Last week, schools around Middle Tennessee came together to raise awareness about drug and substance abuse by participating in Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is a week long campaign where parents and youth come together across the country to raise awareness about the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America. Parents and youth wear red ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to live a drug free life.
In Williamson County, Heritage Middle School (HMS) students were asked why they are committing to live drug free. Here are some of their responses:
- I commit to being drug free because my dad is/ was a drug addict and I want to have a good future, not a drug future.
- I want to be drug free because I’ve seen a lot of people get high and I never want to be like them. I don’t want to wait until it’s too late.
- I’m taking the pledge so I don’t mess up my life.
- I pledge this because I promised my Grandma. I also plan to play professional baseball.
- I don’t want my life to be ruined by drugs. I still have hopes and dreams I want to achieve. I don’t want to ruin that by doing drugs. DON’T DO DRUGS!
- They ruined my cousin’s life.
- I am committed to NO drugs because I have a passion for music, so I don’t want anything to even come close to jeopardizing that for me. I also really want to go to a good college because I have worked hard so far and am looking forward to working even harder.
- I commit to this pledge because I choose to not throw my life away. I want to be the change I want to see in the world (Gandhi).
- I am making the pledge because my brother did drugs and now he has brain damage. I also want a bright future.
- Because I want to be able to say that I am proud of my accomplishments, I got a good education, I played my dream sport, and I have a beautiful family and good friends.
- I commit to living a drug free life because I know how starting can lead to problems in your life. Anyone can get addicted and I like to think of myself as stronger than that.
- I commit to live a drug free life because I have seen first-hand what it can do to you and the people around you.
- I had a brother that abused drugs and it will forever haunt him. I don’t want to be like him, he didn’t resist peer pressure, and he got in big trouble.
- I don’t want to lose myself or my intelligence just so I can get drunk or high. It isn’t worth the loss.
- Because lots of people I know who do drugs are either really sick, or dead.
- I don’t want to do drugs because #1 – I want to live my life, #2 – I don’t want to live homeless, #3 – I don’t want to be ugly, #4 – I want to have friends.
- I am making this pledge because doing drugs destroys your life and changes you completely and I love who I am and nothing can change that.
- Because, it can hurt me and other people (and I don’t want to do that.)
- I am drug free because first of all I am only 12. And second of all because doing drugs could get you sick or you could die. It is really bad for you.
- I want to be an athlete and I don’t want people to think of me as that guy who did drugs.
- Because I don’t want to end up like my mom and dad and have my kid taken away cause that would be sad for me. But it won’t happen, so yay!
- Why I’m going to commit to a drug free life is because I’ve seen what drugs can do to an ordinary person. They become mean and they can’t live without it and then they blame everybody for what they did.
- Drugs mess up relationships. They isolate people from their families and friends. That is why I won’t do drugs.
- I choose to be drug free because I have lost family to drugs.
- I don’t want to be wrinkly or have lung cancer.
- Because running is my natural high!
- I have so much to love in life, I have so many passions, I would never want to give up all of it because of one mistake. I would never forgive myself. I would always regret it.
- I don’t want to die. Plus I want to vacation around the world.
- I don’t want to disappoint the people I love.
- I made this commitment because I want to be able to keep singing my whole life and to be able to become a teacher someday.
Will you join them in their commitment to live a drug free life? Tweet us @starsnash your reasons for living a drug free life by using the hashtag #STARSRibbonWeek.
