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I believe the D.A.R.E. Program is a good service provided to our community.  I believe this program is very good because when the D.A.R.E. Officer speaks about the dangers involved, this helps children from taking or trying drugs.  Children who don't have self-esteem, D.A.R.E. helps those children stand up for themselves.  They learn the tools needed to say no also. I have learned the eight ways to say "No", and the correct things to say to stay away from drugs and violence so that I won't get into deep trouble with drugs. I especially believe it is important to remain drug free because you will be healthier, happier, stronger, live longer, and have more true friends.  When you are older you will be smarter and wiser because you didn't take drugs.

What I learned in D.A.R.E., I will carry with me for the rest of my life.  And one day, I'll be able to teach my children what Officer Silver taught me.  He's taught me and everyone else in my class about drugs, drug abuse, how to say no, stress, the media, risks, violence, how to deal with pressure and peer pressure, and that's just the beginning.  He's also taught us about life.  He is not just a police officer, but a friend.  Everything that Officer Silver has taught me, will help me in my future.  For now, I know a lot more about drugs and will know what to do if and when I get in one of the situations that we talked about.  Thank you Officer Silver.

I am writing this essay to hopefully tell people how D.A.R.E. works so well.  some people don't understand some of the problems many youths these days have to deal with.  My D.A.R.E. Officer has helped us understand some of the problems such as drugs, stress, and violence.  I will talk about what the D.A.R.E. program meant to me, what I learned in D.A.R.E., and how what I learned in D.A.R.E. will help me in my future. 
What the D.A.R.E. program meant to me -- The D.A.R.E. program taught me how to say no.  I think I am very lucky to get a chance to learn about D.A.R.E.  D.A.R.E. was interesting and fun.
What I learned in D.A.R.E. -- I learned the 8 ways to say no.  I learned many vocabulary words.  I've learned about the problem solving formula.  I learned the different types of drugs.  There are so many different types.  That's why the 8 ways to say no are so important.
How will what I learned in D.A.R.E. help me in my future -- If someone were to come up to me later I know how to say no.  I know the different forms of drugs and their names.  I learned how to deal with stress.  I know how to avoid situations.
I hope you learned a lot about D.A.R.E.  Maybe you will get a chance to experience D.A.R.E. yourself.  It has helped me a lot with many things, no just drugs.

The D.A.R.E. program mean a lot to me because I learned what drugs can do.  The D.A.R.E. program meant a lot to me because I use the stuff that they taught me.  I learned new ways of handling things, like walking away, saying no, giving a reason or excuse, broken record, change the subject, avoid the situation, give the cold shoulder, or strength in numbers.  The D.A.R.E. program means a lot to me because they give me ways to relax my body.
In D.A.R.E. I learned about high school.  In D.A.R.E. I learned more about drugs.  In D.A.R.E. I learned about gangs.  In D.A.R.E. I learned to talk to people more.  In D.A.R.E. I learned how to say no. 
In the future I will know how to say no.  In the future I will know how to walk away.  In the future I will know what to tell someone.  In the future I will know how important it is to get a good education and to stay in school.  In the future I will know to follow the law.  In the future I will know how dangerous it is to take a risk with a gang.  In the future I will know how to not get in trouble.

I, Maggie S., have participated in the D.A.R.E. Program in fifth grade.  We have done many activities in D.A.R.E., including role-playing and playing Family Feud with the vocabulary words.  On this last activity, I have been asked to express my feelings on the D.A.R.E. Program and I am happy to oblige.
I think the D.A.R.E. Program is great.  Kids need to know how serious drug abuse is, and you can't always count on parents to tell us that.  Every school in the country should have D.A.R.E.   Too many kids are getting on drugs and getting into violence and D.A.R.E. is a really great way to lower that percentage.  All this, plus it's fun.  D.A.R.E. is an awesome program for kids. 
I've learned tons of things from D.A.R.E.   If someone were to ask me to use drugs, I'd know why to say no, have ways to say no, and know how to avoid someone asking me again.  Before the D.A.R.E. Program, I didn't know what a youth gang was.  But now I know what to look for on a member of a youth gang, where there are lots of gangs, and the difference between a youth gang and a youth group.  As you've heard I've learned a lot from D.A.R.E.  In the D.A.R.E. Program I've learned more about the danger of drugs than anywhere else.
I think it's important to be drug-free and avoid violence because when I grow up, I want to be known as MAGGIE S., not what's her face across the street who smokes crack and has bazookas in her kitchen cupboard.  That's just one reason.  I think trading my talents, my personality, and my future for a bitter taste, bad breath, and a damaged brain is cheap.  I like the way I am.  I don't want to be violent and become brutal just because it's the new fad.  This is why I think it's important to be drug-free and violence free. 
But this is just my (a lowly fifth graders') opinion.  I'm sure there are lots of grown ups who think "They're too young to know that!"  But I think your almost never too young.  D.A.R.E. is really good for kids.

