Landon Hall

St. Anne Catholic School

                                                   D.A.R.E. Essay

      A Lot of people smoke and take drugs. Doing these things is very bad and can kill people through side effects such as getting lung cancer from smoking. I learned this, as well as many other facts, through the D.A.R.E. program. A few other things I learned from D.A.R.E. are how to deal with stress, the effects of smoking and doing drugs, and the consequences of alcohol abuse.

     One thing I learned through D.A.R.E is how to handle stress. Some ways you know you are stressed are feeling mad and acting differently. You can deal with stress by taking deep breaths and taking a step backwards. The way I deal with stress is I count to ten. My mom always says to take three deep breaths. Remember, you can deal with stress in many ways.

Drugs and smoking are the two worst things you can do to yourself. Smoking can also be bad if you are around someone who smokes. Did you know that you can get lung cancer from being around a smoker all the time? Therefore, you not only have to think about your own body but also the people you love who live around you. I also learned to stay away places that people smoke and do drugs in.

      Did you know 75,000 deaths a year are related to alcohol? Drinking and driving is very bad and it is illegal. You can kill people if you drink and drive. Being drunk is bad for you and can injure your brain. Always drink responsibly and be twenty-one before you drink. Although it is legal to go to a place and have some drinks with friends, your group should always establish a designated driver before you go. Friends never let friends drive drunk.

Overall, the most important lesson to learn here is to take care of your body. Just say no to drugs, don’t drink and drive, and never start the bad habit of smoking cigarettes. These things are just as important as eating right, getting plenty of sleep and drinking water. I feel that                    D.A.R.E is a very important program in all schools so kids like me can learn these important facts. I promise to keep my country clean and also keep myself clean. Thank you Officer Whitt for teaching us about D.A.R.E.