Too Smart To Start

Proposal by: Robin Abraham, Tia Avila, Fredi Garcia, Haris Mianoor,
Samantha Sharif, Vanessa Ware

Table of Contents

I.

Introduction...................1

II.

Background2-4

III.

Plan.5

IV.

Proposal..................6-8

V.

Staffing..9-10

VI.

Budget...11

VII. Authorization.......12

VIII. References13

Introduction
In America, drug abuse remains as one of the most terrifying problems our middle school and
high school students face. In your adolescences, your brain is still developing. If kids are using
drugs, then the brain wont develop at its full capacity due to drug use. Secondly, use of these
substance alters perception and may interfere with the developing perceptual skill (The Effects
of Drugs and Alcohol on the Adolescent Brain). Specifically, Marijuana has recently grown more
popular with our student population. Seven percent of students in 8th grade use marijuana
(National Institute on Drug Abuse). Although that does not sound like a high percentage, it
shows that drug abuse starts at a young age. Continuing to grow to 22.7% of 12th graders, drug
abuse increasingly grows in the number of students using drugs from middle school to high
school (National Institute on Drug Abuse). These statistics are only for marijuana use, so just
imagine the combination of students that abuse numerous drugs in both middle school and high
school. Most drugs have the same effect on students, although to a different extent. We as a
community need to inform and educate our children at a young age on the effects of any drug
usage. Thus, we want to promote our Too Smart to Start campaign through Pfizer.
Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company looking to help individuals live a healthy life. Creating
numerous drugs for the betterment of people, Pfizer continues to research innovative ideas to
protect the health and safety of people (Pfizer). We propose that the company will help our
students by presenting to them the consequences of drug abuse, both short term and long term.
Our goal is to impact the lives of Webb Middle School. By starting substance abuse education at
an earlier age, students who progress into high school will know to think about the consequences
and negative outcomes of drug abuse.
This program we hope will bring a new outlook to young children whether they use or dont use
drugs. Our program consists of those who work or have been around drugs. For example, we will
have a judge, police officer, doctors and even former addicts. Learning from those who work
around drugs, like a police officer, can really help kids who struggle or who will face those
challenges in the future. Through these events, our team hopes to build better awareness on drugs
for the youth of our future.
Our goals and objectives are to:
1. Prevent teenagers and others from doing drugs.
a. Objective: Inform teenagers of all of the risks that come along, once they start
doing drugs.
2. Educate teenagers that their future is not in drugs.
a. Inform teenagers that their future is in education.
b. Inform them of higher education benefits, how they can be funded, etc.
3. Establish a preliminary campaign test
a. How the campaign is going to be successful to keep being funded by Pfizer and
extent the campaign to all GISD.
4. Contribute to society by helping teenagers find whats important
a. Education
b. Success stories
c. Healthy lifestyle

Background
Why we need to stop drug use?
We need to face the fact the experimentation with drugs with teens is common. They feel as
though they can control their use; however, drugs can quickly take over their lives (Volkow,
Nora, 2010). Young adults dont see their link between their actions today and their
consequences tomorrow. Drugs are often used as a coping mechanism amongst teens and young
adults. While some teens only experiment, some go past experimentation and become addicted.
Experimenting with various drugs can lead to use of even more potent drugs, such as
pharmaceuticals, heroine, and methamphetamines. This drug use ruins the lives of many as well
as others around them. It is difficult to decide which teen will try, continue, or not do it at all, so
we are developing this program to give the teenagers the knowledge to not make poor decisions
in life. Teens abuse many drugs, legal or illegal. Study shows that teens that perform drugs either
are depressed, have low self-esteem, and if they feel they dont fit in with a certain group or
anywhere in general. Association of drug use in an early age can lead to use of dangerous use of
drug later, school failure, poor judgment which can make accidents occur, violence, and even
suicide (Volkow, Nora, 2010).
Opioid drugs are often highly for the treatment of severe pain. Along with pain reduction, Opioid
drugs also bring some side effects. One major side effect includes dependency. Permission is
required from a licensed physician due to potential addictive qualities. Over 2.5 million people
begin using Opioid painkillers each year. These pain reducing drugs are the second commonly
used illegal drug following marijuana (Jennifer, 2011). Although Opioid drugs can play a
beneficial role in pain reduction, they can also cause harmful effects such as addiction.
Why Garland ISD?
The target of our campaign focuses on Garland because it is an urban school district that consists
of 12 middle schools. We decided Garland would be a great start to educate teens about the use
of drugs. If we impact a city with so many rehab centers, they wouldnt even need the centers
anymore. The drug use would decrease, and start to create a chain.
The school we decided to begin it all with is Webb Middle School. This nice middle school
known as the home of the bears will do great with the program and a great start. They start with
sixth grade, and end at eighth grade. It would be a great start to start at the age where they
become teens. Webb Middle School was chosen by the amount of people attending this school.
In Garland this middle school was known for a school that can make an impact. Many students
would love the opportunity to attend this school. We thought why not choose a popular school to
begin with.
If we provide knowledge for our youth now, the outcome can be different. Informing these teens
will let them know drugs is dangerous for them. They will know the effects of drugs in the long
run and will not bother messing with them. If we dont provide the knowledge now,
experimentation will take place for them and bad results can occur.
Addiction:

