http://www.vermilionstandard.com/story.php?id=3D146137

DARE PROGRAM GETS A MAKEOVER

The DARE program has been a mainstay in Vermilion and area schools in
recent history.

Vermilion Standard -- The DARE program has been a mainstay in
Vermilion and area schools in recent history. The program is unveiling
a brand new look that will make it more appealing to kids, utilizing a
new workbook format that includes bright colours, a new focus and even
a new mascot, DAREN, a lion.

Cst. Rob Rubuliak of the Vermilion RCMP detachment works with grade
six students at Vermilion Elementary School and St. Jerome's school,
teaching about 100 students, while Cst. Chris Smiley visits Innisfree,
Mannville and Clandonald and extends the message to a further 45 to 50
students.

DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, but now the focus of
the program is focusing on more than just drug education: the new DARE
stands for Define, Assess, Respond, Evaluate and teaches children a
decision making model that will help them make good choices throughout
their lives.

"What I like is that it's more a life skills, lifestyle class than a
drug abuse class. Unfortunately the name almost does itself a
disservice - 'drug abuse' - because parents always think, 'oh, they're
talking about drugs and drug abuse.' 90 per cent of it is applying
this decision making model and then scenarios involving cigarettes and
alcohol," said Cst. Rubuliak.

The scenarios introduce children to situations where they are given a
choice and they can make a good choice or a bad choice, and learn the
consequences of their choices. Students in the 10 week program are
easily able to follow the work book format.

"They start figuring it out on their own, crossing off choices based
on if it's responsible, respectful and realistic," said Cst. Rubuliak.
From there, the workbook moves on to educating about cigarettes,
alcohol and marijuana.

The workbook also includes surveys and percentages, where the students
are able to guess the percentage of grade eight students who reported
using cigarettes, alcohol or tobacco, and then are given the correct
percentage.

When it comes to smoking, "they'll guess forty, fifty and the reality
is 10.2 from the latest survey. What does that tell them? Their
perception is that more kids smoke than actually do smoke and the
reality is less," said Cst. Rubuliak. The lesson is repeated for
alcohol and marijuana.

"Giving kids a decision making model and life skills is way more
important than educating them about 'here's marijuana, here's what
cocaine is,' we do a little bit of that, but educating them on how bad
it is doesn't teach them anything, but saying what influences you
(peer pressure, media), understanding alcohol ads versus the realities
of alcohol. We do a whole media section," said Cst. Rubuliak. The
students are able to take part in creative exercises like writing
their own cigarette warning labels as part of the program.

"We don't take sides. We say here's the model, here's the facts we
want you to apply to make the right choices," said Cst. Rubuliak.

A common question Cst. Rubuliak receives during the DARE program is
regarding medical marijuana, something approved for use in Canada with
a prescription.

"There's only been 210 or 220 licenses granted for medical marijuana
in Canada. They skew the medical marijuana, that it helps. There's no
medical evidence that it helps," said Cst. Rubuliak.

Another common misconception is the difference between decriminalizing
marijuana and legalizing marijuana.

"I have to explain to kids in DARE that decriminalizing and legalizing
are two different things," said Cst. Rubuliak, who explains that
offenders still go to court and get convicted and will be
fingerprinted.

"I have to go and kind of deprogram all of this crap that they hear.
We do a lot of fact versus fiction," said Cst. Rubuliak.

Cst. Rubuliak has a daughter in grade six and that makes him even more
passionate about the DARE program.

"I really love the program. I was one of the people that was a
doubter. All I knew was this stupid acronym - drug abuse resistance -
what are they talking about, drug abuse in grade six? But it's got
nothing to do with that. It's lifestyle, it's skills, it's peer
pressure, it's consequences, it's building up self esteem, it's giving
them ways to be in charge. We're empowering the grade sixes. They're
in charge of their decisions. They're in charge of their life," said
Cst. Rubuliak.