HOUSTON ADVANCES ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS

PERRY - Houston County schools and area law enforcement officials
kicked off a new anti-drug, gang and bullying awareness program in the
elementary schools this week to replace the long-running DARE program.

Officers from Perry, Centerville, Warner Robins, Houston County and
school officials on Thursday announced at a news conference in Perry
the new Avoiding Drugs, Violence And Negative Choices Early program.

Since federal funding for DARE, or Drug Abuse Resistance Education
program, was running low, both groups met about seven months ago to
find a replacement aimed at keeping officers in the schools, and
reducing juvenile drug offenders and juvenile crime, officials said.

"DARE served its time," said Sgt. Porter Wood, a Warner Robins police
officer and school safety liaison officer. "We felt we needed a new
program."

Starting this week, about six officers from all those law enforcement
agencies will start going into fifth-grade classrooms in their areas
one day a week per semester to talk about the dangers of using drugs
and alcohol, violence and gangs, Wood said.

But unlike DARE, the new program also includes bullying awareness, a
national problem in schools.

ADVANCE targets fifth-graders in the new program.

"Fifth grade is the exit level before middle school," Wood said.
Students that age, he said, will likely face more peer pressure.

According to Warner Robins police chief Brett Evans, ADVANCE also is a
program that will be continued as those fifth-graders excel in school.

"DARE deals with specific age groups, but then there are no
follow-ups," Evans said.

School Superintendent Danny Carpenter said DARE needed to be replaced,
because that program would soon run out of funding.

Carpenter said talking about drugs, fighting and bullying through
ADVANCE will continue in the classroom.

"It's delivering the message," Carpenter said.

According to officers, Gwinnett County already uses a program similar
to ADVANCE.