One major issue that occurs within the use of much different type of drugs is addiction. It is a
one simple word that can change your life forever. Having an addiction can change your life and
even ruin it. When someone uses drugs a moderate amount of time, they can be addicted. The
risk of addiction for even trying drugs is there. Once you are addicted to something, it is hard to
stop. Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). You
are asking for an item to take care of you. You cant take care of yourself? We dont want to rely
on anything to hold us together. Once addicted and you need it so bad, you will do anything to
gain that item. You cant think straight, all you know is that you need your drug, and so you can
perform brutal tasks that can change your life forever.

WEBB
MIDDLE
SCHOOL
HOME OF
THE BEARS
STATS
Grey- Texas
Light BlueGarland ISD
Dark BlueWebb Middle
School

Programs Offered:
Student Enrollment: 1,200 Students per teacher: 15
Fine Arts

Fine Arts, Drama

Music

Orchestra, Band, Choral

Science

Science

Foreign Language

Foreign Language

Math

Math

Inter-Scholatics Sports

General

Special Education

Early Childhood Special Needs

Vocational Education

Health, Business and Technology, Phys Ed, Vocational

Education

Computer Science

General

Social Studies / Social Sciences

Social Studies / Social Sc

English

ESL/Bilingual/ESOL, English / Language Arts

Plan
Pfizer is a research-oriented pharmaceutical company that aims to improve the health of their
consumers. It has many locations across the world however; our campaign will be teaming with
the Dallas Pfizer location (Pfizer). The event will take place at Webb Middle School, which is
located at 1610 Spring Creek Drive, Garland, TX 75040. Too Smart to Start will be
conducting a pilot program and if successful will launch in August of 2014 throughout the
Garland Independent School District.
Adolescence is a time of change in which individuals begin developing their personality
characteristics that will follow them throughout their lifespan. Peer pressure commonly interrupts
this process of growth in the middle school aged population. In the United States, young teenage
student ages 12 to 17 participated in a survey that found 49.9% had access to marijuana
(Stagman, Schwarz, and Powers, 2011, p.2). This percentage provides evidence that teens are
aware that illegal substances are available to them and that there are many opportunities for our
youth to purchase illegal drugs.
Two major structures that are affected by substance use are the nucleus accumbens and the
amygdala, which regulate emotion, decision-making, and overall judgment. The results of
marijuana on the brain include abnormal growth of the nucleus accumbens, changes in volume
and density, and abnormal functioning in the amygdala (Gilman, Kuster, Lee, Kim, Makris, van
der Kouwe, Blood and Breiter, 2014, pg.1). If we can find a way to decrease the abuse of
marijuana, we can positively contribute to the healthy development young ones who will impact
our country.
Currently, there is a low number of drug prevention programs that educate students on the effects
and consequences of drug use. The amount of money that is used to pay for these types of
programs was 1.9 cents per every federal dollar (Stagman, Schwarz, and Powers, 2011, p.3).
Action needs to be taken to create and improve drug prevention programs. The goal of the Too
Smart to Start campaign is to contribute to Pfizers objective of improving peoples health,
educating students on the topic of drug abuse as well as preventing future drug abuse.
Too Smart to Start will help to take action against drug use among middle school students. One
liability that plays a part in substance abuse among students is a lack of education at the time
when drug influence begins. Our 4-5 hour event will combat this issue by offering multiple
viewpoints on drug use from professionals in the community. A medical doctor, police officer,
judge, recovering addicts, and an interventionist will provide these different viewpoints. Some of
the events that will take place are a mock arrest, a sharing of personal experiences, an
intervention, and a mock trial. After the students cycle through the different events, Pfizer will
have a presentation on ways to reduce substance use. Students will also have the opportunity to
purchase food, which will be provided by Pfizer. The money raised will be donated to GISD.
Once the event is over, students will return to their classes or network with the speakers to ask
questions and gain more insight on drug abuse.

