OLDS FIRST D.A.R.E. GRADUATES

Parents, family members and friends beamed with pride on Tuesday, June 3rd
when 44 students at Deer Meadow School were presented with certificates of
achievement for mastering the skill of saying 'no'.

Under the direction of Constable Cindy Moore, the students were active
participants in the Canada wide program 'Drug Abuse Resistance Education'
(D.A.R.E.).

D.A.R.E.'s mission is; 'To prevent substance abuse among school children."
For the first time the D.A.R.E. program was taught in Olds.

The 17 week program is taught by a uniformed police officer in the
classroom. The mandate of the D.A.R.E. program is to teach children how to
resist drugs and violence and gives them the self esteem they need to succeed.

"The students in this school were very accepting of the ideas and the
program," said Moore.

In order to pass the D.A.R.E. program students were required to write an
essay outlining what they had learned, how they would incorporate it in
their own lives, and an opinion on the value of the program.

"Constable Moore was the best teacher we ever had," said one student. "She
taught us things we didn't know about drugs. She took an hour out of her
busy schedule every week to teach us how to control our future."

During a rigorous research study, D.A.R.E. reduced the overall use and
abuse of drugs and alcohol amongst grade 11 students by an average of 25
per cent. The D.A.R.E. program boasts a long list of program benefits, some
of which include; fewer kids on drugs, more kids learning, teachers focused
on teaching, schools more orderly and behaved, less crime, and more people
contributing to society.

D.A.R.E.'s program objectives include five objectives:

1. to provide the skills for recognizing and resisting social pressures to
experiment with tobacco, alcohol and drugs,

2. to help enhance self-esteem,

3. to teach positive alternatives to substance use,

4. to develop skills in risk assessment and decision making,

5. to build interpersonal and communications skills.

"We have completed the first DARE program for the Olds RCMP Detachment. In
my view this 17 week program has been a major accomplishment for us," said
Sergeant Bob Phillips, Olds RCMP. "It has helped the children of our
community to recognize, and resist the pressure that may influence them in
the experimentation of alcohol, marihuana, inhalants and other drugs, as
well as to assist them in recognizing how violence hurts everyone."

Two grade six classes at Deer Meadow School participated in the D.A.R.E.
program that was taught during regular school hours.

"There are so many outside influences that we can't control," express Mrs.
Lori Clark, teacher Deer Meadow School. "This was an opportunity for the
students to learn how to make the right choices and how to say no to the
wrong choices."

Clark believes that some of the outside influences include the media
avenue. "Examples of bad influences are, tv, magazines, and movies, that
glorify violence," said Clark.

Clark and the other teachers involved are confident that the D.A.R.E.
program will return to their school again next year.

"We agreed to do it on a trail basis," explained Clark. "It worked out
great, I hope we can do it again."