SOPHIE

Sophie Kiser

St. Anne Catholic School

D.A.R.E. Essay

     Did you know that many people die from drugs and alcohol each year? That is one thing I learned from D.A.R.E. This year I learned so many valuable lessons from D.A.R.E. The D.A.R.E program taught me not use tobacco, not to drink alcohol, and how to resist peer pressure.  

     The first thing I learned from D.A.R.E is to never to use tobacco. Almost 50,000 deaths can be attributed to secondhand smoking. Some effects of tobacco use are mouth cancer, yellow teeth, wrinkles and bad breath. Knowing this, I will definitely never smoke. In The United States, it is illegal to sell tobacco to any one under the age of eighteen or nineteen in some states. There are more than 200 known harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke. Remember, tobacco can be detrimental to your health and your body.

      Another thing I learned through D.A.R.E. is to not abuse alcohol. There are about 75,000 alcohol deaths in the United States each year. Alcohol can affect your body and brain through side effects such as memory loss, slow reflexes, and poor judgement. These effects can also affect your job. You can even lose your job due to drinking too much alcohol. The abuse of alcohol kills so many people each year.  

      The third thing I learned from D.A.R.E is resistance strategies. There are so many ways to resist harmful drugs. Some of them are making an excuse, walking away, and changing the subject. If someone asked me, I would walk away from the situation. One other strategy is to avoid the situation. What would you do?

      Through the D.A.R.E. program, I learned not to use tobacco, not to drink alcohol, and resistant strategies. I promise I will always try to make the best decisions. I will never forget what the D.A.R.E program has taught me. I would like to thank officer Chris Whitt for teaching us so much about tobacco, alcohol, and much more.