DARE ABOUT THE FUTURE FOR KIDS

Local fifth-graders took a dare this year. And right now, the message
of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program seems easy: substance
abuse hurts your body, just say "No."

The students are fascinated by statistics, facts and figures that they
discuss with their classmates, illustrate on posters and write about
in class. Nearly every fifth-grader understands that there are
thousands of reasons to reject drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Though most of them haven't yet tasted a beer or set eyes on illegal
drugs, the lessons taught now are meant to serve as ammunition in
years ahead.

Hope Vasquez, the Seguin Police Department DARE officer, said the
department and Seguin ISD chose to teach the DARE program to
fifth-graders - before the peer pressures of middle school and high
school set in.

"They learn about tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and inhalants," she
said. "But they also learn to have confidence, make wise and healthy
choices, to use a decision making model, about the signs of bullying
and peer pressure."

In the older grades, many students have already formed their own -
sometimes incorrect - opinions about substances and the consequences
of abuse.

Older students are also more likely to have peers that have used
drugs, alcohol or tobacco, which may change their perceptions.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 84 percent of high school
seniors surveyed in 2005 believed they could easily obtain marijuana,
52 percent believed they could easily find amphetamines and 46 percent
felt that cocaine was easily accessible.

But elementary school, before the pressures of adolescence set in,
might be the perfect time to imprint students with the idea that such
substances are better left untouched.

The children graduating from the DARE program this month are excited
about spreading the word among parents, friends and siblings about the
often-overlooked dangers that addictive substances bring.

And hopefully, they'll be just as ready to tell future peers why they
don't want to risk their futures with substance abuse.

The real dare will come down the road when the students who proudly
pledged to stay free will have to call up the lessons they learned and
the courage to say "No."