My D.A.R.E. Report

Jairus won the DARE essay contest at his school. They had a ceremony and Jairus read his report to everyone. Here is his report and a photo.

My D.A.R.E. Report
By: Jairus Pace Teacher: Mr. Loreen

Hi, my name is Jairus Pace and my class was asked to write a report on “What I Learned in D.A.R.E.” My D.A.R.E. instructor was Officer Zack Adams and he made it very fun to do the D.A.R.E. program and to learn why it is bad to do drugs and to give into peer pressure. During my time in D.A.R.E. I found that the D.A.R.E decision making model really helped me think ahead so I can choose better decisions when I am in tough situations. I also learned some of the many bad health effects of cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco and how they can be addictive. I have learned that the laws limiting and prohibiting the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs are for the safety of everyone.

In Utah it is illegal to sell tobacco to any one that is under the age of 19 but 10% of Eighth graders said they had smoked in the last 30 days. Most people who use tobacco started using it before they were 19 years old. Tobacco can effect your bodies development because your body is still changing when you are young. It can be hard to play sports when you smoke or chew tobacco. Cigarettes have over 200 known chemicals; one of them is rat poisoning. Cigarettes are the number one cause of lung cancer in the United States. Over 400,000 people in the United States die every year from the effects of cigarettes.

Marijuana can also do many bad things to your body. It can turn your tongue green. It makes your breath stink. It can cause burning and stinging in the mouth and throat. It can increase your risk for a heart attack. It is illegal and Marijuana kills brain cells!

Something I learned was that alcohol advertisements are in stores, on commercials, on cars, and even on baby bibs. These ads must be working because 19% of Eighth graders reported that they had drunk alcohol in the last 30 days. It is illegal to drink when you are under the age of 21 in Utah. Alcohol can damage every organ in your body. It can give you high blood pressure. Alcohol effects your brain and fogs clear thinking. This can be very dangerous in person’s actions... especially when driving.

Peer pressure can be good or it can be bad. One way to have good peer pressure is to choose good friends. A good friends is someone who is kind, caring, makes good choices and is positive. These friends will help you choose better choices because they won’t try to persuade you to do something wrong, but rather, help you make good choices. Bad peer pressure is when someone tries to get you choose the wrong choice, or makes fun of you when you don’t choose the what they want you to choose. Bad peer pressure happens when you choose friends that are rude, uncaring, make bad choices, and are negative.

I had a great time in D.A.R.E. Program and I learned a lot too. Thank you for teaching all about resisting drugs and violence, Officer Adams. I promise that I will never use drugs and alcohol and I will try to be a good friend to those around me.