Local Policeman Uses Education as Best Prevention

By Tammy Ullman

December 10, 2004

In my line of work as the Language Arts teacher at the Eads Middle School, education about anything is an integral part of my thinking. This includes "real life" education. At the Kiowa County Fair this year I spoke with some of our local law enforcement officers about the drug paraphernalia they had on display. I saw this display as the perfect avenue to educate my students on a growing problem in our world. If you witnessed their extensive display, you must admit, it was very intriguing.

Every year I have my students enter an essay contest for the Colorado Law Enforcement Officers’ Association based on three issues that face teens in our world: drug and alcohol use, peer pressure, and gangs and violence. Since we are coming up on the time to research for this essay, I thought who better to educate my students than someone who deals with these issues on a regular basis. I invited Chad Ray to the school to give a presentation on drug prevention. Mr. Ray gave a power point presentation on the negative aspects of drug use, had video clips of the affects drugs have on people in society, and described all of the paraphernalia that he had on display at the Fair.

My students were attentive and perceptive to the message presented by Chad. His overall message was that it is easier to stay drug free, if you never begin in the first place. Living in a small town like Eads, many think that these issues are something we do not have to face. Well, this is not true. Small towns are not free from the negative affects of drugs, and educating our young people is one of the best ways to prevent it from infiltrating any more than it already has. Law enforcement officials in Kiowa County are working hard to educate people and to keep drugs out of our community. Thank you, Mr. Ray, for your visit and for continuing to fight this issue so close to home.