything for
me, and I did not see the point. The most important being my family. I
stopped hanging around that group of people a while back, and I am proud of
myself. Not many people can say that.

I'm tired of the paper saying that all the students in Long Beach are doing
drugs. It's not true. There are many well-rounded people that I am friends
with who totally disagree with drugs. They have never touched it and will
never touch it. In my opinion, the paper needs to get their facts straight
before lying to all of the Coast.

Anonymous, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

My name is Rebecca Atkinson. I am drug-free, but there are people in my
family who have done drugs. There are people all over the world who have
done drugs. I think that if you smoke or drink alcohol, you are doing drugs.
Drugs are very bad for you. Please tell somebody you trust who you know
would help you. If you do drugs, you need help now. Do not do drugs at all.
Do not take drugs if a doctor does not prescribe them to you. Do not do
drugs, because it hurts yourself and your friends. If you are drug-free,
that doesn't mean you will not do them. It just means that you might not do
drugs. So now I hope the words I said will stick with you for life. I hope I
save some lives. Some people are not drug-free for life, and I am trying to
help them. Stop now while you are still ahead. There are people all over the
world who do drugs. But please stop for your future and your family. I know
you don't want to die. The reason I write this to help people everywhere.
Please do not do drugs.

Rebecca Atkinson, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

People and students have said Long Beach is such a bad town because of the
drugs. It's not the drugs that are bad, it's the people who use them. It's
not the drug dealers' fault that a kid wants to get a little high. If
everyone were to stop buying drugs, the drug dealers would go out of
business almost instantly.

People and students cry when they hear about a close friend's death. But
shouldn't they have been close enough to know that they were doing drugs?
Could they not have prevented them from overdosing? It could have been
prevented. I have not heard anyone say, "I had no idea they were doing
drugs." Everyone knew they did drugs. I think it is time for people to speak
up about their friends before it is too late. It can truly prevent tragedies
we've had in the past.

Thomas Finch, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

Why is it that I don't drink or do drugs? The reason I don't drink or do
drugs is because I see and hear things that happen to people who do drugs. I
have a grandpa, on my mother's side, who is an alcoholic and I have seen
what it is like to be drunk. When he gets drunk he loses control of
everything he does and bad things happen. He goes completely "easy" and it
scares me to know that's how it feels to be drunk. My anti-drug? Football
and my dream of going to the college of my choice.

Anonymous, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

My anti-drug is working on things like my sound system, messing with cars,
and stuff like that. Although I can get drugs, I do not do them.

Anonymous, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

I'm a great student at Long Beach High School, one who doesn't do drugs.
I've never done anything illegal or against the law. I love my parents,
friends and teachers. I'm a person who would stop kids from doing drugs. If
I saw one of my best friends that I grew up with doing drugs, I would do
everything to try and stop them. I'm scared it could be one of my friends
next. I don't want to lose friends or people I love. I know a kid I grew up
with ever since fifth grade. I saw a cigarette in his mouth, and it really
got to me. I hope the drug testing at our school will help. I'm against all
drugs and would never touch them. I'm against people putting us down, like
when I say I'm from Long Beach they say, "Oh, you do drugs, right?" I can't
stand it, and it ticks me off. I don't do drugs. I'm against them which
means I have an anti-drug. Mine is school, music and my friends. I have
better things to do in my life than drugs. I have a right to live. I'm going
to JD college when I'm a senior. I'm tired of Long Beach, and I wish I could
leave. I know I'll always come back. We should document all the good things
and take pride in what we have to make Long Beach, and even the world, a
better place.

Tammy Quattlebaum, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

I've never been drunk in my life, but I have tried drugs and I'll admit that
it was fun. The consequences of my actions, if my parents found out, would
not be as "fun." I would be grounded: no phone, computer, TV or going out.
The people I did it with wouldn't be my friends anymore. I would have to
slowly earn my parents' trust back, and I would spend all my weekends
wishing I hadn't done drugs and that I could be hanging out with my friends.
I do some school activities that I don't want to be kicked out of, too. My
friends are good people who have tried things but aren't regular users. They
keep me on my toes. My anti-drug? Freedom.

Anonymous, Long Beach High School, Grade 10

I am totally against drugs. I have better plans for my future than being
dead from drugs. I really enjoy video games; all of my friends I hang around
with are drug-free. I have a great relationship with my parents,
grandparents and aunts and uncles. I am involved in my church, Sunday school
and a youth group. I love riding my four-wheeler, swimming and jumping on my
trampoline.

Jeremy Kopszywa, D'Iberville Middle School, Grade 8

I have a lot of anti-drugs. I usually play soccer. I like playing a lot of
games like baseball and catch. I also play video games and watch movies. My
favorite way to stay away from drugs is to say no. I always want to stay
away from drugs.