Proposal
Proposal in Specifics
Two healthcare professionals will present their perspective on the health effects of substance use
to students of Webb Middle.
Several recovering addicts will speak to students regarding their journey, personal experiences,
struggle with drug relapse, and recovery stage.
A Police Officer will conduct a mock arrest of a middle school teenager for possession of a
controlled substance. In relation to the law, the officer will explain their obligation when
possession or use of an illegal substance is involved.
A Judge, Prosecutor, and Licensed Attorney will perform a mock trial. The legal consequences
and how one a bad record can negatively impact your potential opportunities and future.
A Drug Interventionist will speak to the young teenagers regarding the process of recovery. A
student will be chosen to be an addict and the other students will read intervention letters from
family, friends and loved ones.
Benefits of Too Smart to Start campaign and future implementation in regards to Pfizer and
GISD:
Pfizers benefits from the Too Smart to Start campaign include enhancing their goodwill,
promoting their company, and helping improve the well-being of students.
The success of this campaign will result in Pfizer funding Too Smart to Start throughout the
Garland School District.

Timetable of event/program
In this campaign event, Webb Middle School students will participate in a multitude of
educational and informative sessions relating to drug use. On August 18, 6th and 7th graders will
be divided into two groups. 6th graders will be group A and 7th graders will be group B. On
August 19, 8th graders will also be divided into two groups, group A and group B. The purpose of
the groups is to be more efficient as there is limited time.
Date
August 18-19

Time
9:00 AM
10:00 AM

Group
A

August 18-19

9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM

10:00 AM
11:00 AM
11:00 AM
11:30 PM

August 18-19

11:00 AM11:30 PM

August 18-19

11:30 AM
12:00 PM

August 18-19

11:30 AM
12:00 PM

August 18-19

12:00 PM
1:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
2:00 PM3:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM

A/B

August 18-19
August 18-19
August 18-19

August 18-19
August 18-19
August 18-19
August 18-19

A
B
B
A

Key-Note Speaker
Description
Medical DoctorThe doctor will educate and inform
General Physician teenagers about the health consequences
of using drugs
Recovering
Several recovery addicts will share their
Addicts
personal experiences using drugs
Medical DoctorThe doctor will educate and inform
General Physician teenagers about the health consequences
of using drugs
Recovering
Several recovery addicts will share their
Addicts
personal experiences using drugs
Police Officer
The police officer will perform a mock
arrest of a middle school teenager and
inform them of the police officer legal
duties
Judge, prosecutor, A judge, prosecutor, and attorney will
and licensed
perform a mock trial with several
attorney
volunteer students from Webb Middle
School
Police Officer
The police officer will perform a mock
arrest of a middle school teenager and
inform them of the police officer legal
duties
Judge, prosecutor, A judge, prosecutor, and attorney will
and licensed
perform a mock trial with several
attorney
volunteer students from Webb Middle
School
Lunch
Lunch will be provided and there will be
a bake sale
Interventionist
Students will perform a skit
Pfizer
presentation
Interventionist

Pfizer will do a presentation

Pfizer
Presentation

Pfizer will do a presentation

Students will perform a skit

August 18-19

3:00 PM

A/B

Back to Class

Students return back to their designated

class

Too Smart to Start Campaign and Promotional Event Project Time Line
(March 2014 September 2014)
Date
March 2014

June 2014

Activity
Begin the selection process for the keynote speakers, and get permission
to do the campaign at Webb Middle School
Finalize and confirm the keynote speakers, and authorization to use the
Webb Middle school facility for the event
Have the proposal reviewed by the company and get funded if they
accept
Begin advertising campaign

July 2014

Have everything together and ready

April 15, 2014

April 30, 2014

August 2014
September 2014

Campaign is launched
Expect the results of the campaign and determine whether to continue
the campaign or finish it

Staffing
Number of
Task
Compensation
Employees
General Physicians/Doctors: Three General Physicians or Doctors will be recruited to volunteer
from the DFW metro area. They will be recruited from different offices that carry Pfizer
medications. They are responsible for educating the students and parents on the different health
effects of substance abuse. The Physicians or Doctors will work together to prepare a power
point presentation of their liking and will present it at different times of the day. They will also
be caring for any sort of medical situation that may take place at the event.
1

Workforce

Judge: Judges will be recruited from the Garland Municipal Court. They will work hand in
hand with the recruited police officers to present a mock trial of a felony drug charge. These
mock trials will take place multiple times throughout the day to help students understand that
their actions will also affect other people such as their parents. The two judges will be
compensated with free advertisement at the event, lunch and a press release of their volunteer
actions.
3

