D.A.R.E ESSAY
Did you know that 50,000 deaths per year can be attributed to secondhand smoke? I learned this fact and many others such as this through the D.A.R.E. program. The D.A.R.E. program means a lot to me. In the D.A.R.E. program, I learned not to drink, not to smoke, and not to be stressed.
One thing I learned through the D.A.R.E. program is the effects of alcohol abuse. Alcohol weakens the heart muscle, and reduces the amount of blood pumped to and from the heart. I didn't even know that alcohol can reduce the amount of blood pumped from the heart. Another fact I didn’t know is that alcohol goes directly into the bloodstream and can damage every organ in your body. That is a very risky chance of getting every organ in your body damaged which is why drinking alcohol is so bad for you. An interesting fact about alcohol is that alcohol slows down the brain and body. Also, mixing alcohol is dangerous. That’s why I’m not going to drink alcohol.
The effects of smoking and tobacco use are another thing I learned through D.A.R.E. One fact I didn’t know about tobacco use is that smokers have more colds and upper respiratory problems. That's another reason why you should not smoke or use tobacco. Another fact about smoking is that it can yellow your teeth and cause bad breath, dry skin, and wrinkles. Another interesting fact about alcohol is that more than 400,000 Americans die from tobacco related causes such as heart disease each year. That’s why I’m not ever going to smoke or use tobacco.
D.A.R.E. has also taught me not to be stressed, pressured, or fall to peer pressure. D.A.R.E has taught me to not be around people who use drugs. Also, if your pressured to do something, you should always get a friend and out number them and both tell them no. You can also stay away from the area where you know the group or person is at. If you are feeling stressed, you should always think of confident things. This lesson has helped me a lot whenever I have been stressed. It has taught me how to get out of being stressed from things. The lesson has taught me that I can say confident things to myself so that I feel better. The lesson has also taught me that if someone or something is pressuring me, I should stay calm and not get mad at that someone or something.
In conclusion, the D.A.R.E. program has taught me alot about tough situations such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or being stressed. Thanks to Officer Whitt now I can deal with stress, not smoking tobacco, and not drinking alcohol. This program has helped me alot with those three things as well as any other things that are taught in the D.A.R.E. program. I pledge not to smoke, drink alcohol, or make any decisions that may affect my life in the future.