BPOE 2348 (Liverpool NY) Just say No

Liverpool Elks Lodge No.2348 recently completed their Just Say “No” Program.  It is a program that is sponsored and paid for by the Liverpool Elks Lodge.  This program was offered at six schools in the Liverpool Central School District and approximately 450 children participated. The Just Say “No” Program is a program that is sponsored and paid for by the Liverpool Elks Lodge No.2348.  It is offered to students at the third grade level at no cost to the schools.  The idea behind the program is to provide the students with information about smoking, drinking, drug use, as well as peer pressure, so that when confronted with these items they can make a consciences choice to avoid them. 

The program runs for six weeks, one day per week for about an hour.  We like to provide the program first thing in the morning, right after school starts.  All students involved in the program receive tee shirts which we ask each to wear each Friday throughout the program.  We divided the classes into two groups; some students receive red shirts the others blue.  This creates a little competition between the groups to get the students involved in wearing their shirts. 

Each week a guest speaker comes to the school to presents a session on one of the following; smoking and tobacco products, alcohol abuse, addictions and peer pressure.  Each of the sessions provide the students with facts about the topic regarding why people do it, why they shouldn’t and some of the negative impacts on them if they were to choose to use them.

Here is a brief description of each session.

            Smoking:  The presenter speaks to the students about why people might smoke and why they shouldn’t.  This is done with questions and open discussions.  The speaker provides the students with reasons to avoid smoking; such as illnesses that can be gotten from smoking, the cost of smoking, people’s desire to be away from smokers, etc.  A lung machine is also brought to the school to display what a lung looks like and also what will happen to the lung when infected by emphysema and cancer.  They also talk about ways to help people who smoke to quit.

            Drinking:  A volunteer from Prevention Network presents a session on drinking. Discussing reasons not to drink and what are some of the affects on people who do drink.  The presenter has a short video tape about a cat that drinks too much and becomes possessive of its milk dish.  The video shows how an addiction can change some ones personality and disposition.

            Addiction / choices:  This program deals with drugs and everyday items that can cause addictions, things such as caffeine, sugar as well as prescription drugs and medicine.  Many common products have substances in them that may affect people differently and this session shows the students something as simple as coca-cola can have an affect on someone by over use. 

            Peer Pressure: This program is provided by Prevention Network.  They talk to the students about what it is and how to handle peer pressure from classmates to do drugs, drink and smoke.

The last week of the program is a pizza party with an awards ceremony to present prizes to the top three poster winners.  All students receive "Just Say No" pencils. 

At no time do we try to set stead fast rules or to lecture.  The whole point is to hopefully provide students with information and facts so that they can make their own choices.