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“Don’t take drugs. It ruins your life,” says 11-year-old Lilli Millon of Waymart.
The fifth grader’s words pack a strong punch.
A student at R.D. Wilson School in Waymart, Lilli recently won a Drug-Free Youth Calendar Contest sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office.
While attending a fair with her family last summer, Lilli says she couldn’t help but notice the number of people standing around smoking.
“I don’t like to breathe in cigarette smoke. It smells really bad and a lot of people can get second hand smoke from that,” she said.
When it came time to enter the calendar contest, Lilli drew on that experience. Along with a Ferris wheel and striped big top tent, her drawing featured trees, green grass and park benches. A scene marred by a group of people doing drugs. “I drew some people who have drugs on them. And I drew children saying, ‘No’ and walking away,” she said.
Across the top of her poster, in large letters, she’d written: “Make smart choices, stay drug free!”
Asked what she’d like her classmates to know about illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco, Lilli said, “Don’t do drugs. It ruins your life. And you may not be able to do some of the things that you used to do. You want to enjoy your life.
“And take good care of yourself, because there’s only one of you in the whole entire world,” Lilli added.
R. D. Wilson Principal Maria Miller said they’re “enormously proud of Lilli and all of the students in fifth grade that participated in the program because there were a lot of wonderful posters that were created by the boys and girls with a strong message to avoid drugs, alcohol, tobacco.”
Miller was quick to commend teachers Joann Tomassoni and Jill Butler for “being so enthusiastic in their teaching of this unit.”
The principal said they also work closely with Wayne County Drug and Alcohol.
Mary Paladino, a certified prevention specialist with the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission, said they’ve been in the district teaching fifth graders drug refusal skills along with working with third graders in a Life Skills Training Program. The latter is designed to reduce risk factors, Paladino said.
“It used to be alcohol was the first thing that kids would try, or tobacco; Now it’s marijuana ...which speaks to the availability,” Paladino said.
“Now you see things like the bath salts. There’s constantly something new popping up. And I can’t stress enough, probably the greatest favor a parent can do for themselves and for their children is to never say or to think: My child would never do that. Because lots of wonderful children have made poor decisions.”
Statistics tell the story. Paladino said:
• Almost one-third of teenagers have their first drink of alcohol before their 13th birthday.
• Thirty-one percent of girls use alcohol for the first time between the ages of 10 and 14.
• The average age that a child first tries inhalants is in elementary school. For smoking, the average age is 11; alcohol is 12; and marijuana is 13.
On a positive note, Paladino said, “A lot of times, we focus on the kids who have made bad decisions or have gotten into trouble, but there are so many wonderful, wonderful kids. The majority of kids don’t use (drugs). We need to remember that. And the kids need to remember that. They are not a minority when they make good decisions.”
“Don’t take drugs. It ruins your life,” says 11-year-old Lilli Millon of Waymart.
The fifth grader’s words pack a strong punch.
A student at R.D. Wilson School in Waymart, Lilli recently won a Drug-Free Youth Calendar Contest sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office.
While attending a fair with her family last summer, Lilli says she couldn’t help but notice the number of people standing around smoking.
“I don’t like to breathe in cigarette smoke. It smells really bad and a lot of people can get second hand smoke from that,” she said.
When it came time to enter the calendar contest, Lilli drew on that experience. Along with a Ferris wheel and striped big top tent, her drawing featured trees, green grass and park benches. A scene marred by a group of people doing drugs. “I drew some people who have drugs on them. And I drew children saying, ‘No’ and walking away,” she said.
Across the top of her poster, in large letters, she’d written: “Make smart choices, stay drug free!”
Asked what she’d like her classmates to know about illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco, Lilli said, “Don’t do drugs. It ruins your life. And you may not be able to do some of the things that you used to do. You want to enjoy your life.
“And take good care of yourself, because there’s only one of you in the whole entire world,” Lilli added.
R. D. Wilson Principal Maria Miller said they’re “enormously proud of Lilli and all of the students in fifth grade that participated in the program because there were a lot of wonderful posters that were created by the boys and girls with a strong message to avoid drugs, alcohol, tobacco.”
Miller was quick to commend teachers Joann Tomassoni and Jill Butler for “being so enthusiastic in their teaching of this unit.”
The principal said they also work closely with Wayne County Drug and Alcohol.
Mary Paladino, a certified prevention specialist with the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission, said they’ve been in the district teaching fifth graders drug refusal skills along with working with third graders in a Life Skills Training Program. The latter is designed to reduce risk factors, Paladino said.
“It used to be alcohol was the first thing that kids would try, or tobacco; Now it’s marijuana ...which speaks to the availability,” Paladino said.
“Now you see things like the bath salts. There’s constantly something new popping up. And I can’t stress enough, probably the greatest favor a parent can do for themselves and for their children is to never say or to think: My child would never do that. Because lots of wonderful children have made poor decisions.”
Statistics tell the story. Paladino said:
• Almost one-third of teenagers have their first drink of alcohol before their 13th birthday.
• Thirty-one percent of girls use alcohol for the first time between the ages of 10 and 14.
• The average age that a child first tries inhalants is in elementary school. For smoking, the average age is 11; alcohol is 12; and marijuana is 13.
On a positive note, Paladino said, “A lot of times, we focus on the kids who have made bad decisions or have gotten into trouble, but there are so many wonderful, wonderful kids. The majority of kids don’t use (drugs). We need to remember that. And the kids need to remember that. They are not a minority when they make good decisions.”
