Nothing good comes out of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. All three destroy the lives of millions and kill over 400,000 people a year. By drinking too much alcohol, you get drunk, therefore putting your life and the lives of everyone around you at risk. Tobacco and marijuana give you short-term memory loss, slow your reflexes, and mess up your mind. Smoking blackens your lungs and repels your friends and family because of second-hand smoke.

How do advertisements influence young people?

Ads tend to attract children with either famous or lovable characters. Talking animals tend to be somewhat popular and teen stars attract kids too. Sometimes they have regular people in ads too, so the children won’t feel like they have to be lovable or famous to smoke, drink, or chew. Sometimes they have the characters doing really ridiculous things, like skateboarding and smoking at the same time, because they think that kids don’t know any better, but trust me, we do.

What qualities will you look for in a good friend?

My list could go on and on to answer the question above, but I’ll just list the basics. I want a good friend who I can trust and who can trust me. If he or she has a secret crush or a babyish habit, I would want them to tell me. I also want them to be nice and outgoing, that usually means that they are not on drugs. I would also like them to have nothing to do with drugs or alcohol. If they have another friend that smoked, they wouldn’t be my friend anymore.

What is peer pressure and how can you handle it?

Peer pressure is basically people your age trying to get you to do something. There are quite a few types of pressure such as positive pressure, which is basically one of your peers trying to get you to do something that is the right thing to do. There is also indirect pressure, where someone pressures you in an indirect way. Usually the first pressure people try to pull on you is called friendly pressure, where the person says things like “Hi” and asks how you’re doing and tries to be persuasive in a friendly way. Another name for the friendly pressure stage is the “weasel” stage. Next comes teasing pressure, where the person teases you and calls you chicken. Then comes hard pressure, where they get hard on you and demand that you do what they want you to do. Remember, you must get out when you notice the "weasel," because it gets harder and harder to say no the more they pressure you. You can also be a broken record and continuously say "No." You must not hesitate to answer and you must speak clearly and somewhat loudly, just don’t be tough like a bully and get in their face.

How will you get out of risky situations?

I would speak calmly so I don’t start a fight, yet strongly so that they get the point, that is, if I ever get in a risky situation. I would probably just avoid punks in the first place. But if I ever got messed up with some drug users, I would be very aware of what I say and what they say. One wrong sentence could be worse than you suspect.

Why is it important for us to make our own decisions?

It is an important quality for us to decide things on our own, because our parents won’t always be there to answer questions for us or they expect us to decide what to do on our own. One decision can mean the difference between life and death, like doing drugs for example. If you choose to take them, it will most certainly lead to your death. If you choose not to do drugs you will hopefully live a long, healthy life.

How do you think the D.A.R.E. decision making model will help you make wise decisions?

The D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model is basic and straightforward and will therefore make it easy for everyone to use. It gives you good advice on how to decide the right thing to do in an easy to remember way. It is the key to a successful life, and doesn’t take that long to go through.

My pledge statement:

I, Lisa Krause, promise to stay drug free and trouble free because I was given a great life and I choose not to simply ruin it by taking drugs. By taking drugs, my friends and family are affected and it eliminates hundreds of opportunities in my career path. I also promise to influence other people to stay drug free and trouble free, because if they decided to pick up these bad habits, they’d be ruining every chance of having a happy life.