NEW METHODS IN DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAM

Changed Curriculum To Address DARE Criticism, Says Police Officer

An instructor of a drug prevention program says implementing a new
curriculum in schools, this year, is a way to address criticism.

"The curriculum is definitely different," says Fort Saskatchewan RCMP
Const. Helen Meinzinger, instructor of the locally taught Drug Abuse
Resistance Education (DARE) program.

Meinzinger began teaching the altered curriculum at Fort Elementary School
in September, and has since introduced it to Win Ferguson students.

She also teaches DARE at the junior high and high school level.

Focus in the program has shifted away from teaching a variety of life
skills to a more in depth look at "gateway drugs"--marijuana, alcohol, and
smoking, says Meinzinger.

"It uses a decision making model."

The program has a step-by-step evaluation process were students are taught
to Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate their decisions, using situations
or scenarios provided in class that are based on what they may encounter in
life.

"Anytime you can teach a kid to stop and think before acting is important,"
says Meinzinger. "Rather than just reacting, they're taught to think things
through and make the best decision."

Meinzinger is a firm believer in the old program, but realizes as time
progresses, changes need to be made.

Such changes, she adds, are necessary in order to address the criticisms of
the program's effectiveness.

For instance, a lesson about gangs have been taken out of the curriculum,
which is an aspect that is not entirely applicable to smaller communities,
notes Meinzinger.

But the life skill lessons are not completely eliminated, she adds.

The role model lessons are optional, which Meinzinger has decided to keep
teaching at the high school level.

The idea is for students in higher grades, after they are interviewed, to
be role models for younger children.

The role models talk to students in lower grades about such aspects as
dealing with peer pressure in high school.

"Change is good," notes Meinzinger.

A former CEO of AADAC, Leonard Blumenthal endorsed a new middle school
curriculum.

Blumenthal was hired as an independent contractor to analyze changes to the
middle school curriculum.

He studied the effectiveness--using the students and the resource officer's
perspectives--of the changes from a theory-based model moving to more group
activities.

The purpose of the pilot study was to determine the effectiveness of
changes before RCMP trained officers to teach a new middle school curriculum.

"We thought it was good building block," said Blumenthal.

"They (RCMP) are moving on to train new officers now."

"What was impressive was the amount of retention junior high students had
from their first course," he said.

Meinzinger says she will have a further analysis of the elementary
curriculum at the end of the school year.