Pinellas County – November 19th, 2008 - Dozens of hands shot up in the class:
“Is alcohol a drug?”
“How can second hand smoke from cigars or pot affect you?”
“What do you do if someone you know is on drugs?”
These are questions posed to 18-year-old Jesse Chalupsky, who took time off from his studies at St. Petersburg College on Wednesday the 19th of November to educate Pinellas County school children about drugs. He was one of 10 presenters from The Drug-Free Marshals and Mentors who presented 44 drug education lectures to 1,098 students at Sandy Lane Elementary, Largo and Pinellas Park high schools during Wednesday’s Great American Teach-In. This is a project that is a part of Pinellas County Schools’ annual American Education Week celebration when business men and concerned citizens have the opportunity to share with children in any school the quirky and wonderful, educational and thoughtful practical knowledge they deem worth sharing.

The Drug-Free Marshals and Mentors youth drug-education and prevention program started in 1993, to educate children as young as 6 on the dangers of drugs, and to challenge them to remain drug-free unlike the 15 million people in the United States who are drug users. The Marshals and Mentors demonstrate their commitment by being “sworn in”, pledging to remain drug-free and to encourage their peers to do the same. Jesse, once a Drug Free Marshal and now a Drug Free Mentor, said, “I have seen what drugs can do to a community and I wanted to do something about it. I want to help kids get the truth about drugs so they can make an informed decision not to do drugs.”

The lectures were well received, with many children in the classes interacting and asking questions and Jesse and his friends providing scientific data that answered all their concerns.
For more information, go to www.drugfreeworld.org