I feel that the D.A.R.E. Program has influenced me and my classmates to be drug free and non violent.  It has taught me all reasons and consequences to people who do and do not use drugs.  I also learned the consequences of joining a gang and the reasons to stay violence free.  I feel that this D.A.R.E. Program will help me to make wise decisions when I am older.  If I want to get into a good college, I know I have to stay off drugs and make good choices.
From the help of Officer Lile, I have learned the names of different drugs and how they can affect your body.  I have learned that having a good self esteem and having wise friendships will help me to stay drug and violence free.  The D.A.R.E. Program taught our class the techniques of saying NO!!  Everyone has stress in their lives and this program has taught us ways to manage stress without using alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.  I have learned to be a good role model for young kids and to also look for positive role models for myself.
I would like to thank Officer Lile of the D.A.R.E. Program for helping us to understand the importance of all the issues we have talked about and for having fun with us at lunch and recess.
This program has been an enjoyable, fun, and educational experience for me and my classmates and I will remember all that I have learned in the D.A.R.E. Program!!

I have learned many things in 7th grade D.A.R.E.  Now I will tell you what Drug Abuse Resistance Education means to me.  I have learned about drugs, violence and the effect using drugs can have on your mind and body.  I've also learned several ways to solve conflict without using violence.  For example, if someone is upset with you and starts arguing don't yell back, say you're sorry or walk away.  If you are the aggressor, go scream into a pillow or go outside to cool off and come back later to finish your discussion.  Or if you know your friend is bringing a gun to school because he's been picked on and he or she shoots another person, you are just as liable as he or she is.  In the drug category, I have learned that marijuana stays in your system for 28 days because it connects and joins with your fat cells.  Also I've learned why people start smoking cigarettes and drinking.  They say they want to do it to see what it's like, but then they get addicted and they can get cancer or become an alcoholic.  They also run out of money because they spend it all on their habit.  

I feel what I have learned in 7th grade D.A.R.E. will help me greatly later in my life.  I will know what drugs and alcohol can do to your body.  I know what they are made of and what diseases they can cause and how they effect your mental capacity just doing the simplest of tasks.  I will resist the temptations to take drugs even if my friends are doing it because I know that once you get addicted to a drug it's difficult to stop and if you can't stop it gets very expensive, which leads to a lot of people to a life of crime.   

Yes, I feel D.A.R.E. has helped me understand what effects drugs could have on my body both physically and mentally.  Taking drugs destroys brain cells and limits your physical activities.  But a lot of kids my age think " I know that happens, but I'm different, it won't happen to me".  In this respect, I feel having a recovering addict come and tell their story would have a lot of impact on the way kids my age would think.  Also, I feel that taking the students to a prison facility and letting them see how a person who commits a crime has to live, it would change their mind if they were thinking of committing a crime to support their habit.  These are the things I have learned in 7th grade D.A.R.E. and the ways I feel it can be improved upon.  I want to thank Officer Silver for his great teaching abilities in the D.A.R.E. Program.

Chris L.

7th Grade

November 2001

D.A.R.E.

What did I learn in Middle School D.A.R.E. that I didn't know before?

This year, I learned many things.  I learned that even threatening people is against the law.  I also learned that there are 3 kinds of violence:  physical, verbal, and non-verbal.  I learned that if you're in a relationship or situation where the person might get violent, then tell the person what they want to hear.  This will probably stop them from being violent.  Something else I didn't know was that there's also 3 kinds of drugs:  stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens.  Most bad drugs come from plants.

How will what I learned in Middle School D.A.R.E. help me in my future?

In the future I will know when a situation or relationship gets violent and when to get help.  I know that drugs such as LSD, Marijuana, and Crack will affect your body in different ways.  I know I'll never do them because they do some pretty crazy things to your body.  I won't be fooled when people say that the alcohol in beer, vodka, wine coolers, etc. are going to affect me differently because they all have the same amount of alcohol in them.

Did I enjoy Middle School D.A.R.E. why or why not?

