STUDENTS D.A.R.E. TO BE HEALTHY

Dozens of Dragon Lake elementary school students have the knowledge
they need to make healthy choices about drugs and alcohol after
graduating from the Drug Abuse Resistance Educationprogram on Tuesday.

A total of 51 students from Grades 5 to 7 completed the D.A.R.E.
program.

D.A.R.E. officer Const. Bernna Barkman of the Quesnel RCMP said the
program was excellent.

"We had good participation and interaction amongst the students,
teachers and myself," she said, "and parents are kept informed with
what's going on."

D.A.R.E. involves a nine-lesson curriculum with students completing
work books, demonstrating good behaviour in class, keeping their
bodies free from drugs, writing a D.A.R.E. report and signing a
pledge to make wise decisions about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

The D.A.R.E. program started in Los Angeles, California and has since
expanded to Canada, Barkman said.

"It's hard to measure the effectiveness of the program," Barkman
said, "but it's well-received by parents, students, teachers and the
community in general."

Barkman said most kids are exposed to drugs and alcohol at an early
age and are vulnerable to experimenting with them, but how much
they're at risk varies from child to child.

"With the support of everyone involved, we're encouraging youth to
make positive choices and staying out of risky situations," Barkman
said.

A D.A.R.E. program is also being held at St. Ann's Catholic School,
with 35 students expected to graduate in December, Barkman said.

The essays written by the students prove how important and effective
the D.A.R.E. program can be.

Student Sam Marleau wrote, "I believe that the D.A.R.E. program,
taught to us by our D.A.R.E. officer, is educational and useful to
all students. I am now better prepared to resist and avoid encounters
with drugs and alcohol.

"Being aware of facts, such as tobacco kills 45,000 people in Canada
or alcohol can cause depression and lead to heart attacks or comas,
is incentive to avoid these substances."

Shauna Regner wrote, "Saying no to all these things is a healthy and
wise decision. I also learned about peer pressure, when someone your
age (peer) pressures you into doing something you don't want to do.

"I learned how to say no. There are many ways. You can give the cold
shoulder or walk away or just say no. The most important thing that I
learned was that I'm worth it to say no to drugs, alcohol and peer
pressure."