Tioga County 4th Graders make the IDEAL Choice

From the moment they wake up and decide what to wear to the final choice they make whether or not to floss their teeth at night, young people make decisions, all the time. Should I shoot hoops or watch TV after school? Should I walk the dog or feed the cat? Should I have vanilla, chocolate, or Moose Droppings ice cream?

You’ve probably heard Benjamin Franklin’s wise words, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Well, that’s how the Tioga County Council on Addiction and Substance Abuse (TCCASA) feels about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs especially when it comes to our Tioga County children. On Wednesday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, Tioga County’s fourth graders will learn how to handle peer pressure the IDEAL way and NOT depend on LUCK!

Making the right choice sometimes can be very hard for young people especially if the influence of their peers is added into the equation. Peer pressure is all around our children. A lot of the time peers can have a positive influence, but sometimes they can pressure good kids to try bad things. Some of the most important decisions they will make are about breaking rules, cheating, stealing, lying, and whether or not to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. When they are faced with this kind of negative peer pressure they need to know how to handle the situation and make the right IDEAL choice.

Young people tell us they could be pressured into using drugs for many reasons: to relax or forget their problems; because they think everyone else is doing it and they feel they won’t be popular if they don’t; or they don’t want to be made fun of if they refuse; out of curiosity; or someone they know (maybe even a parent) is doing it, so why not?

Even though they might feel they have good reasons for using alcohol or drugs, there are many consequences that they need to understand before they give into peer pressure: alcohol, tobacco and other drugs hurt they’re bodies and can affect their health—sometimes damage that lasts forever. They need to know that alcohol is a drug. Drugs can get them into a lot of trouble, kicked out of school or arrested; can give them a bad reputation; or can affect how they do in school.

So with all of the peer pressure and knowing some of the consequences how DO they say NO? Here is a 5-step way to understand their options in any situation. It’s called the IDEAL way to make a choice: I—Identify the problem; D—Describe possible solutions; E—Evaluate the ideas; A—Act out a plan; L—Learn for the future.

This St. Patrick’s Day, our fourth graders will learn to stop and take a moment to think things through, and make the best choice. They’ll also learn that someone who won’t be their friend because they won’t do what they want wasn’t a good friend to begin with and that making the right choice to say healthy and drug free their whole life is one of the most important choices they’ll ever make.

If you would like information regarding this or other drug prevention education programming, email TCCASA at info@tccasa.org.

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