KENT ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ARE DARE AWARE

We see the car, we see the logo but few of us actually know what the
DARE message is other than it has something to do with Drugs.

Students from Kent Elementary were presented with their DARE
certificates and demonstrated to fellow students and members of the
public and Lion members (main sponsor of the local DARE program)
present at the assembly that they not only know DARE's message, but
also the harmful affects of Marijuana, alcohol and tobacco.

"This Dare group is one of the best we've had. There were two good
classes of students and the support that they get from their parents
at the end - that is what makes it worthwhile," says Cst. Cris
Wortman, the school liaison officer for the Upper Fraser Valley. It
is fitting that this class was a memorable one as this will be Cst.
Wortman's last local class he will see graduate from the DARE program
as he has just been transferred to Chilliwack.

"When you see the students put that much effort into something you
feel positive that they got something out of it," says Cst. Wortman.

DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, teaches
students to look at a situation and Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate.

"I think the program is working. It is not going to get everybody -
some of them won't get anything out of it and others probably didn't
need it at all. But, there are a few which it could go either way and
those are the ones that we are trying to keep on board," says Cst.
Wortman. "All we can do is give them the information and let them
make their own decisions. But, at least they have that information to
help them decide."

Some of the things that they learned include: 45,000 people die a
year from smoking - and that is half of Chilliwack, there are more
than 200 known poisons in cigarette smoke, Marijuana contains more
than 400 chemicals and increases ones risk of cancer and memory loss,
alcohol goes directly into your bloodstream and can increase your
risk for a variety of diseases, alcohol can damage every organ in
your body and is a depressant drug.

Harrison and Agassiz Christian Elementary Schools hold their DARE
graduation every second year due to a fewer number of students and it
is a 5/6 split rather than just grade 5 DARE grads.