Recovering Addicts: We will be recruiting five volunteer recovering addicts from various drug
and alcohol rehabilitation centers throughout the DFW area. They then will be interviewed to
ensure a positive influence on the students and parents at the event. Each Volunteer will
introduce him or herself and give a back story on when and how they became involved with
substance abuse. Then students and parents will have the opportunity to have a one on one
conversation with a recovering addict. The compensation will be one free intensive outpatient
counseling session with a trained professional from the Garland Treatment center, valuing at 85
dollars.
4

Police Officers and K9 Handlers: We are looking to recruit 4 police officers and 4 K9
Handlers from the Garland Police Department. The police officers will work with the judges to
ensure accurate mock trials. They will be demonstrating how uncomfortable being cuffed is and
will actually give police car rides to students. The K9 Handlers will be demonstrating how
police dogs can sniff out drugs from a variety of different places. They will create a controlled
environment where drugs will be placed inside a car and will show how quickly and accurately a
drug dog can find them. Garland police officers will be paid $75 an hour for a total of 6 hours;
therefore the entirety of the event will cost $3600.
5

K9 Officers: There will be 4 K9 officers accompanied by their handlers. They will help with
their handlers demonstrations. We are required to provide food, water, and treats for the dogs.
The food and treats will be bought from PetSmart; One 24 pound bag of Blue Buffalo wilderness
chicken Dog food and four 3.25 ounce bags of Blue Buffalo wilderness chicken jerky trail treats;
Totaling $102.

Volunteers: All volunteers will be recruited from a wide variety of volunteer programs. They
will be responsible from setting up the different stations of events and will also be packing up the
stations as well. They will receive volunteer hours as well as gain important knowledge about
substance abuse.

Budget
Item
Promotional Event
Staff:
Pfizer Employees
Volunteers
Police Officers
K9 Officers
Judges
Recovering Addicts
Doctors
Supplies:
Staff Food (1 meal)
Water
Logistics:
Tent Rentals (5 20'x40' for 525)
Table Rentals (50 x 8.50)
Chair Rentals (500 x 0.99)
Event Liability Insurance
Educational Material:
Brochures
Flyers
Business Cards
Pfizer Prize Shirts (100 x 5.99)
Pfizer Prize Water Bottles(100 x
1.99)
Pfizer Key Chains (300 x 0.50)
Total

Cost

$3,150.00
$0.00
$3,600.00
$103.00
$0.00
$425.00
$0.00

$800.00
$289.00

$275.00
$425.00
$495.00
$10,000.00

$129.99
$69.99
$9.99
$599.00
$199.00
$150.00
$20,719.97

Authorization Request
This educational campaign will help the community become more aware of the difficulties
associated with drug addiction. Since our company, Pfizer, deals with a wide variety of
medication that could be potentially abused, we want to assure the community that we are doing
our best to inform our clients of the dangers of substance abuse. Pfizer will also gain visibility
from the event, which will allow for our name to become more popular allowing for a greater
profit margin.
The Pfizer Too Smart to Start campaign works to raise awareness of the consequences of drug
abuse. We want to promote students of young age to start leading a healthy drug free life.
Therefore, I approve the Too Smart to Start campaign to represent Pfizer at the Garland
Independent School District. I also approve the budget request of $20, 719.97 for the project.

Signature________________________________________
Date________________________

References
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Andre, Blood, Anne, and Breiter, Hans (April 2014). Cannabis Use is Quantitatively
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Recreational Users. The Journal of Neuroscience, DOI: 24(16):5529-5538.
"Monitoring the Future Survey, Overview of Findings 2013." National Institute
on Drug
Abuse (NIDA). Accessed on April 18, 2014 at
http://www.drugabuse.gov/monitoring-future-survey-overview-findings2013.
Pfizer Company Fact Sheet: Company Fact Sheet. Pfizer, Inc. Accessed on
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Ritter, Malcom. New Study Finds Signs of Brain Changes in Pot Smokers (April
2014). The
Dallas Morning News. The Associated Press, 2014.
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Substance Use in the U.S.: Facts for Policy Makers. Retrieved on April 04, 2014 from
https://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_1008.html.
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Side-Effects of Prolonged Opioid Use: From a Symposium on New Concepts in Mu-

Opioid Pharmacology (2011). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Volume 121, Issue 3.
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April 18, 2014 from http://samafoundation.org/youth-substance-addiction/effects-ofdrugs-on-adolescent-brain/.
Volkow, Nora. (2010). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The
Science of Addiction. Accessed on April 18, 2014 from
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction/preface.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011). Drug Addiction. Definition. Accessed on April 20, 2014 from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/basics/definition/con20020970.