DARE PROGRAM ADDS GRADE AIMS FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS

With a successful tradition of building better citizens and helping
children say 'no' to drugs, the Winston County DARE programs kicks
off another year while adding a new program.

Both the regular program and the new 7th grade curriculum start the
week of Nov. 6. Presently, the 7th grade program will be at Winston
Academy with the DARE officers hoping to institute county wide in the
future.

Louisville Police Department DARE Officer Tonya McWhirter takes the
lead for her fifth year while DARE officer Jason Pugh will handle the
new program for the class of seventh graders. Officer McWhirter will
teach nine DARE classes in each of the schools (Louisville
Elementary, Winston Academy, Noxapater and Nanih Waiya) to roughly
280 children.

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a drug
abuse prevention education program designed to equip elementary,
middle and high school children with knowledge about drug abuse, the
consequences of abuse, and skills for resisting peer pressure to
experiment with drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

"It is a great opportunity to go into the classroom and help the
children make better choices in life," said McWhirter.

The program is also set up to address not only drug questions but
other issues the children may be having.

"We also try to address any issues the children may be having,"
McWhirter said. "I rely heavily on the teachers since they are with
the children on an almost daily basis and I only see them one day a
week."

She added that part of the curriculum addresses making good choices
and being responsible for their choices so it is good to understand
what issues the children are facing.

"The students do remember me even after the classes are out and will
often speak when they see me around town. That is part of the success
of the program by making students feel comfortable about approaching
and talking to police officers," said McWhirter. "They learn to
relate to the police."

Officer McWhirter noted that the success of the earlier DARE program
had lead to the implementation of the 7th grade program which aims to
examine the drug and peer pressure issues more indepth with the students.

McWhirter who has been a DARE officer for many years is also
qualifying as a DARE mentor which she just completed the first phase
of three phases. She appreciates the support of the community.

"I am thankful for the support of the Mayor, Board of Alderman,
Louisville Police Chief L.M. Claiborne and Noxapater Police Chief
Graham," said McWhirter.

D.A.R.E officers work with children to raise their self-esteem, teach
them how to make decisions on their own, and help them identify
positive alternatives to drugs. Through role-playing, the D.A.R.E.,
curriculum emphasizes the negative consequences of drug use, and
reinforces the skills to resist peer pressure and
intimidation.

D.A.R.E. teaches kids how to recognize and resist the direct and
subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol,
tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.

The D.A.R.E. program is usually introduced to children in the 5th or
6th grade. A specially trained officer comes into your school and
teaches the children.

The D.A.R.E. program is taught in over 75 percent of the nation's
school districts, creating a positive atmosphere for students to
interact with uniformed law enforcement officers.

This unique program uses uniformed law enforcement officers to teach
a formal curriculum to students in a classroom setting.