JUST SAY YES

..To The Airdrie RCMP's DARE Program.

We are commending the Airdrie RCMP for implementing the DARE program
in local schools, to help prevent student drug use from getting out of
hand.

Ecstasy abuse and the trafficking of 'E' is on the rise, posing
serious social concerns. Once confined to major metropolitan areas,
'E' trafficking has now expanded to smaller communities. Airdrie has
experienced this first hand when a teenager overdosed on the drug in
May.

The DARE curriculum is designed to be taught by police officers whose
training and experience gives them the background needed to answer the
sophisticated questions often posed by young students about drugs and
crime.

DARE goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention
programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist
the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with
drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities.

The DARE program also has a number of spin off benefits such as
humanizing officers so young people begin to trust and relate to them
and opening the lines of communication between students and the police.

Some people say programs like DARE are frightening and misleading, but
if children are alarmed that may be an important factor in deterring
kids from using. As for misleading, the police officers teaching the
program see the effects of drug abuse everyday, they don't have to lie
about the horrible consequences of using.

We need to encourage our children to say 'no' to drugs by saying 'yes'
to the Airdrie RCMP's DARE program in local schools.