A delivery designed to impress

Military mission: encourage kids to say no to drugs Hardyston - They came by air and road Tuesday afternoon to deliver a message to Hardyston Middle School students: Say no to drugs. Army Chief Warrant Officers Todd Collins and Jim Green landed their Kiowa observation helicopter on the soccer field next to the school as part of a two-hour anti-drug program. They described the helicopter and took questions from the students. “Any drug violations will be on your record for the rest of your lives,” said Collins. “Keep that in mind as you make decisions about using drugs.” He explained to the students that drug offenses on their records would limit their career choices later in life. At two display tables set up nearby, Sgts. Roger Galvez and Cesar Cespedes, Staff Sgt. Jose Tassialvarez and Air Force Senior Airman Rick Robinson discussed tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana; the four “gateway” drugs that may lead to more dangerous substances. Robinson held up one jar with a two-week accumulation of phlegm from the lungs of a smoker and another jar with a year’s deposit of tar. At the other table Tassialvarez displayed a model of a smoker’s mouth complete with yellowed teeth and cancer spotted tongue. School Vice Principal Alex Roney said the event was part of a weeklong substance abuse awareness program. Students will have to write essays about what they learned.