Hey Mr. Earl I need some help.
Oh hey Lee how may I help you?
I am trying to figure out what to say for
school.
It is say no to drugs week, and I have to
talk in an assembly on what to do if someone
offers you drugs.
I don’t know where to start.
Well I would start with Peer Pressure.
A lot of kids use drugs because of peer pressure.
What is peer pressure Mr. Earl?
Peer pressure is when kids or people you know
try to talk you into doing something that
you don't want to do.
So like when Frankie keeps pushing me to go
and play baseball.
I can't even stand baseball.
Like that?
Exactly.
A lot of kids are introduced to drugs by people
they know.
Well what type of drugs are ther Mr. Earl?
Well first a drug is a substance that changes
how your body works like pills, syrup, drops,
sprays, and injections.
There are substances that are illegal like
cocaine, crack, heroin, or methamphetamines.
Also some legal substances are out there.
You know you can find in a store, but if used
in the wrong way harmful.
For example some people inhale substances
like glue, gas from a car, paint from a hardware
store and stuff like that.
Yo' Mr. Earl I have heard about kids drinking
alcohol and getting in trouble too.
Ok there are adults that drink alcohol but
alcohol is a substance but it's only legal
for people 21 and over.
That is because alcohol is a substance that
can damage the body of a child, and is illegal
for minors to protect them for a reason.
How can drugs and other substances hurt kids?
They can make you hyper, speed up your heart
rate, and may damage the heart, lungs, and
other important organs inside your body.
They also hurt people by damaging their brains
where it could cause somebody to go into a
coma and not be able to wake up or even die.
That sounds scary.
How do I say no if someone wants to try to
get me to take drugs?
Look Lee, I know it can be hard to say no
to a friend or someone you know, but there
are a couple of ways to say no.
You can tell them why you have a problem with
drugs, like they are illegal, or they are
dangerous.
You could tell the person offering you the
drugs what could happen if you used drugs
like they could get in trouble at school or
with their family, teachers, police.
Things like that.
Or how about, if I used drugs they could make
me sick or they could kill me.
That is what I am talking about Lee.
There are illegal drugs that can hurt you
so you should feel confident by saying no,
when someone offers you drugs.
But what about those kids who may be afraid
to say no.
They should know that using and abusing substances
is not cool at all.
Anytime you make a choice to stay away from
a dangerous situation, never be afraid to
stand up and make a good choice to stay healthy.
What should I do if I see someone uses drugs
in school?
You should let an aide, teacher or principle,
know about it.
School should be a safe place to learn and
stay drug free!
So remember to say no to drugs.
I'm with that.
I'm down to say no to drugs.
