EXPANSION OF D.A.R.E. WILL BENEFIT STUDENTS

Bradford County Sheriff Steve Evans recently announced a plan to expand the
D.A.R.E. program into area middle schools, and eventually high schools.
D.A.R.E. is an educational program aimed at preventing or reducing drug
abuse and violence among children and youth.

Currently, the county's D.A.R.E. program is being instituted in elementary
schools in Canton, Troy and Northeast Bradford.

Most of the county's D.A.R.E. instruction consists of a 17-week program
taught in the fifth or sixth grade by a D.A.R.E. officer.

The county has a new D.A.R.E. officer in Kristin Greenland, who is also a
deputy in the Bradford County Sheriff's Department. After serving as a
D.A.R.E. officer for another two years, Greenland will be eligible to
receive training to teach the D.A.R.E. program in the middle schools. After
she receives that training, Evans said he plans to initiate the program in
area middle schools. After that, he hopes to see the program instituted in
area high schools.

Evans said the program is an educational and preventative program for
helping raise awareness about drugs and alcohol. However, it will be more
effective if the older students receive information and lessons from the
program as well.

Recently, officials from several local schools praised the program at a
Bradford County Commissioners meeting. The county's D.A.R.E. program started
a little more than two years ago in the Troy Area School District. It
expanded to Canton and Northeast Bradford last year.

Troy Superintendent Jane Karper said the program was one of the best
programs installed in a district she had previously worked for.

We support the efforts of Evans and his staff for taking a proactive role in
preventing drug abuse among our youths.

With the steady increase in teen drug use, it is a wise move to attempt to
expand the program so it will be able to reach older youths.

However, we can only hope more kids hear the message the program is trying
to deliver.