HALL REPLACES DARE WITH NEW PROGRAM

The Hall County Sheriff's Office began to look at other preventative
programs when it learned last year that the nationally known DARE program
was changing its curriculum.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, a Hall County mainstay since 1991, no
longer teaches about gang resistance.

"With our influx of gang activity, we decided we needed a better fit for
our community," said Lt. Gene Joy, a unit commander with the sheriff's office.

The office settled on Avoiding Drugs Violence and Negative Choices Early,
or ADVANCE, which deputies have been teaching to fifth-graders in the Hall
County School System since January.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office created the program in 1997 after
making the decision to discontinue the DARE program there.

The DARE program, founded in 1983, has been criticized for not being effective.

The Los Angeles-based DARE America Worldwide decided after much research to
rewrite its curriculum and focus more on drug resistance, said Ralph
Lochridge, the organization's director of communications.

"Even though other areas are important, we were being judged on whether we
were effective in keeping kids off drugs," he said.

Joy said that the sheriff's office is pleased so far with the ADVANCE
curriculum.

"It promotes self-esteem and working together cooperatively in teams to
combat the influences negative groups will put on you to get involved with
drugs and gangs," he said.

Deputies teach the course one hour a week for eight weeks, covering such
topics as peer pressure and understanding violence. The old DARE curriculum
lasted 17 weeks.

On Thursday, Sgt. Don Parrish talked frankly about gang resistance to
Debbie Rials' class at Sardis Elementary School in northwest Hall.

"There are two places gangs will lead you," he told the students. "To
prison and the grave."

Students spoke appreciatively about the lesson, which featured the video
"The Truth About Gangs."

"It's nice that they do this," said 10-year-old Kelsey Neukum. " ... It
will help us when we get older."

Edy Arteaga, 11, said that Parrish has "a message that is really important
(for us) to know."

Sardis principal Mary Elder said she believes the program "prepares the
students for the middle and high school years in terms of making smart
choices."

As with DARE, the sheriff's office plans to hold ceremonies marking the
students' exit from the class. The "graduations" are set for March 23-April
13. The office also is holding a ceremony March 22 for students at Hopewell
Christian Academy in South Hall.

Also similar is that essay contest winners will be chosen from each
fifth-grade class. The sheriff's office will select a poster contest winner
from each class.