Brandon Ziegler, North Bay Elementary Biloxi, Grade 6

My anti-drugs are sports and hobbies. The sports that I play so I don't take
drugs are football and soccer. When I play sports, I don't like to even
think of taking drugs. My hobbies are to play games with my friends, Timmy
and Tanner. When we make up new games, we play for hours at a time because
it is so fun. This is why I would never take drugs.

Steven Holmes, North Bay Elementary Biloxi, Grade 6

My anti-drug is piano. Every Tuesday I go to piano lessons. It is very fun.
Every day I practice piano after I do my homework. My parents know that if I
am playing piano I'm not doing drugs. I wish that America will someday be a
united, drug-free continent.

Destiny Reynolds, Beauvoir Elementary, Grade 3

The thing that keeps me from drugs is my favorite hobby. My favorite hobby
is singing. Drugs can make your lungs turn black. Smoke can make you sick.
If you breathe in the smoke, you can die. I wish our world could be a
united, drug-free world.

Asia Dauntain, Beauvoir Elementary, Grade 3

At 7:30 a.m., I eat my breakfast then I get ready for school. I go to school
at 8:30 a.m. I leave school at 3:30 p.m. When I get home from school, I wash
up for dinner. I eat dinner and after dinner I begin my homework. After my
homework is done, I have a football game at 5:45 p.m. After the game, I come
home at 6:45 p.m. then I take my bath. Then I watch TV for an hour or until
about 8:30 p.m. Then I go to bed. So, in my busy schedule I can't find the
time to do drugs.

Raynard Brown, Beauvoir Elementary, Grade 3

My anti-drug is reading. It lets me imagine that I'm in the book. I love to
read. I read for hours after my homework is done. That is my anti-drug.

Abigail McDaniel, Beauvoir Elementary, Grade 3

I would not do drugs because I would not want to have a drug record. If I
have a drug record, I could not go into the Army and be a doctor. Once you
have a drug record, you can't work in a lot of places. So, I don't think I
will ever do drugs.

Josh Cross, West Wortham School, Grade 7

My mom is my anti-drug. She tells me not to do drugs or alcohol. She tells
me I am better than drugs, and I don't need them. So I am very proud of
myself and my mom for helping me not to do drugs.

Kayleigh Mullins, West Wortham School, Grade 7

My anti-drug is softball. Softball keeps me healthy. I play it every year,
and it is my favorite thing to do. I meet a lot of new friends and people.
It gives me a lot of exercise and a lot of energy. Softball is a very good
anti-drug.

Katie Hudson, West Wortham School, Grade 7

My anti-drug is my love of life. Why do drugs when there are so many other
things going for me? I have my friends and family that I love so much. They
keep me safe and care about me, so why go and kill myself? I'm glad that my
love of life prevents me from that harm, and I hope other kids feel the same
way.

Catie Ros, West Wortham School, Grade 7

There are many things that keep me from using or wanting to use drugs. My
health, career choice, family and my friends are many reasons why I do not
want to ever try drugs. I have been taught how many consequences and risks I
would receive and be taking if I tried drugs. I want to live a clean,
healthy, drug-free life. I am sure I will never choose to use drugs.

Rena Tillinghost, West Wortham School, Grade 7

My anti-drug is my horse, Co-Co. She is my anti-drug because she keeps me
busy with riding her and feeding, brushing and just spending time with her.
I am always busy with her because she is a living thing that needs to be
taken care of. I love my horse for being my friend and keeping me away from
drugs.

Brandy Fairley, West Wortham School, Grade 7

My anti-drug is Ms. Hultman. She has taught me so much about how school is
important and how life is so important. And, you should take advantage of
the education you are getting now. God has blessed everyone with the
opportunity for a good education.

Katrina Raborn, West Wortham School, Grade 7

My family. My school and teacher and my cousin who is my best friend are my
anti-drug, and being in the DARE program at school. It shows me to be
drug-free is so cool.

Myra Willis, Delisle Elementary, Grade 5

My anti-drug is God, for one, because He is so good to each and everyone of
us. And my family and school because that makes me feel so, so good inside
my body. Be drug-free. It feels good to know you are.

Christina Salazar, Delisle Elementary, Grade 5

What anti-drug means to me is that you can be strong and have the willpower
to say no anytime you are put in any situation. I stay so busy in activities
with school, and out of school, that drugs are the last thing on my mind
always. So, be hip and be drug-free.

Bianca Salazar, Pass Middle School, Grade 8

Next question: What is your favorite latest fashion trend? Please describe
it and explain why you like it.