DARE COMES TO

The RCMP have a dare for students.

For the first time in Fort St. James, students in Grade 7 and 8 will
go through the popular drug and alcohol education program, DARE.
Originally, the drug abuse resistance education (DARE) was only
offered to elementary school students.

The DARE program recently introduced a course for students in Grades
7 and 8 and two officers from the local RCMP detachment just
qualified to run the course.

Consts. Ryan Wilton and Chris von Colditz hope to start teaching the
course after the spring break, though Wilton said time is short as
the program runs 10 weeks. There are 11 weeks of school after the
spring break.

"We'll fit in what we can," said Wilton, who's looking forward to
teaching the course.

"The theme for the (Grade) 7's and 8's is taking charge of your
life," Wilton said.

In classes that run once a week, Wilton and von Colditz will teach
the students about drugs and alcohol, their effects on the body and
ways they may be pressured to use them.

"We just want to provide them with information to make healthy life
choices."

As an example, Wilton points to a national survey which reports 13.6
per cent of 12- to 14-year-olds smoke. Those numbers are good to
counter any claim that "everybody smokes."

"Eighty-six point four aren't smoking. You want to show that."

Using role playing, group work and book assignments, students are
taught the consequences of drug and alcohol use.

Wilton said the students are taught the difference between drinking
as a youth and as an adult.

Youth shouldn't drink, he says, because their bodies can't handle the
alcohol like adults can.

Wilton points out it won't do to have students going home and giving
their parents a hard time for having a beer or glass of wine.