Students ASPIRE to keep kids off drugs

The ASPIRE team educated Warren County High School students on Wednesday about the dangers of methamphetamine use during Meth Awareness Day.

To start the day off right, students in their classrooms were given a presentation, brochures, other information and questionnaires. They were then shown a video that included interactive games that were also educational regarding the dangers of meth.

The day was geared toward teaching their fellow students the toxic effects of meth on the body in hopes they too will pledge to stay drug free.

As explained to the team members, the short-term effects of meth use include irritability, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, sleeplessness, confusion, aggressive feelings, violent rages and depression. Long-term effects include tooth loss and damage to the nervous system, brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.

After the presentation, students were asked to sign the ?ASPIRE anti-meth? board as a pledge to stay drug free. Those who signed were given an armband.

?The team has worked really hard this year,? said club sponsor Lynn Seals. ?I am so proud of their efforts. They asked for donations to raise the money needed to buy the arm bands.?

Throughout the year, the team has hung posters, handed out information, raised $950 and gone through training. The school?s fight against meth began with the 2005-2006 ASPIRE team. That team was given the 2006 Meth Destroys Community Service Award by the Tennessee District Attorney Generals.

According to Seals, the day was a huge success. More than 500 students signed the poster by the end of the first day and promised to stay drug free. That number is expected to rise and the team may have to order more arm bands.

?I am shocked but pleased,? said Seals. ?This is more support than the team has ever received. This is wonderful. The board is covered up with names.?

The ASPIRE team, currently made up of 13 students in grades nine through 12 from different races and socio-economic backgrounds, was formed in 2001 with the goal of stopping school violence and drug use.