DARE PROGRAM, A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO OUR YOUTH

A program aimed at raising self-esteem levels by promoting awareness about
violence and the dangers of drug and alcohol use among Grade 5/6 students
is continuing to prove its worth in the Smoky River region.

That program is DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) - a joint venture
between RCMP, parents, students and educational institutions.

Parents unfamiliar with the DARE concept need only to reflect upon the
successes of this invaluable program over the past seven years to get a
true understanding of its overall value to the region.

DARE, by the standards of many people, is much more than a student safety
net. It's a second line of defence to complement the existing commitment
and dedication of parents and teachers in educating children about the
risks associated with drug and alcohol use.

This program consists of 17 consecutive weeks of one-hour classroom
instructional sessions for Grade 5/6 students within the Smoky River
region. That includes Ecole Providence school students in McLennan, who
earned their wings during a DARE graduation ceremony, held March 11.

This curricular bracket of adolescent students is targeted under the
program based upon their growing curiosity about the unknown, which is
attributed to logistics of age, inexperience and, more importantly, peer
pressure.

Those overwhelming feelings of insecurity have and continue to be a
defining aspect of education - one that has remained virtually unchanged
over the years among new students entering the junior high school stream.

This transitional period is without a doubt one of the most stressful times
in the lives of new students who face the arduous task of attempting to
find their niche in a new and frightening environment.

Junior high students are constantly faced with difficult decisions and
pressures that leave them at a pivotal crossroad in life. The reality is
that, in many cases, young students are led astray by the temptations of
life, many of which inhibit a natural curiosity within them.

But it's how they react to these personal situations of choice which
remains critical to their personal development and their eventual place in
society.

DARE officers constantly reinforce that message by reminding students about
the consequences of their actions regardless of whether they're positive or
negative.

This process is also achieved through helpful advice by senior high school
students in the region who are brought in as role models to share their
experiences with younger students.

DARE officers admit the program isn't about making "perfect kids" or
solving all their problems. The long-term vision of the program is
certainly not to stimulate short-term lifestyle solutions among students.

It's about providing students with a wealth of information which can be
utilized under difficult and varying circumstances.

Our children are not immune to making mistakes in life. What's reassuring
is that programs such as DARE are dramatically reducing the frequency of
those mistakes.

And that's something each of us as parents should be grateful for.