DARE TAKES ON NEW APPROACH WITH OLDER STUDENTS

Led by trained police officers who urge kids to "just say no" to drugs,
DARE - Drug Abuse Resistance Education - has shown success among elementary
school students.

But the approach has been less effective at discouraging older, at-risk
students from using alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs. So DARE is changing
its strategy. And it's a strategy that parents can use at home.

Students today are very sophisticated, and we have to be current with how
we approach them. Obviously, they can't "just say no." We need to give them
skills they can use, and then reinforce those skills.

The new approach will be more interactive, the thing that research has
shown to be most critical, and that this new program will provide
reinforcement.

The DARE program uses a decision making model of D-define. A-access.
R-respond. E-evaluate.

The great thing about this new curriculum is that we are doing
re-enforcement in Grade 7 and Grade 9 which was not done here in B.C. in
the past. The DARE officer will start with the Grade 5 curriculum and as we
get this off the ground we will continue on with the Grade 7 and Grade 9
curriculum in the next few years.

Drug use increases tremendously between Grade 8-10. Even with a reasonably
effective program in place for Grade 5 and 6 students, you need to catch
them again when they're at greatest risk - between middle school and high
school.

Combining what's been learned in drug abuse prevention and basic education
research, the new design shifts focus even further from the original
lecture-based format.

The interactive approach gets kids involved and helps them internalize the
message. We first have to get them to not want to use drugs, alcohol, or
tobacco, and then train them so they have the skills to refuse.

It's an active learning environment. Rather than just lecturing, the
officer becomes a coach or facilitator, and the kids come up with responses
to a variety of scenarios. This tactic addresses pre-conceived notions
associated with smoking, alcohol, and drug use, and how advertising, the
media, and peer pressure influence kids.

When it comes to teaching kids not to smoke, drink, or use drugs, it is
more than "just saying no." There's a perception among children that
"everybody else is doing it," and it is important that they know that is
not true.

You can find out more about the DARE program by contacting your local DARE
officer or check out the website at www.dare.com or www.darebc.org.