STUDENTS COMPLETE DARE PROGRAM

KENTWOOD - After completing a 16-week program, 51 Kentwood elementary
school fifth-grade students graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education program Friday.

DARE is a collaborative effort by DARE officers, educators, students,
parents and the community to offer an education program in the classroom to
prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth,
Tangiphoa Parish Sheriff's Deputy Bud Cason said.

The weekly, 45- to 60-minute lessons are taught in fifth and sixth grades
throughout parish schools.

The DARE program offers preventive strategies to enhance those protective
factors - especially bonding to the family, school and community which
appear to foster the development of resilience in young people who may be
at risk for substance abuse or other problem behavior, Cason said.

State Sen. Jerry Thomas, R-Franklinton, and School Board President Al Link
were special guests at Friday's graduation ceremony.

As a teacher and a principal, Link told the students he was used to
enforcing the rules and that each should especially follow the rules to
live by and understand their consequences and rewards.

Thomas also congratulated the students for their accomplishments. As a
doctor, he said he has seen first-hand the damage drugs can do.

Deputy Cason read a letter sent from the governor's office that
congratulated all of the students before presenting them each with a copy.

In closing the ceremony, he threw DARE hats to the audience members.