Yes I did enjoy this experience.  I learned many, many things in this class.  The learning was fun too.  I think our D.A.R.E. Officer is a great teacher who is funny.  The family feud game I think helped me a lot.  I know a lot more about drugs than before.  I think I'll be more sure of myself to say "no" to drugs and violence. 

Maureen W.

7th Grade

December 2001

TAKING A STAND

Let me tell you about D.A.R.E.  D.A.R.E. is a program that teaches kids how to make good choices.  What you learn in D.A.R.E. will help you the rest of your life.  An Officer will teach you about drugs and gangs and how to pick good alternatives.  So now let me tell you about my perspective on the D.A.R.E. Program. 

I feel that the D.A.R.E. Program will give kids a whole new outlook on life.  The D.A.R.E. Officer will tell you that drugs are not cool.  He will also tell you how to pick your friends wisely and your choices wisely.  The reason that Officers teach D.A.R.E. I think is because they have seen and heard things that no one else has, and they see people make bad choices.  I think D.A.R.E. is a good program for kids who need answers, and many kids in the world need answers. 

The reason I have chosen to stay drug-free is I and many of my classmates have goals in life that we want to achieve.  I have learned in D.A.R.E. that drugs can get in the way of dreams.  Also I can't apply for UCLA with drugs following me there.  I also choose to avoid drugs because it would hurt everyone around me.  Everyone around me wouldn't know me for me, but for my addiction; and that's no good.  Another thing, when your high, your head isn't on straight, and you could make choices that you would regret, and you also become very vulnerable. 

I think it is important to stay drug-free because it would take over my life.  It would be all I would ever think about.  I could forget my school, family, and friends, because I would lose interest in them.  I would only care about getting more and it would be ver expensive.  For all these reasons I feel that the D.A.R.E. Program has taught myself and others well.

Victoria T.

5th Grade

May 2002

TAKING A STAND

There are lots of reasons why you should take a stand and stay drug-free!!  I will discuss how I feel about the D.A.R.E. Program.  I will emphasize why D.A.R.E. will help you stay drug-free and  also violence-free.  Then I will explain why it's important to be drug-free and avoid violence.  After that I will share some cool facts I learned in D.A.R.E.  Those are all the things I will be explaining to you.

First I will discuss with you how I feel about the D.A.R.E. Program.  I think it is a wonderful thing to have D.A.R.E. in the school system.  Without Police Officers coming to talk with us about drugs and drinks and other situations, I think lost of kids would have possibly committed suicide.  I think it would be a terrible thing to take D.A.R.E. out of schools.  Trust me, I don't think I would know who to go to.  I know we have parents, but like other kids they don't feel comfortable talking to parents about some things because they will either go nuts or just won't talk about it.  That's how I feel about the D.A.R.E. Program.

Now I will emphasize why D.A.R.E. will help you stay drug-free and violence-free.  If you follow the 8 ways to say no then you will truly stay drug-free and violence-free.  Keep yourself occupied, but "still remember to take time to do homework".  Stay in sports and lots of clubs.  Because one day you never know someone might ask you to play for a professional basketball team or play for a professional soccer team or football team.  Also, if someone wants you to join them in any violence you will have an excuse to not be involved.  That's how D.A.R.E. will help you stay drug-free and avoid violence.

Next, I will explain why it's important to be drug-free and avoid violence.  For one if you get a job you might have to take a drug test, and if the test comes back positive you may not be able to have that job.  If youi don't avoid violence you just might end up in jail for a long amount of time or for a short amount of time, or get life.  Sometime you have no choice, maybe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Maybe they may make an honor award for being drug-free.  That's why it's important to be drug-free and avoid violence.

I've learned a lot of cool facts during D.A.R.E. I would like to share with you.  The lady that started D.A.R.E. was Dr. Ruth Rich.  Did you know that if one Police Officer is doing something wrong that he can be arrested.  Have you ever wondered why when you call 911 the Firemen and Policemen come to the scene.  Well that is because when you call 911 all the phones at the Police Department and the Fire Department ring too.  Those are some things we have learned in D.A.R.E.

Finally, I've discussed how I feel about the D.A.R.E. Program.  I've emphasized how D.A.R.E. can help you stay drug-free and avoid violence.  I've explained why it's important to be drug-free and avoid violence.  I have shared some interesting facts I have learned.  I hop you've enjoyed my D.A.R.E. Essay.

Briana B.

5th Grade

May 2002