D.A.R.E. PROGRAM HITS HOME WITH JOHN MUIR STUDENTS

Editor:

I want to acknowledge the Sooke RCMP, Cst. Sharon Mohammed and the Drug
Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program she recently taught to the
Grade 5 students of John Muir elementary.

It is of such importance to our community that the children be reached now,
at this crucial age, before entering middle school. Cst. Mohammed presented
D.A.R.E. in such a way and language as to really help the students foster
an understanding of the negative affects of smoking, drug and alcohol abuse
and violence.

My own child took much from the program and through it, she openly and
freely discussed what she was learning. For example, there are four types
of peer pressure youth face: heavy, teasing, indirect and friendly. How
true as I'm sure many adults can attest to having been confronted by at
least one of these in their lifetime.

I hope D.A.R.E. will be a springboard to aid our children in having a
clearer perspective of what surrounds them as they navigate some of life's
turns and bumps. It's extremely challenging growing up in this day and age.
The child of today is bombarded from every angle. Music, television,
movies, video games, magazines and peers often times promote violence,
alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex as a viable option, even the norm.

So parents, let's communicate and dialogue with our pre-teens and teenagers
and arm them with the truth about the real consequences of illiict
behaviour and not what the world spoonfeeds them.

Sarah Lloyd

Sooke