OVER 500 FORT STUDENTS TO RECEIVE DARE

Program Could Be Expanded To Include High School Level.

For the first time since its implementation in Fort Saskatchewan schools in
1996, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program will be offered in
all the learning institutions during the 1999-2000 term.

Over the past four years, some schools have had a continual presence in the
program while others have come on-board at different stages.

Regardless, those involved with DARE are delighted all students, in total
550, at the grades 6 and 7 levels will receive the much valued information
this school term.

DARE is a program designed to give young people the facts about drugs and
alcohol, with the intent to guide them against negative peer pressure by
teaching self-management and resistance skills.

Developed by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified
School District in 1983, the program consists of lessons for all grade
levels, although the focus locally has been Grade 6.

In the fall of 1998, DARE was introduced for the first time in the community
to Grade 7 students at Fort Junior High.

FJH students have already received the program for the 1999-2000 school term
while Grade 7 students at Our Lady of the Angels and Rudolph Hennig are
currently receiving the 10-lesson schedule.

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP detachment officer, Cst. Lea Turner has been
committed to the DARE program since day one. He was one of the first
officers in Alberta trained as a DARE instructor and remains heavily
involved.

Turner says the presence of a police officer in the schools indirectly
benefits all the students, not only the ones taking the course. He is
currently the instructor for the junior high level as well as several
sessions with elementary students. Since 1996, the detachment has trained
several officers who now take on an active role in the offering of the
course.

Cst. Helen Meinzinger, a first-time instructor last year, is teaching DARE
at Win Ferguson and Rudolph Hennig while Cst. Pauline Larrey-King will be
attending Pope John XXIII.

The program is also offered at Bruderheim and Lamont by constables Rob
Landers and Al Rybka.

Turner notes the detachment is exploring the possibility of offering DARE to
Grade 10 students at Fort Senior High.

Cst. Meinzinger recently attended a training session in Los Angeles to
qualify her to teach this level and the program could possibly be
implemented in the upcoming semester or next fall.

Local financial support for DARE over the years has come from Dow Chemical
Canada, the generosity of which is much appreciated, says Turner.