DRUG EDUCATION

My name is Lauren Keller and I'm 14 years old. I go to Waimea High School. I
have lived on Kaua'i all of my life and I have always attended local
schools. The one thing I noticed is that drugs are a very prevalent part of
local schools. It's so surprising to know that it is even influencing our
elementary school students.

In school we get educated about the harm of drugs. However they don't spend
enough time on Drug Education. We get maybe 6-7 45 min. class periods every
year. Fifth graders get D.A.R.E. a program which teaches them about drugs,
for 6 weeks, this is good, but it's not enough. In my opinion, there should
be a class all about drugs. It should start in the second grade, that way
kids start getting educated about the harm of drugs from a very young age.

Another thing the kids should learn about is, if they do get into drugs and
find it hard to get out, there are places they can go for help. Millions of
teenagers every year, find themselves in the cycle of addiction. They want
to get out but don't know how. If kids were to know about Alcoholic
Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, how the programs work and why, maybe
there would be more teenagers clean and sober.

I find a lack of education is one of the main reasons that the Drug Epidemic
is as bad as they are today. If we were to educate kids on the harm of drugs
and the ways of getting out of addiction, the drug epidemic would get a lot
better in years to come.

Lauren Keller, Waimea