D.A.R.E. PROGRAM MARKS TEN YEARS AT PAES

Since 1993, when the D.A.R.E. program was introduced to fifth graders at
Paynesville Area Elementary School, over 1,200 students have taken the Drug
Abuse Resistance Education.

On Thursday, another 75 students will graduate from the program.

The D.A.R.E. program uses a 10-week curriculum to help youth recognize and
resist pressures that may influence them to abuse alcohol, tobacco, and
illegal drugs. A new curriculum, introduced this year, also includes a
focus on bullying, said Tim Kantos, a Stearns County Sheriff's Deputy who
has taught the program for all ten years at PAES. The theme of the new
curriculum is "Take charge of your life," and it meets the criteria of the
National Health Standards, said Kantos, who now teaches all the D.A.R.E.
programs in Stearns County.

Kantos's goal for the program is to help students lead "healthier, happier
lives." He estimates that D.A.R.E.'s message directly influences about a
quarter of the student's decisions about using drugs or tobacco. Many of
the students influenced by D.A.R.E. may not have a strong family support
system, he added, and these are the kids that can have the most profound
response to the class.

Kantos began working for the D.A.R.E. program because he saw first-hand
what effect drug and alcohol abuse had on people. Not only did he see this
effect while working as a patrol officer, but his first girlfriend was
killed by a drunk driver.

When he began working for the program, he was alarmed to learn that kids as
young as 10 or 12 had already experimented with drugs, tobacco, or alcohol.
In fact, one young woman that he worked with was able to kick a heavy
smoking habit - at the age of 12. The girl started smoking in fourth grade.

During the last 10 years, Stearns County Sheriff's Deputy Tim Kantos -
shown horsing around with a group of students - has taught the D.A.R.E.
program to over 1,200 fifth graders at PAES.

PAHS senior Maureen Flanders doesn't have any specific memories of the
D.A.R.E. program, but she believes that the course helped steer her in the
right direction. It made her notice for the first time that alcohol,
tobacco, and drugs could have an adverse effect on her life.

In fact, last year Flanders was asked to be a D.A.R.E. role model for the
2002 D.A.R.E. graduates. She told the fifth graders about a friend that had
a bad experience with drugs and drove home the idea that drugs are stupid.
"I told them that I don't need drugs to have fun," she said. Unfortunately,
the new D.A.R.E. curriculum does not include D.A.R.E. role models, said
Kantos, but he hopes to add them to next year's curriculum. Kantos thinks
another benefit of the program is that hopefully kids he has taught in
class will feel like they can go to him for help if they need it. "It's not
just about drugs," he said. "We let kids know that we, as officers, are
approachable." For some kids, a D.A.R.E. officer may be the first law
enforcement officer they have ever met in a nonthreatening setting, he
noted. Still, according to the 2001 Minnesota Student Survey, alcohol use
is more prevalent among Paynesville students than among their peers across
the state. (Paynesville teens appear to use drugs less frequently than
their peers across the state and use tobacco on par with their peers,
according to the survey.)

In 2001, 58 percent of PAHS senior boys, 35 percent of ninth grade boys, 30
percent of senior girls, and 22 percent of ninth grade girls drank
alcoholic beverages at least 10 times in the past year. All these rates are
above state averages, except for the senior girls, which is right on par.

Also, in 2001, 50 percent of PAHS senior boys reported that they binge
drank (consumed five or more drinks on 10 or more occasions throughout the
year).

Kantos isn't surprised by these statistics. He said there's an opinion in
this area that drinking beer is not as bad as illegal drugs or hard liquor,
but the end result is the same, he stressed. If it weren't for D.A.R.E.,
Kantos believes these statistics would be even worse.

While he is confident that the D.A.R.E. program works for many youngsters,
Kantos emphasized that teens continue to need help to avoid the lure of
alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. "There needs to be more follow-up programs in
the high schools," said Kantos. "Parents also need to be more aware of what
their kids are doing," he added.

Diane Seegars, the chemical abuse counselor at PAHS, agrees that the
D.A.R.E. program works and that follow-up programs are needed. In fact, the
2001 Minnesota Student Survey, indicated that local sixth graders think the
top five reasons not to use alcohol or drugs are: no desire (77 percent),
friends don't use (67 percent), could affect performance in school (62
percent), alcohol and drugs are dangerous (62 percent), and parental
objections (54 percent). Education programs at school were listed by 38
percent as a reason not to use drugs or alcohol.

Seegars was instrumental in starting the S.A.D.D. (Students Against
Destructive Decisions) chapter at PAES and noted that many of the members
of S.A.D.D. were interested in taking their D.A.R.E. experience a step farther.

PAHS student Courtney Colbert, a founding member of S.A.D.D., wanted to
carry the D.A.R.E. message to high school students.

This week, PAHS's S.A.D.D. chapter is organizing a series of events for
Minnesota Chemical Health Week (Monday, Nov. 17, to Friday, Nov. 21) to
help students understand the risks involved when they make destructive
decisions. Each day this week, students at PAHS will observe different
themes aimed at drug, alcohol, and tobacco awareness.